5:2 diet – in praise of the mandolin

Although I’ve always been conscious of what I eat because I do tend to put on weight, I’m not an expert in dieting… just someone who has done it over the years. My husband on the other hand, has always been the correct weight for his height… he’s 6’6½” so he is a big man. However, whether it’s an age thing, a lack of exercise thing, a retiring from work thing, but he has started over the last couple of years to gain a few extra pounds. He wasn’t that worried about it at first, but he has realised that as you get older you need to take more care of yourself – he’s not the young buck he once was! He is one of those people who seems to be able to lose weight easily, and has done so over the last couple of years, but hasn’t enjoyed it, and hasn’t kept the weight off.

A friend of his went on the 5:2 (eating healthily for five days, restricting your intact on the other two) diet and this encouraged him to try again and it has been a great success! He has lost 16 pounds and is very pleased with himself, almost smug as he takes his belt in another notch. I do have to take credit for it, actually, as I have been put in charge of his fast-day meals. Over the last few weeks I have developed a few little short cuts which have mad meal times easier – and enjoyable for him.

My greatest aid is the kitchen mandolin, it makes things go further, so a fruit salad can be made with a sixth of an apple, an eight of a pear, a tiny portion of banana, five blueberries and the lowest calorie yoghurt you can find (56 cal per 100g) My husband doesn’t like green salad but I can make him a beautiful red salad with red peppers, red onions, carrots, tomatoes, fresh herbs, capers (capers are brilliant, chopped up they add a great zing!) For lunch a couple of  crispbreads (19calories each) spread with ¼ Laughing Cow ultra light triangle can be prettified with shavings of red pepper and celery. A boring low calorie cuppa-soup can be brightened up by finely sliced mushroom.

His meals always look so attractive, have such a variety of different flavours and textures that he really enjoys them and doesn’t feel as if he’s hard done by at all! Thank you, mandolin!