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lose weight for good

NEW

feel more energised

800 calories or less maintain a balanced diet in just 800 calories a day

40+ quick & easy recipes

• mix & match

first edition

Digital Edition

meal plans • feel fuller for longer • enjoy delicious, low-calorie dishes

make better choices • reduce health risks • improve mental wellbeing

Contents 800 calories 08 The 800-calorie diet explained

What is intermittent fasting?

Benefits of a low-calorie diet

Best foods to eat

20 Top foods to avoid 22 The different diet options 24 Exercise on a low-calorie diet

121

26 Side effects of consuming fewer calories

28 Plan and budget your meals 32 Top 10 low-calorie tips

Breakfast 40 Summer berry smoothie bowl 42 Poached egg with

asparagus and tomatoes

44 English breakfast salad 46 Baked apple overnight oats 48 Spinach scrambled eggs

with prawns

50 Egg and bacon tart 52 Fruit and yoghurt breakfast pots

54 Scrambled eggs with kippers and lemon

56 Chickpea scramble 58 Cottage cheese pancakes

106

MAIN MEALS

84 Asparagus and wild garlic with prawns

86 Spiced lamb loin with

chickpea salad

88 Chilli sin carne 90 Italian meatballs in tomato sauce

hickpea curry with spinach 92 C 94 Smoked haddock with peas and leeks

96 98 100 102

Huevos rancheros Mediterranean pasta bake Konjac rice paella Spatchcock chicken with spring vegetables

TREATS

116

106 Chocolate mousse

Light meals 62 Lentil stew with roasted vegetables

64 Broccoli fritters with peas 66 Chickpea salad with feta

with blackberries

rchard flapjacks 108 O 110 Strawberry cheesecake 112 Millet, coconut and almond cookies

114 Almond milk and

lavender pannacotta

and pomegranate

68 Spanish fish stew 70 Carrot and orange soup with fresh coriander

72 Crushed pea, ham and asparagus crostini

74 Zaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;atar chicken with chickpeas

76 Salad with grilled peaches and mozzarella

78 Quinoa risotto with turnip and kale

80 Tuna fishcakes with green beans

DRINKS 118 119 120 121

Matcha soya latte Chai latte Orange cold tea aspberry and R hibiscus iced tea

122 Avocado, cucumber and celery smoothie

123 Tomato smoothie

MEAL PLANNErs meals a day 124 3 126 2 meals a day 7

800 calories or less

The 800-calorie diet explained How can eating 800 calories or less a day benefit your health, and how does the diet work?

healthy, balanced diet according to most professional health bodies (including the NHS in the UK and the Department of Health in the USA) requires us to eat around 1,800 to 2,800 calories a day, depending on age, gender and activity level. Given this, why would you consider a diet where you eat just a fraction of this? Certainly, eating just 800 calories a day, every day of the week over a long period of time, is not going to do you any good at all. We need calories, as youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll learn on the next page, and we burn calories just sitting still and letting our body function at its most basic level. However, we are, in general, eating far more calories than we need. In turn, this leads to weight gain and, potentially, obesity.

Obesity and its risks

the UK, the NHS predicts that one in every four adults is obese. The stats are even more shocking in the USA: the country has the highest rate of obesity in the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), which has 36 member countries. In 2013, the OECD found that more than half of American adult citizens were obese or overweight, and it predicts that three quarters of the population are likely to be overweight or obese by 2020. Not only that, obesity has been considered a contributing factor in a huge number of deaths per year globally. Being obese increases the risk of type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, some types of cancer and stroke. People who are obese are also more likely to have a lower quality of life and are at a higher risk of certain mental-health conditions. The main cause of obesity, or being overweight, is by eating more calories than we burn off, and from those calories being consumed through unhealthy,

Improve your health and lose weight by eating 800 calories or less on some days, and a healthy balanced diet on others

ÂŠ Getty Images

Obesity, which refers to being very overweight and with a lot of body fat, is a growing problem. In

The diet explained

Make better food choices to decrease your risk of certain health conditions and lower your calorie intake

If you’re going to cut something, you should understand what it is. Calories are a measurement of how much energy is in your food or drink. Our bodies need this energy to keep us breathing and ensure that all our organs are working properly. Eating and drinking puts energy into our bodies; exercising and everyday movement burns the energy. To maintain a healthy weight, we need to balance the amount of energy we consume with the amount of energy we burn. Excess energy is stored as body fat, and over time this leads to weight gain.

fatty and sugary foods. Fast food, takeaways and convenience foods do not help matters, and nor does spending a lot of our day sitting down – in an office, driving or watching TV.

Low-calorie diets The only way to take back control and reduce these risks is by dropping excess weight. There are many different diets aimed at helping people wanting to lose weight and, more importantly, keep it off. A very low-calorie diet, undertaken in a sensible and measured way, can speed up weight loss, transform your metabolic system and reduce the risk of developing certain health conditions. There are a number of ways of undertaking a lowcalorie diet, one of which is a short-term but daily reduction in your calorie intake. This means having low-calorie meals at every sitting, every day. NHS UK has guidance on this kind of Very Low Calorie Diet (VLCD), which is aimed at those with a significant amount of weight to lose. The other more common way to follow a lowcalorie diet is through intermittent fasting. This means eating normally on most days of the week, with a set number of lower-calorie days interspersed. In some versions of the diet, you may begin with a couple of weeks of eating a very low-calorie diet every day to kick-start the benefits before switching to an intermittent fasting plan. Later in this book we’ll take a look at the different ways of following this diet in more detail.

