I found the 16:8 option works for me with an occasional 24-hour fast. It gets easy to do the 24-hour once you have settled into a couple of weeks applying the 16:8 schedule. FYI, I start my fast at 17h30 and end at 9h30. However, If I implement the 19h00 to 11h00 option, I change my lunch for dinner options, only eating two meals during this period. My lunch becomes my main meal, and I bulk up my calories to ensure I reach my daily calorie intake.

You may have heard of OMAD (One-Meal-A-Day). I implement this method when practising a 24-hour fast. I then bulk up my calories but never to my usual daily levels of calories required. This practice shocked my plateaued metabolism, tricking it into submission when I found I was on a plateau. 

I will start with salads, BUT they are NOT lettuce and tomato. I don’t even use lettuce in my life. I have exchanged all lettuce for baby spinach. Lettuce has virtually ZERO nutritional value, except for vitamin A, fibre and some minerals, but does contain 95% water. You have to eat a serving of at least 100g to benefit from this food source, hard pass. Baby spinach, however, has protein, calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium, vitamin C, folic acid and more. Note that you will absorb more iron and calcium when cooked. You can also use in juicing and smoothies. I also add to my omelette.

RECIPES – HEALTHIER OPTIONS

LUNCH

Salads

There are so many filling options for salads, and here I will suggest foodstuff to add to your basic leafy salads.

• Tuna
• Smoked Chicken
• Chopped ham 100g (I buy wafer-thin ham – shaved – as it feels like more!)
• Buckwheat (Not wheat, it is from a plant)
• Quinoa
• Boiled Egg
• Cottage cheese
• Tofu
• Beans & Legumes (a variety is available: four bean, black bean, chickpeas etc.)

The above are all protein, and I build around that by adding:

• Avocado 
• Roasted vegetables
• Pineapple, blueberries, pears, strawberries, peaches and nectarines.
• Peppers, red onion, gherkins, cucumber, broccoli, cauliflower (B and C – microwave, then add salt, and white pepper. 
• Add a good dollop of white vinegar while hot, and allow to cool and refrigerate, and add cold to salad), julienne carrots, beetroot, etc.
• Grated white cheddar cheese

My go-to salad dressing is balsamic vinegar and a spray (I have a tiny spray bottle for this purpose, bought at a cheap ‘mad’ store) of olive oil, or Lime and Coriander, reduced oil dressing (an established and well-known SA spice lady product).

Rainbow Salad/Slaw

This rainbow salad (generally a mix of julienne cabbage, red and white, with spinach and coriander. I have found it at two grocery outlets. It works well as any salad base. I also use it as a hot salad or an additive to wraps and omelettes. Another outlet has included beetroot; I use that brand for cold salad only.

Tuna 

Add a mix of either Light Mayo/Chilli Sauce/ ‘Sour’ Yoghurt/Hummus/Cream cheese/Avocado/Mustard or Dijon Mustard/Lemon juice or vinegar for a spreadable filling on your bagel, seed bread or preferred base. I often replace bread with a side plate sized brown roti that I purchase from my favourite Indian spice shop. It has less calories than bread.

Pilchard Fishcakes

Don’t judge me! I love pilchards. Pilchards come in tomato, chilli and plain flavours, making them fairly versatile. I don’t like the leftover smell of hake and other fishy fish in my home. Cooking fish in this form is less offensive to my senses. 

155g Pilchards – tinned

2 medium potatoes

2tsp chopped Parsley

Salt/Pepper

1 egg beaten

Crumbs (crushed cornflakes)

• Mash pilchards with liquid
• Mix with mashed potatoes and seasoning
• Form into patties
• Flip through beaten egg to cover fishcakes on both sides
• Roll in cornflake crumbs to cover fishcake

Either bake in oven (+- 30 min) or in your airfryer (+- 20 min, flipping over halfway through)

This blog is getting a bit long and may, going by my recipe list, lead to a recipe book! 😉

Lunch to be continued…

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I did!

Disclaimer: The information in this article is intended for educational purposes only.

It is not intended to diagnose, treat or cure, and is not a substitute for professional consultation with a health professional.