Hi there. I need som ideas on energy rich breakfasts to sustain me. No meat but fish is good. This is my second attempt at this diet. Interrupted by Breast cancer last year. Looking forward t hearing from you.
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I find bircher muesli quite sustaining – I soak rolled oats overnight in almond milk, then the next day I add a grated apple, nuts, seeds, toasted coconut and yoghurt or kefir – I sometimes add some fresh berries as well. Porridge (oatmeal) is also filling and keeps me full for quite a while, although I only enjoy it in the coldest months (If I making porridge I use a combination of oats, spelt and quinoa – all rolled grains. I soak them overnight in water before cooking, as the spelt really needs the soaking time). I’m not a breakfast eater but I eat these whole grain cereals as a late brunch or even lunch some days – they keep me satisfied for hours. In warmer weather I make a smoothie from blueberries, banana, almond milk, kefir or yoghurt, psyllium and chia seeds. This is also quite filling but doesn’t keep me filled up as long as the oat based cereals do.
The only fish I can think of as a breakfast food is smoked salmon – it’s apparently nice with either poached or scrambled eggs. Eggs are also something that you could consider for breakfast even without the fish. If you add some vegetables with the eggs it would be a filling meal (eg spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes).
I should point out that I don’t eat any of these things on a fast day – these are foods I eat on non-fast days. On fast days I just eat dinner – although eggs with veg is something I would have for dinner on a FD.
I hope you find 5:2 works for you now that you are over your treatment.
While I don’t eat breakfast myself as I have no appetite early in the day, I appreciate that everyone is different. Some people have their strongest appetite early in the day. So it’s fine to have a breakfast on a FD if you need to. As long as you know you’ll have limited calories for the rest of the day.
Probably the most filling and calorie restrained option is the cooked spinach mushrooms and tomatoes teamed with either a poached egg, or a little sliced salmon or perhaps a scoop of ricotta or cottage cheese. You should be able to put a meal like this together for about 600-800 kilojoules (143-190 calories). This would allow plenty of calories for at least one more meal later in the day. If you are planning to invest calories in breakfast on FDs then vegetable soups and salads can be low calorie filling options for later meals.
When I started this way of life, I thought that I would collapse in a heap if I didn’t eat breakfast. I used to eat a rigid 500 calories on a FD split between to meals. I do it now to extend the length of fasting up to 24 hours, although others on the forum do it for longer.
I have changed what I eat completely and I feel sure that eating more healthy fat helps me on both FD and non FD. I eat butter, avocados, cheese, eggs, fruit, unprocessed meat/fish, vegetables, fruit, nuts/seeds. I avoid rice and pasta because it makes me feel very sleepy(sends my blood sugar sky high I suspect as it gives me a sugar crash), rarely eat bread. I eat fish/meat with vegetables or salad. One of my greatest achievements was to give up sugar in my tea after 40+ years and to reduce the sweet stuff.
I wonder if you look at what you eat/drink on a NFD and make some adjustments, it might help on a FD? Sorry to hear that you didn’t feel well on a FD.
Hi ruthleonie,
If hunger between your 2 FD meals is the problem then another option that you might consider, is a snack that will help get you through. I know a few people who have a cup of vegetable soup mid-afternoon and some who have a hot milk based drink (either cows milk or the lower calories almond milk option). The most common approach to the soup is vegetables cooked in broth and then pureed (this can be frozen in one cup serves for easy use). The other popular soup snack is miso broth, although if you are looking for a calorie boost this won’t work as miso has very few.
If I need a mid-afternoon snack I sometimes have a mug of hot unsweetened almond milk that I stir vanilla bean paste and nutmeg or cinnamon into, but more usually, I have a piece of fresh fruit – most often it’s a punnet of berries.
A heartier breakfast may solve the problem, but it’s always useful to have other options up your sleeve.
Hi ruth,
It takes a while to get into 5:2 and work out what works best for you and I’m sure you’ll find your way with a bit of trial and error.
You’ll never be able to completely banish hunger pangs on FDs but you’ll learn how to deal with them.
Keeping busy is definitely the best option IMO.
A glass of water followed by a hot drink always helps and there are numerous teas that do the trick for me. My favourite is mint but I drink many different flavours. If I feel I need something salty I drink Bovril and I’m sure there are non meat alternatives.
annette’s point about what you eat on on FDs is a good one. Try not to eat a lot of carbs at dinner time the day before a fast as it definitely makes you more hungry the next day.
Egg protein is good for keeping hunger at bay so maybe your first meal on a FD could be egg based. If you are able to cook something an omelette or a poached egg with spinach or a small slice of smoked salmon would be good, or hard boiled egg with a tomato.
There are lots of good ways to eat eggs for breakfast on a Fast Day. The protein helps keep you full for a long time. Also, a breakfast of 3 Finn Crisp crackers, whipped cream cheese, 1 oz smoked salmon, and 1/2 a cup of raspberries will really fill you up with all the fiber and protein. If you can find my blog, you’ll see lots of breakfasts for Mondays and Thursdays.
Yes! Staying busy on a Fast Day is key to success. But busy OUT of the kitchen!
Good luck, Ruth.
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11:34 pm
26 Aug 17