Fasting diets Intermittent fasting and low-calorie eating are not new concepts. The ever-popular 5:2 diet uses this theory – you simply reduce your calorie intake to around 500 or 600 calories a day on two days a week, and eat a normal, healthy diet on the remaining days. One of the reasons why the diet was, and still is, so popular is that it’s incredibly easy to follow. There are no complicated meal plans, no shakes or smoothies, no supplements. You just eat less than normal twice a week and reap the benefits that intermittent fasting can bring. As intermittent fasting has been researched in a more in-depth fashion, new versions of it have been developed. The current ‘magic number’ is 800 calories, which offers a balance between eating enough to be achievable and retain necessary energy levels, but still instigate metabolic changes that will increase weight loss and bring about a range of health benefits. In this book we will be looking in more detail at how to undertake this diet, what its benefits are and who it is suitable for, and suggesting some tasty recipes that prove you can eat a lot of very yummy food for 800 calories. © Getty Images

What are calories?

What you eat on both your low-calorie days and your normal-calorie days is just as important. If you eat 800 calories worth of chocolate, cake and biscuits, then you won’t reap the benefits – you may lose weight due to the sheer drop in calories, but you’re not getting any healthier. Most versions of the 800-calorie diets available focus on two aspects: reducing your overall calorie intake and improving the quality of the food you eat.

Being obese or overweight is a significant risk factor for health issues like type 2 diabetes, stroke and heart conditions

Intermittent fasting gives your body a break between eating so that it can start to burn off stored energy, which often includes body fat

What is intermittent fasting? Discover why fasting has gained such popularity for its health and weight-loss benefits

hen it comes to low-calorie diets, you’re likely to come across the term ‘intermittent fasting’, or IF, at some point. This is because there is usually an element of fasting alongside a low-calorie diet.

The act of fasting in culture and religion To fast, strictly, is to not eat any food or take on board any drink for a period of time. Long before it became linked to weight-loss diets, fasting was a rite of passage in many religions and cultures. For example, fasting for Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam. Muslims fast completely from dawn to sunset at this time, and can only eat and drink outside of those hours. This fast is directly mentioned in the Qu’ran, and is thought to bring about certain spiritual benefits. But it is not just the spiritual self that benefits – there are also reported physical benefits that come from this period of intense fasting, such as

the chance to break bad habits, weight loss, better appetite control and improvements to metabolism. There are also elements of fasting in Buddhism, Christianity, Judaism and Hinduism, as well as in other cultures and tribes around the world. So fasting is nothing new and certainly something that our bodies are conditioned to cope with.

Structured fasting Fasting has become more popular in recent years and is at the centre of a number of diet trends. When first introduced, the 5:2 diet was a global success. It is incredibly simple in nature, which given the complex and heavily supplemented diets doing the rounds at the time, was a relief. For two days a week you reduce your calorie intake to around a quarter of your normal daily requirements. This is usually considered to be about 500 calories for women and 600 calories for men. On the other five days of the week, you eat a normal amount of food, but the idea is that you make healthier choices on those days.

800 calories or less

intermittent fasting

Making the switch As we’ve said, intermittent fasting has gained so much popularity because it is easy to follow. But that doesn’t mean it’s simple to switch over, especially if you’re used to eating at far more regular intervals. The first few days can leave you feeling quite hungry, and that is when you need willpower to get through the day. You may feel the urge to eat more than usual on the day after a low-calorie or fasting day too, but you should eat a normal amount of food, making healthy choices. As you follow the diet longer term, these feelings of hunger and the cravings you may experience tend to dissipate. You will likely find that your appetite will start to become more controlled and you won’t feel as hungry anymore. However, some people find that this transition period takes longer than others. There are things you can do to help. How you eat your calorie allowance during your eating period can make a big difference. When between fasting or lowercalorie days, you should eat a healthy, balanced diet

Reducing the amount you eat on certain days of the week can be very beneficial to your health

Some people prefer to have one big meal, whereas others find it easier to graze on smaller amounts of food more regularly. Picking foods that are filling but not too high in calories is also key. We will be exploring the best foods to eat on a low-calorie diet elsewhere in this book. While we’ll be going more in-depth into the benefits of intermittent fasting and low-calorie eating later on, many who start this lifestyle find that there are so many advantages that it becomes their usual way of life. It could be the secret you’ve been searching for to attain long-term health, weight loss and appetite control.

Off the back of this successful diet, a number of other diets based on a similar premise have cropped up. Many of these change the fasting ratios – 4:3 or 6:1, for example – based on days of the week. Others are to do with ‘eating windows’ within every day, so for example, you might abstain from food for 16 hours a day, and only eat and drink within an eighthour daily window. Intermittent fasting is the umbrella term that brings all of these eating patterns together. It’s not really ‘fasting’ in the traditional or cultural sense, where no food is consumed for days at a time, as usually you never go a day without food and you normally continue to consume fluids. But what it does do is give your body a longer break from processing food. We all intermittently fast every day as it is. Say you have your last bite to eat at 8pm and have your next meal at 7am; you are fasting for 11 hours overnight. Which is exactly why your morning meal ‘breaks’ the ‘fast’.

What happens when you fast? Fasting gives your body a break from food, meaning that it can start to burn off stored energy instead, such as any excess body fat. When we eat food, the hormone insulin rises and this breaks down the energy we don’t need immediately to store. Carbohydrates are broken down into glucose, which can then be used to form glycogen, which can be stored in your liver or muscles. Once the body’s glucose requirements are full, any excess is turned into fat. When we fast for a short period of time, insulin levels naturally fall and the body starts to burn through that extra stored energy.

