Fast Days and Feast Days: 5:2 Diet Recipe - Herb and Spice Crusted Baked Chicken Breasts (180 calories) (2024)

Fast Days and Feast Days: 5:2 Diet Recipe

Herb and Spice Crusted Baked Chicken Breasts

(180 calories)

Yes you CAN have lovely, tasty and exciting meals when following the 5:2 diet and on your fast days! Fast days on the 5:2 diet aren’t “nofood”days, as many of you will know, but they are VERY low-calorie days, where the total calories allowed for women is 500 calories and the blokes get a better deal as they are allowed 600 calories! So, over the last week I have beeninterspersingmy daily posts with some low-calorie meal ideas, as well as my usual recipes too of course. My recipe idea todaywouldmake a GREAT main meal on a fast day, as it is ONLY 180 calories, as seen served with some salad leaves and 200 calories when served with a sliced tomato too. The chicken breast is poached and baked with a herb and spice crust in the oven, and is tender and succulent and FULL of flavour; for me, all that is needed is a simple undressed salad to accompany it, and it’s hard to believe that is is diet food. If you serve this with salad AND a sliced tomato, the total will be 200 calories, which allows you 300 calories (400 calories for men) left for the day, so it’s a super meal to treat yourself to if you eat meat. The great thing is, if you are avegetarian, you can also have this by using a Quorn “chicken style” fillet, and the calories will be reduced by 20 calories for the meal, so a real WIN WINsituation! The spices and herbs add a real oomph and the oven baked-poachingmethodresults in a VERY tender chicken breast!

You can use any herbs or spices of your choice, and curry powder is also a great idea for the seasoned crust too, in fact, I have been experimenting, and the chicken breast shown in my photos was a curried chicken version, with no herbs, but JUST as tasty and totally delicious! I do eat Quorn, and I dohavesome “chickenstyle”filletson thefreezer, so I amgoingtotrythat next time for a lower calorie change. I served my salad sans dressing, but you can add salad dressing of your choice and just add the calories on of course. There is a VERY hand Salad Dressings calorie count chart here:The good salad dressing guideFor example, a fat-freeItalian vinaigrette with garlic is only 6 calories!

I am sharing the recipe below and this recipe is part of my Fast Day today, you can see the rest of my meal plan here:. I had a boiled egg for breakfast with a peach, which was a total of 134 calories, this chicken recipe for lunch, making a total of 314 calories and I have 186 calories left for the rest of the day, and I plan to have Caprese Crispbreads: Mozzarella and Tomato Basil on Ryvita Dark Rye (122 calories) and another peach, which brings the total to 492 calories!I was recently sent some packets of Ryvita, and I will be sharing this recipe along with several more Ryvita recipe ideas in a separate post.

And, for those of you havemadeand enjoyed my, I am posting a VERY handy Calorie Count Chart of accompaniments that go with soup below.…..I printed it and have it stuck to my fridge and I hope you will find it as handy as I do, for a little extra inspiration on Fast days!

Calorie Count Chart – Accompaniments for Soups:

Breads:

2 extra-thin crispbreads = 50 cals

A slice of low-calorie bread = 30 cals

A slice of medium-size bread, toasted and cut into croutons = 40 cals

6 small Melba toasts = 90 cals

1 mini pitta bread = 80 cals

3 rice cakes = 90 cals

1/2 medium size naan bread = 185 cals

1 medium size bread roll, soft or crusty = 110 cals

5cm (2″) slice of baguette = 100 cals

5cm (2″) slice garlic bread = 145 cals

1 heaped tablespoon croutons = 85 cals

Creams – per tablespoon:

Low-fat plain fromage frais = 7 cals

Single cream = 25 cals

Double cream orcrèmefraîche= 55 cals

Half fatdouble cream or crème fraîche = 25 cals

Yoghurt – per 2 tablespoons:

Low-fat bio = 7 cals

Greek-style = 55 cals

Low-fat plain = 25 cals

Quark = 25 cals

Miscellaneous:

Rasher of grilled streaky bacon, grilled, and crumbled = 115 cals

1 teaspoon Parmesan cheese = 10 cals

5 cashew nuts or hazelnuts, chopped and toasted = 50 cals

1 tablespoon pumpkin,sunfloweror sesame seeds = 80 cals

1 teaspoon desiccated coconut = 10 cals

5 green olives, sliced = 12 cals

That’s all for now,I’m sorry about the flurry of post lately, but I have QUITE a few review posts due, as well as some blog challengepoststo do this week, before the deadlines expire – but I HOPE you are finding my 5:2 dietideashelpfulandtasty, if you try them!I will see you later with a FABULOUS Random Recipe, some Ryvita recipe ideas, as well as a Meals on Wheels review courtesy of Gousto – so keep checking back! Have a wonderful mid-week, Karen

Links to my other 5:2 Diet Recipes:

5:2 Diet, Fresh Fruit Salad Recipe, Meal Plan Ideas and Calorie Counters

Fish on Friday with Pink Grapefruit and Prawn Salad suitable for 5:2 Diet and Weight Watchers

A Hot Day,The Lavender Harvest and Barbecued Peaches with Honey and Lavender (5:2 Diet)