Mendocino Press - The 5:2 Diet Cookbook. Over 75 Fast Diet Recipes and Meal Plans to Lose Weight with Intermittent...

APPENDIX A

Dining Out

The 5:2 Diet is very flexible. You can schedule your fast days around any time you need to dine out. But sometimes plans change, and you may find yourself eating at a restaurant on a fast day. So its good to have a few strategies for selecting menu items. Consider choosing:

• Simple salads with the dressing on the side and without croutons, cheese, or avocado
• Steamed, poached, baked, or grilled dishesavoid menu selections described as pan-fried, battered, breaded, au gratin, deep fried, creamy, or crispy
• Menu items without sauces, toppings, or marinades
• Chicken breast (skinless), pork tenderloin, or fish
• Egg-white dishes
• Wraps with lean meats and vegetables
• Meals off the kids menu
• Meals seasoned with salsa, mustard, or flavored vinegars
• Side dishes, or ask for half of your meal to be wrapped up before it is served
• Foods prepared with olive oil instead of butter or shortening

No matter what meal you are eating in a restaurant you can substitute lower-calorie choices for some of your favorite dishes. Most restaurants are quite aware of dietary limitations, so make sure you tell your server that you need low-calorie and low-fat recommendations. Most restaurants are willing to accommodate your requests. Keep in mind that individual restaurants use different recipes for the items on their menu, so the following substitution chart is useful as a guide. A good tip: Try and order first so that your choices arent affected by what everyone else orders. Studies have shown that people often duplicate orders in restaurant situations because of a desire to conform socially. Some good alternatives for higher-calorie restaurant fare include:

APPENDIX B

Low-Calorie Substitutes

APPENDIX C

Calories of Popular Foods