800 calories or less

Benefits of a low-calorie diet From weight loss and better energy levels, to improved mental health and wellbeing, how can this diet help you? (if you are overweight or obese), you are likely to experience positive changes.

Weight loss The reason that most people embark on low-calorie diets is that they want to drop their weight and burn fat. This diet will certainly help with that, so one of its key benefits is that it can help you lose weight, and fat, rapidly in the initial phases. Once you move to an intermittent-fasting program (or even if you start off with this style of eating from the getgo), your weight loss will reduce to a smaller, but more consistent, level. You are likely to continue to lose weight until you hit your target weight, then you can adjust your calorie intake to maintain it. Losing weight is one of the best things that you can do to improve your overall health. Unfortunately, it’s hard to do – slipping back into bad habits is common and often the easier path. Having a clear

Increased energy, better sleep, weight loss and reduced stress – there are lots of benefits to the 800-calorie diet

he 800-calorie magic number hasn’t just been plucked out of the air. It’s a figure that has been born out of numerous scientific studies and research, and has been successfully implemented in a number of diets. Many meal-replacement programmes are around 800 calories in the initial phases, and it’s also considered a good target for those undertaking any form of intermittent fasting to eat on the low-calorie days. This is because there are significant benefits that have been associated with eating an 800-calorie diet. You may not experience all of these benefits, but by altering how much you eat, what you eat and your weight

Body benefits The benefits are not just visible on the outside. There are plenty of benefits that you will feel on the inside too. For a start, your energy levels are likely to improve as you get into the diet. This is because you are starting to lose weight and fat from your body. Every day you have to use energy to move your body around in your daily routine. The less excess weight you have to carry around with you, the more that energy can be put to better use. You’ll also find that your lung performance improves as your fat levels decrease. This enables you to take in more oxygen per breath – better oxygen efficiency – and this contributes to your improved energy levels, too. As you start to feel more energetic, you are more likely to increase the amount you are active. That might mean walking instead of driving or having the confidence to take up a new sport, but whatever you decide to do, any extra exercise will boost your energy further, as well as help you continue to lose weight, or maintain a healthy weight. As you start to find exercise that bit easier, you might find you want to do it more and more. All this extra energy, oxygen and fresh air can impact on your brain health too. With energy rerouted after weight loss, your brain might become better at retaining new information, improving your memory and cognitive ability.

Monitor your progress Following any diet programme can be hard, and it’s important to stay motivated. It’s not uncommon for people to start well on a new diet and fall back into old habits, putting back on any weight they lost. One way that you can stay motivated is to keep a log of your progress. You just need a simple notepad to write down how you are feeling on a daily basis. Note any particular benefits, for example: ‘Today I walked to work and felt full of energy’, or ‘Today I didn’t crave anything sweet’. These small milestones can remind you on the hard days that you can do it and that the diet is working.

You might have the improved confidence to try something new – and meet new people at the same time

understanding of the benefits of losing weight can help you to stay motivated. It’s so much more than fitting into your clothes better (though that in itself can be powerful motivation). For a start, you decrease your risk of certain illnesses and health conditions. Being overweight puts you at a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes (see more on this later), heart disease, certain cancers and stroke. Bringing your weight down to a healthy level will decrease your risk level. Losing weight can also improve your cholesterol levels, which again reduces your risk of developing certain heart conditions. If you’re overweight, you may also experience physical symptoms, such as a bad back, limited mobility or joint pain. By losing excess body weight, these should start to disappear and give you a whole new lease of life. The 800-calorie diet often starts with a period of eating a low number of calories every day for around two to eight weeks, depending on how much weight you need to lose. There are many negative beliefs around this kind of ‘crash dieting’. In actual fact, the 800-calorie diet is based on modern research that shows a rapid initial weight loss will not cause long-term damage to your metabolism as previously thought, nor will it mean that you inevitably put all the weight back on again. It’s quite the opposite – those who rapidly lose weight are more likely to stick to their diet as they can see instant results, which is highly motivating. Weight loss then slows as you move to a fasting cycle, but by this point, hopefully many bad habits have already been curbed.

benefits

800 calories or less

Best foods to eat When youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re restricted to just 800 calories, everything you eat has to count. Here is our guide to the most filling low-calorie meals

Following a loose Mediterranean diet, high in fruits, vegetables, fish, lean meat, healthy fats and oils, is an excellent way to consume your 800 calories

best foods to eat

hen your calorie intake is limited, you need to make the very best food choices. You only have 800 calories to play with, so every single mouthful should be delivering something that is going to fill you up and provide you with a good range of nutrients. It is useful to meal plan when you are on a lowcalorie diet, as you can make sure that over the course of a week’s meals, you are consuming plenty from all the main food groups, and eating a wide variety of fruit and vegetables. One of the most highly recommended diets to follow when eating few calories is the Mediterranean diet. This has been widely touted as the ‘perfect’ diet for health. Following the principles of this diet on your low-calorie and full-calorie days will ensure that you are eating a healthy and balanced diet.

What is the Mediterranean diet? The Mediterranean diet mirrors the general lifestyle enjoyed by natives of France, Spain, Greece and Italy, and others bordering the Mediterranean Sea. Though each country does not have an identical diet, there is a broad definition of the Mediterranean diet that many of these countries share. It’s worth mentioning that these countries typically have lower levels of heart problems, longer lifespans and less of an obesity problem – so they must be doing something right! In general, a Mediterranean diet has plenty of fruit and vegetables, making up half of your plate at every meal. Try to aim to have a wide variety, eating lots of different colours. The great thing about most fruits and vegetables is that they are high in nutrients, but low in calories. If you ‘eat the rainbow’, you will be ensuring that you get a wide intake of different nutrients. Experiment with salads to try a different combination of ingredients and make your lunch more interesting.

Herbs and spices are your friends for adding a punch of flavour to lowcalorie meals

The diet also includes plenty of legumes and beans. These are known to be filling and are low in calories. Experiment with mixing up your varieties in order to get a good range of benefits. The Mediterranean diet has less meat than is generally eaten in the UK and the USA, and legumes and beans often fill that gap. For example, you could have a five-bean chilli con carne instead of a beef version, which will be healthier, lower in calories and just as tasty. While the Mediterranean diet doesn’t include a huge amount of meat, it does have fish. Fish helps to provide good fats that are essential to many of our body’s functions, as well as improving brain health, eye health, skin condition and nail growth. If you don’t already eat fish, try to increase your portions until you are eating it twice a week, with one of these portions being oily fish. You can also increase your

Eggs for breakfast are a great way of filling yourself up without needing to snack

What to drink You don’t want to be adding extra calories to your day through what you drink, so it’s best to stick to very low-calorie fluids. Water is always best, as this helps with your digestion. You could infuse it with fruit if you like a little bit of flavour. Herbal teas are good too, but there is nothing stopping you having your standard black tea or coffee. Just remember that any sugar or milk you add will count towards your calorie intake. Avoid soda, fruit juices, commercial smoothies and milk as a drink, as these will add too many calories onto your day without filling you up.

800 calories or less

The different diet options How to follow an 800-calorie diet to suit your lifestyle

here are many versions of diets that use the 800-calorie magic number. How much weight you have to lose or what your goals are for undertaking this new regime will determine the best way to follow the diet.

The drastic solution

The new 5:2 Other diets that limit caloric intake to 800 calories have a shorter initial period of around two weeks, before you move on to having some higher-calorie days. You can opt to move to an intermittent fasting pattern on this diet either after an initial period of 800-calorie days or from the outset. For those who are looking to lose weight more slowly, in a sustainable way that doesn’t shock the body with a sudden, rapid weight loss, intermittent fasting can be the solution. The rules mirror the previous 5:2 diet. For five days a week, you eat a normal amount of calories, but you still follow the principles of a Mediterranean diet so

If you drop to 800 calories every day for an initial period, you will likely see rapid weight loss

If you’re looking for a quick fix or you have a lot of weight to lose, then you may wish to start with an initial period of daily calorie restriction. This means aiming to eat just 800 calories a day, every day, for a set period of time. This kind of diet should only be undertaken by those with a significant amount of weight to lose. It is really aimed at those with a BMI over 30, which is the definition of obese, or those at risk of type 2 diabetes/prediabetes. It is wise to check with a medical professional to ensure this kind of diet is right for you. Some diets suggest an intensive period of up to eight weeks eating 800 calories a day. The diet, which is based on a decade of research, claims to improve and even reverse most cases of type 2 diabetes or prediabetes. It aims to massively reduce fat around the stomach as quickly as possible. When undertaking this kind of diet, what you eat every day to make up that 800 calories is very important. Most diets follow the Mediterranean way of eating, as this is considered one of the healthiest diets available. It involves eating less refined, starchy carbs, lots of fruit and vegetables, plenty of protein, some healthy fats (such as olive oil) and a little dairy. Restricting calories to 800 a day and following this Med-based lifestyle, you can see fast results in terms of weight loss and improved health. It’s important to note that this kind of weight loss is not sustainable. It’s not advised to stay on 800 calories a day for too long – we generally need more calories than that, even if we don’t exercise, to support our body and its natural functions.

Meal replacement diet plans In this book we focus on eating real foods within your 800-calorie allowance. There are, however, plenty of low-calorie mealreplacement diets that also aim to provide you with around 800 calories a day. The idea is that you replace all your meals with replacement products, which come in a choice of shakes, smoothies, soups, bars and more. After initial weight loss, you start to reintroduce normal food alongside the replacement products, but you make healthier decisions and stick to your target calorie plan. These plans can be effective if you need a drastic solution, but they can also be expensive.

When following any version of the 800-calorie diet, the food that you do eat should be based on the healthy Mediterranean lifestyle

that you are focusing on high-protein, low-carb and healthy fat and dairy. On the other two days, you eat the same foods but you limit yourself to 800 calories. These are your ‘fasting’ days, although you are not strictly fasting as you do still eat. The benefit of using this diet from the beginning is that it is much easier to follow. You’re less likely to suffer from hunger pangs, as you know you will be eating more again the next day. It doesn’t require the same level of willpower as the more intense versions of the diet, and can be sustained long term.

Different diet options

For many people, evening snacking is a real downfall. The first few evenings might be hard as you adapt to not eating after a certain time, but it will create new good habits instead. If you eat too late at night, your body is still trying to digest food when it should be using its downtime to rest, recover and rebuild its key systems and organs. As is the case with all diets, it’s about finding the variation that works for you, or if there isn’t a readymade solution, using a combination of programmes to create a tailored and personal plan.

Another way to follow the 800-calorie diet is to combine your 800-calorie days (whether they are every day or a couple of days a week) with a timed eating plan. The aim of this regime is to eat all of your food within a ten-hour window, and not eat anything for the next 14 hours. This gives your body a daily fast, so it has a chance to burn other sources of energy, such as body fat, as well as have a break from the rigors of digestion. This means that if you have breakfast at 8am, you will have your last meal finished before 6pm, and not eat again until the next morning. You can shift your ten-hour window to suit your own needs and daily routine, making it flexible. It can be hard to get used to eating in a restricted window, but it does have some great benefits.

You can opt to eat all of your 800 calories within a timerestricted window

Time-restricted eating

Breakfast

Summer berry smoothie bowl Prep and cook time: 15 min • Difficulty: Easy • Servings: 1 • Cannot be frozen ✘

Ingredients

Method

2 tsp chia seeds

200 ml | 7 fl oz | 7/8 cup apple juice 150 g | 5 oz | 1 cup mixed frozen berries 75 g | 2 1/2 oz | 1/2 cup mixed fresh seasonal berries 5 cashew nuts 5 dried banana chips 1 tsp orange zest, thinly pared

Put the chia seeds and apple juice in a blender and whizz briefly. Leave to stand for 10 minutes.

Add the frozen berries and blend until very smooth, then scrape the mixture into a bowl.

Top with fresh seasonal berries, cashew nuts, banana chips and orange zest. Garnish with mint and serve immediately.

3 sprigs mint

Nutritional information Calories ��322 Protein �� 5.0g Carbs �� 60.2g Sugars ��37.0g Fat �� 10.0g Sat. fat ��2.8g Fibre �� 12.0g Sodium �� <0.1g

Breakfast

Egg and bacon tart Prep time: 10 min • Bake time: 20 min • Difficulty: Easy • Servings: 6 • Cannot be frozen ✘

Ingredients

Method

280 g | 10 oz ready-rolled gluten-free puff pastry

1 tsp Dijon mustard 100 ml | 3 1/2 fl oz | 7 tbsp reduced-fat soured cream 150 g | 5 oz | 1 cup bacon lardons 8 quail’s eggs a few sprigs chervil, or parsley, to garnish

Preheat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan) | 425°F | gas 7 and line a large baking tray with greaseproof paper. Unroll the pastry and lay it on the prepared baking tray. Score a 1 cm border round the edge with a sharp knife, being careful not to cut all the way through.

Break the quail’s eggs onto the top of the tart, then return to the oven for 5 minutes or until the whites have set and the pastry is crisp underneath. Garnish the tart with chervil or parsley and a sprinkle of black pepper. Serve immediately.

Stir the mustard into the soured cream, then spread the mixture over the pastry. Scatter over the lardons and bake for 15 minutes.

Nutritional information Calories �� 363 Protein ��9.5g Carbs ��22.0g Sugars ��0.4g Fat �� 26.3g Sat. fat ��5.9g Fibre �� 0.7g Sodium �� 0.2g

Breakfast

light meals

Lentil stew with roasted vegetables Prep time: 10 min • Cook time: 1 h 10 min • Difficulty: Easy • Servings: 4 • Can be frozen ✔

Ingredients

Method

600 g | 21 oz | 4 cups floury potatoes, peeled and diced

1 2

Toss together the potatoes, carrots, onion, garlic and olive oil. Arrange in a roasting tin and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Stir in the lentils and stock and cook until simmering. Stir in the chopped tomatoes, and cover the saucepan with a lid. Cook over a reduced heat for 25-30 minutes until the lentils are tender.

4 large carrots, peeled and diced 1 large onion, finely chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 tbsp olive oil 175 g | 6 oz | 1 cup red lentils, rinsed

Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan) | 350°F | gas 4.

Roast for 30 minutes until starting to colour. Spoon everything from the dish into a large saucepan set over a moderate heat.

Once the lentils are ready, season the stew with salt and pepper. Serve in bowls or mugs with a garnish of chopped basil on top.

850 ml | 30 fl oz | 3 1/2 cups low-sodium vegetable stock 400 g | 14 oz | 2 cups canned chopped tomatoes 2 tbsp basil leaves, chopped

Nutritional information Calories �� 294 Protein ��9.3g Carbs ��46.0g Sugars �� 10.4g Fat �� 9.0g Sat. fat �� 1.8g Fibre ��9.8g Sodium �� 0.3g

light meals

Crushed pea, ham and asparagus crostini Prep time: 10 min • Cook time: 4 min • Difficulty: Easy • Servings: 6 • Cannot be frozen ✘

Ingredients

Method

6 slices ciabatta, or baguette

/2 clove garlic

12 spears asparagus, trimmed and lower part peeled 150 g | 5 oz | 1 cup frozen peas, defrosted 3 tbsp 0% fat Greek yoghurt 1 lemon, zest finely grated and cut into wedges 3 slices smoked ham, halved

Toast the bread slices under a hot grill until golden and crisp. Rub each slice with the cut side of the garlic and set aside.

Meanwhile, steam the asparagus spears for 4 minutes or until just tender.

Put the peas, yoghurt and lemon zest in a food processor and pulse to a coarse purée. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Top the crostini with the crushed peas, then arrange half a slice of ham and two asparagus spears on each one. Squeeze over the lemon wedges and serve immediately.

Nutritional information Calories �� 118 Protein �� 6.1g Carbs ��17.2g Sugars ��2.6g Fat �� 2.2g Sat. fat �� 0.7g Fibre �� 3.0g Sodium ��0.4g

light meals

Main Meals

Chilli sin carne Prep time: 5 min • Cook time: 35 min • Difficulty: Easy • Servings: 4 • Can be frozen ✔

Ingredients

Method

a few sprays low-calorie cooking oil spray

1 onion, finely chopped 1 green pepper, deseeded and diced 2 cloves garlic, crushed /2 tsp cayenne pepper

1 /2 tsp smoked paprika, plus extra for sprinkling

1 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp ground coriander 2 tbsp tomato paste 400 g | 14 oz | 4 cups cherry tomatoes, halved 800 g | 28 oz mixed beans 200 g | 7 oz sweetcorn, drained 2 tsp vegetable stock powder 4 regular tortillas

Spray a large non-stick sauté pan with oil, and fry the onion and pepper with a pinch of salt for 15 minutes over a medium-low heat. Add the garlic and spices, and stir-fry for 1 minute, then add the tomato paste and stir-fry for 1 minute.

Add the cherry tomatoes, the beans and their canning liquor and the sweetcorn. Simmer for 15 minutes, then season to taste with vegetable stock powder.

Towards the end of the cooking time, toast the tortillas under a hot grill until pale golden, and scrunch up while still warm.

Spoon the chilli into bowls, and add a dollop of yoghurt and a sprinkle of smoked paprika to each one. Garnish with coriander and lime wedges and serve with the tortillas.

4 tbsp 0% fat natural yoghurt 1 bunch fresh coriander, chopped 1 lime, cut into wedges

Nutritional information Calories �� 288 Protein ��11.6g Carbs �� 54.0g Sugars ��15.0g Fat ��3.6g Sat. fat �� 0.8g Fibre �� 9.7g Sodium �� 0.7g

Main Meals

Huevos rancheros Prep time: 30 min • Bake time: 10 min • Difficulty: Easy • Servings: 2 • Cannot be frozen ✘

Ingredients

Method

a few sprays low-calorie cooking oil spray

1 2

1 onion, thinly sliced 1 red pepper, deseeded and thinly sliced 2 cloves garlic, crushed /2 tsp chipotle flakes, plus extra to garnish 1

200 g | 7 oz chopped tomatoes 200 g | 7 oz black beans, drained and mashed

Preheat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan) | 425°F | gas 7.

Spray a non-stick frying pan with oil, and fry the onion and red pepper over a medium-low heat for 10 minutes. Add the garlic and chipotle flakes, and fry for 2 minutes.

Pour in the chopped tomatoes and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the mashed black beans and spinach, and heat through. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Line an oval ovenproof frying pan with the tortillas. Scrape in the vegetable mixture and level the surface, then make two hollows with the back of a spoon.

Break in the eggs, then bake for 10 minutes or until the whites have set, but the yolks are still a bit runny.

Garnish with sliced avocado, spring onion and parsley, sprinkle with a few more chipotle flakes and serve immediately.

2 handfuls spinach 2 regular gluten-free soft tortillas 2 medium eggs /2 avocado, peeled, stoned and sliced 1

1 spring onion, chopped a few sprigs flat-leaf parsley

Nutritional information Calories �� 429 Protein �� 18.8g Carbs �� 59.3g Sugars ��13.5g Fat �� 16.3g Sat. fat ��4.4g Fibre ��15.2g Sodium �� 1.1g

Main Meals

Treats

Chocolate mousse with blackberries Prep time: 30 min • Chill time: 1 h • Difficulty: Easy • Servings: 6 • Cannot be frozen ✘

Ingredients

Method

750 ml | 26 fl oz | 3 cups 0% fat Greek yoghurt

75 g | 2 1/2 oz | 1/2 cup dark chocolate (minimum 70% cocoa solids), finely chopped, plus 1 square for grating 50 g | 1 3/4 oz | 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder /2 tsp vanilla extract

4 large egg whites 100 g | 3 1/2 oz | 1/2 cup stevia-based sweetener 150 g | 5 oz | 1 cup blackberries a few sprigs mint

Put 250ml of the yoghurt in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water. Add the chocolate, cocoa powder and vanilla extract. Heat, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate melts and the mixture is smooth. Take the bowl off the heat. Whisk the egg whites until they form stiff peaks, then whisk in the sweetener, a quarter at a time. When the mixture is stiff and glossy, it is ready.

Divide half of the chocolate mousse between six dessert glasses and level the tops. Divide the remaining 500ml yoghurt between the glasses and level the tops. Spoon or pipe the rest of the chocolate mousse into the glasses, then chill for at least 1 hour. Top the mousses with blackberries and mint, and grate a little chocolate over each one before serving.

Stir a large spoonful of the whipped egg white into the chocolate mixture, then scrape the chocolate mixture into the egg white bowl and fold together until evenly combined.

Nutritional information Calories �� 177 Protein �� 11.2g Carbs ��24.9g Sugars ��12.8g Fat �� 6.6g Sat. fat ��3.8g Fibre �� 7.7g Sodium �� 0.2g

106

treats

107

Treats

Strawberry cheesecake Prep time: 40 min • Chill time: 3 h • Difficulty: Easy • Servings: 10 slices Cannot be frozen ✘

Ingredients

Method

20 low-fat rich tea biscuits (approx 200 g)

50 g | 1 3/4 oz | 1/4 cup low-fat spread 1 tbsp powdered gelatine 200 ml | 7 fl oz | 7/8 cup skimmed milk 450 g | 16 oz | 2 cups low-fat soft cheese (3% fat) 100 g | 3 /2 oz | /2 cup stevia-based granulated sweetener 1

1 tsp vanilla extract 150 ml | 5 fl oz | 2/3 cup sugar-free strawberry syrup 10 strawberries

Put the biscuits in a food processor and pulse until they turn to crumbs. Add the lowfat spread, and pulse until the mixture looks like damp sand.

Tip the mixture into a 23cm | 9in round springform cake tin, and press into an even layer.

Chill the cheesecake for at least 3 hours, then unclip the tin and transfer to a serving plate.

Cut the cheesecake into 10 slices, and garnish each one with a drizzle of syrup and a fresh strawberry.

Sprinkle the powdered gelatine over the milk in a small saucepan and leave to stand for 1 minute. Stir over a low heat for 3 minutes or until the gelatine has dissolved, then set aside.

Beat the cream cheese, sweetener, vanilla extract and 50ml of the strawberry syrup with an electric whisk for 4 minutes or until very smooth. With the beaters still running, gradually incorporate the gelatine, then scrape the mixture into the tin and smooth the top with a spatula.

Nutritional information Calories �� 164 Protein �� 7.5g Carbs �� 6.7g Sugars �� 4.3g Fat �� 5.3g Sat. fat �� 1.6g Fibre �� 0.3g Sodium �� 0.2g

110

treats

111

Treats

Millet, coconut and almond cookies Prep time: 30 min • Bake time: 15 min • Difficulty: Easy • Servings: 16 biscuits Can be frozen ✔

Ingredients

Method

75 g | 2 /2 oz | /2 cup millet flour

100 g | 3 1/2 oz | 1 cup ground almonds 50 g | 1 3/4 oz | 1/2 cup almonds, roughly chopped 1 pinch ground cardamom /4 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 lemon, juiced and zest finely grated 3 tbsp coconut oil, melted 3 tbsp sugar-free maple flavour syrup

Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan) | 400°F | gas 6, and line a large baking tray with greaseproof paper. Mix the millet flour, ground almonds, cardamom, bicarbonate of soda and lemon zest in a bowl. Reserve the bigger pieces of chopped almond for the top of the biscuits, and stir in the rest.

Roll the dough into 16 balls, then flatten them onto the baking tray, ensuring they are well-spaced. Dot the tops with the reserved almond pieces. Bake for 15 minutes and leave to cool before serving.

Stir 1 tsp of lemon juice into the coconut oil and syrup, then stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients to form a dough. Leave to stand for 10 minutes.

Nutritional information Calories ��99 Protein �� 3.5g Carbs �� 6.1g Sugars ��0.4g Fat �� 7.4g Sat. fat ��2.6g Fibre �� 1.8g Sodium �� <0.1g

112

treats

113

drinks

Matcha soya latte Prep time: 5 min • Difficulty: Easy • Servings: 2 • Cannot be frozen ✘

Ingredients 2 tsp matcha (green tea) powder 4 tsp stevia-based granulated sweetener 400 ml | 14 fl oz | 1 2/3 cups unsweetened soya milk

Method

Divide the matcha between 2 heatproof glasses, and stir 3 tbsp of warm water into each one to form a smooth paste.

Heat the sweetener and milk in a small saucepan, stirring to dissolve. When it starts to simmer, divide three quarters of the hot milk between the two glasses and stir well.

Use a whisk or milk frother to foam the rest of the hot milk, and spoon it on top. Serve immediately.

Nutritional information Calories ��77 Protein ��11.6g Carbs ��0.4g Sugars �� 0.1g Fat ��3.8g Sat. fat �� 0.0g Fibre ��6.2g Sodium �� <0.1g

118

drinks

Chai latte Prep time: 10 min • Infuse time: 10 min • Difficulty: Easy • Servings: 4 • Cannot be frozen ✘

Ingredients 2 breakfast teabags 8 cardamom pods 2 sticks cinnamon, plus extra to serve (optional) 4 cloves 2 tbsp fresh root ginger, sliced 1 vanilla pod, halved lengthways 500 ml | 18 fl oz | 2 cups skimmed milk 1 tbsp stevia-based granulated sweetener /4 tsp ground mixed spice

Method

Put the teabags and whole spices in a teapot with 500 ml of boiling water. Leave to infuse for 10 minutes.

Put the milk and sweetener in a saucepan and stir over a medium heat to dissolve. When the milk starts to steam, take it off the heat and use a whisk or milk frother to create some foam.

Pour the infused tea through a tea strainer into four cups or tea glasses, and top up with the hot milk. Sprinkle each one with a pinch of mixed spice, and serve with a cinnamon stick stirrer if desired.

Nutritional information Calories �� 47 Protein �� 4.3g Carbs �� 7.3g Sugars ��6.3g Fat �� 0.2g Sat. fat �� 0.1g Fibre �� 0.3g Sodium �� 0.1g

119

drinks

Orange cold tea Prep time: 30 min • Chill time: 4 h • Difficulty: Easy • Servings: 4 • Cannot be frozen ✘

Method

Bring the orange juice and sugar to the boil in a saucepan set over a moderate heat.

Once boiling, reduce to a simmer until the sugar has dissolved, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool to one side.

Bring 1 litre water to the boil in a large saucepan set over a high heat. Add the tea bags and remove the saucepan from the heat. Let the tea steep for 20 minutes before straining into a large jar or pitcher.

Cover and chill until cold, about 3-4 hours. Cover the saucepan of orange syrup with a tea towel.

When ready to serve, add the sparkling water, orange wedges and orange syrup to the chilled tea, stirring briefly to combine.

6 120

Divide between glasses and garnish with mint.

Nutritional information Calories �� 119 Protein �� 0.8g Carbs �� 30.4g Sugars �� 28.5g Fat �� 0.0g Sat. fat �� 0.0g Fibre �� 0.8g Sodium �� 0.0g

drinks

Raspberry and hibiscus iced tea Prep time: 5 min • Infuse time: 25 min • Chill time: 1 h • Difficulty: Easy Servings: 1,250 ml or 4 servings • Cannot be frozen ✘

Ingredients 3 tbsp dried hibiscus flowers 100 g | 3 1/2 oz | 2/3 cup raspberries ice, to serve

Method

Put the hibiscus and raspberries in a large bowl, and pour over 1.25 litres boiling water. Leave to infuse for 25 minutes.

Strain the liquid into a bottle or jug, then cover and chill for at least 1 hour.

Serve the fruit tea over ice in tall glasses or jars.

Nutritional information Calories �� 26 Protein �� 0.2g Carbs ��6.0g Sugars ��3.9g Fat �� 0.1g Sat. fat �� 0.0g Fibre �� 2.0g Sodium �� <0.1g

121

meal planner

Meal planner : 3 meals a day Da

We’ve put together a week’s worth of meal-planner suggestions using the recipes in this book, so you can enjoy three meals a day and stay within your 800-calorie limit y

akfa Bre st

LUNCH

p58

D IN N E R p74

p100

Total CALORIES

Cottage cheese pancakes

Za’atar chicken with chickpeas

Konjac rice paella

164 calories

402 calories

228 calories

794

p42

p78

p90

Poached egg with asparagus and tomatoes

Quinoa risotto with turnip and kale

Italian meatballs in tomato sauce

173 calories

357 calories

269 calories

Total CALORIES

799

p44

p80

p88

Total CALORIES

English breakfast salad Tuna fishcakes with green beans 309 calories

189 calories

786

Chilli sin carne 288 calories

124

p54

p62

Scrambled eggs with kippers and lemon

Lentil stew with roasted vegetables

217 calories

294 calories

p92

Chickpea curry with spinach 275 calories

Total CALORIES

786

meal planner y

LUNCH

akfa Bre st p56

D IN N E R p72

p102

Chickpea scramble

Crushed pea, ham and asparagus crostini

Spatchcock chicken with spring vegetables

265 calories

118 calories

411 calories

Total CALORIES

794

p52

p70

Fruit and yoghurt breakfast pots

Carrot and orange soup with fresh coriander

305 calories

129 calories

p76

Salad with grilled peaches and mozzarella

Total CALORIES

721

287 calories

p46

p64

Baked apple overnight oats

Broccoli fritters with peas

334 calories

215 calories

Don’t forget you can choose two meals from the same recipe section if you like. Here we’ve chosen one from the ‘Breakfast’ section and two from the

These are just some suggestions. You can mix and match the recipes in this book to suit your needs and taste. For example, if you’d like three meals a day but p58

p84

Asparagus and wild garlic with prawns

673

124 calories A low-calorie day like this would enable you to also have the flapjack on page 108 or the cookie on page 112, or even the pannacotta on page 114.

‘Light Meals’ section. With this combination, you have a few calories leftover to enjoy a delicious drink from page 117 with one of your meals!

want to treat yourself to a dessert too, it’s perfectly possible. Just make sure you choose very lowcalorie dishes – see the example below. It’s recommended that you p64

Total CALORIES

p100

have the dessert or any sweet treat immediately after a meal, though, to prevent causing a blood-sugar spike and storing the dessert as fat. p106

Total CALORIES

Cottage cheese pancakes

Broccoli fritters with peas

Konjac rice paella

Chocolate mousse with blackberries

164 calories

215 calories

228 calories

177 calories

784

125

meal planner

Meal planner : 2 meals a day 1

akfa Bre st

p40

AKFA BRE ST p50

Total CALORIES

796

792

Summer berry smoothie bowl

Egg and bacon tart

322 calories

363 calories p96

DINNER

p86

DINNER

Spiced lamb loin with chickpea salad

Huevos rancheros

474 calories

p123

Have a

429 calories

LUNCH

Tomato smoothie 24 calories or a p121

If you want to consume your 800 calories in just two meals per day, here are a weekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s worth of meal-planner suggestions using the recipes in this book

D IN N E R p78

p102

Quinoa risotto with turnip and kale

Spatchcock chicken with spring vegetables

357 calories

411 calories

akfa Bre st

p94

Raspberry and hibiscus iced tea with one of your meals to increase your calorie intake.

126

768

D IN N E R

p46

26 calories

Total CALORIES

Baked apple overnight oats

Smoked haddock with peas and leeks

334 calories

428 calories

Total CALORIES

762

LUNCH

Don’t worry if you go slightly over 800 calories on one of your days. The odd few extra calories won’t make any difference to your week.

D IN N E R p74

p98

Mediterranean pasta bake

Za’atar chicken with chickpeas

402 calories

NE N I

Total CALORIES

835

433 calories

LUNCH

p80

Total CALORIES

Broccoli fritters with peas

799

215 calories

Tuna fishcakes with green beans

p92

309 calories

If your two meals fall well below the 800-calorie recommendation, don’t be afraid to pick two dishes for one of your meals. Here you can have the broccoli fritters with peas as well as the chickpea curry for your dinner. The broccoli fritters can serve as a starter!

Chickpea curry with spinach

275 calories

If you don’t want to have two savoury dishes for one of your meals, why not add a dessert to make sure you’re getting enough calories? Just make sure you have it immediately after your dinner.

p64

NE N I

R p88

AKFA BRE ST p48

Chilli sin carne

Total CALORIES

288 calories

Spinach scrambled eggs with prawns

780

p110

328 calories

Strawberry cheesecake

DESSERT

9000

MEAL PLANNER

164 calories

127