Our 5:2 diet meal plans are easy to follow and are full of inspiration and delicious dishes to help keep you on track while on the 5:2 diet.
From curry to stir fry, from omelette to soup, our 5:2 diet meal plans below will help guide you through your 500 calorie days with ease. Whether you’re hoping to lose weight fast or just want to manage your food a little better, the 5:2 diet is a part-time diet that has grown in popularity over the past few years.
The 5:2 diet being a part-time diet means that you can eat normally for five days of the week, and fast for just two. As you can imagine, this is one of the diets that work fast and is a celebrity diet too - and it has huge appeal for many people who don’t like the idea of being on a diet full time and not being able to enjoy a good feed from time to time. It’s also a less intense way of intermittent fasting compared to the likes of the 16:8 diet.
"On your two fasting days, you can only eat 500 calories per day of your recommended 2000 calories. Because of the very low intake of calories on these two days, it’s recommended that you spread them out, rather than do them consecutively," says Clinical Nutritionist, Mike Wakeman from the evidence-backed personalised nutrition service Vitamedics. The diet works by limiting your daily calorie intake to just 25 percent, but only for two days of the week, which still delivers results.
Our 500 calories a day meal plans have inspiration for 27 days worth of meals. Each day we cover breakfast, lunch, and dinner. All of our recipes total under 500 calories per day. We’ve also included snacks too, most of which you should easily be able to buy in your local supermarket.
500 calorie diet meal plans
Recipes for 5.2 meal plan - Day 1
Breakfast: Start your day with 2 Rye Ryvitas and spread with 2tsp Marmite. Calories so far: 90.
Lunch: Make soup your choice of lunch with a can of Weight Watchers’ filling Chicken, Potato & Leek soup (96 cals). As lunch is low cal, you have room for another snack, and a Sun-Maid Mini-Box (42 cals) is a great choice. Calories so far: 228
Dinner: You still have quite a few calories for today, so tuck into our tasty healthy chicken tikka (136 cals), two Jaffa Cakes for pud (90cals).
Total intake for the whole day without snacks = 454 calories.
Recipes for 5.2 meal plan - Day 2
Breakfast: Top 25g of low-fat Greek yogurt with two chopped apricots. Calories so far: 68.
Lunch: Tesco’s Broccoli and Stilton soup (140 cals) is a great option as you can still get a cheese fix. Calories so far: 228.
Dinner: Chicken and rice makes this lemon and chicken stir fry rice (204 cals) super filling.
Total intake for the whole day = 500 calories.
Recipes for 5.2 meal plan - Day 3
Breakfast: Give a slice of white bread a kick – toast it and top with half a teaspoon of cinnamon. Calories so far: 91.
Lunch: Mushroom soup keeps lunch healthy and Knorr’s version (106 cals) means you’ll have more calories to use up for snacks. For a sweet afternoon treat, have two Jaffa cakes (90 cals). Calories so far: 287.
Dinner: One all the family will enjoy, a serving of this spicy pepper pulled pork comes in at just 290 calories.
Total intake for the whole day = 491 calories.
Recipes for 5.2 meal plan - Day 4
Breakfast: Start the day off with a Muller Light Strawberry yogurt (89cals). Calories so far = 89.
Lunch: Heinz Weight Watchers Tomato Soup is just 76cals, and if you need a bit more filling up try munching on two rice cakes (70cals). Calories so far = 255.
Dinner: Low calorie doesn’t mean tasteless. We love these cornflake chicken dippers that are just 257 calories per portion.
Total intake for the whole day = 492 calories.
Recipes for 5.2 meal plan - Day 5
Breakfast: A medley of a banana (90cals), 25 blueberries (20cals), and a kiwi (46cals) Calories so far = 156
Lunch: Young’s Cod Steak in Parsley Sauce (101cals) is perfect. Eat it on a bed of 60grams of lettuce (8cals). Calories so far = 261
Dinner: Try our hunger-busting veggie balti to fight off the fasting blues (131cals) and two and a half rice cakes (100cals).
Total intake for the whole day = 496 calories.
Recipes for 5.2 meal plan - Day 6
Breakfast: Kickstart the morning with a mini bagel – halve and toast, spread each side with 2tsp of low-fat cream cheese. Calories so far: 96 cals
Lunch: Chunky soups are a great way to fill you up at lunch, whilst still keeping the calorie count low. We love a bowl of Weight Watchers from Heinz Tuscan Minestrone soup (129 cals). Calories so far: 225.
Dinner: Creamy chicken kormas aren’t off the menu, as our version is low cal at (240cals) with 25 blueberries for dessert (20cals).
Total intake for the whole day = 485 calories.
Recipes for 5.2 meal plan - Day 7
Breakfast: A banana (90cals) is ideal for breakfast on the go and will give you plenty of energy for the rest of the day. Calories so far = 9
Lunch: Low-calorie foods don’t have to be boring. Pop to Prêt and grab a Simple Tuna Salad (170cals) and two rice cakes (70cals). Calories so far = 240.
Dinner: Try whipping up a low cal mushroom ragu with courgetti (125cals) and 25 blueberries for dessert (20cals).
Total intake for the whole day= 470 calories.
Recipes for 5.2 meal plan - Day 8
Breakfast: Make a fruity concoction with a strawberry and almond yogurt, using 25g low-fat Greek Style yogurt, 50g strawberries, and 4g ground almonds. Calories so far: 56.
Lunch: For lunch, rustle up our crushed new potatoes and shoots (170 calories). Calories so far: 226
Dinner: For dinner, it’s a roast cod and parma ham (270 calories).
Total intake for the whole day minus snacks = 496 calories
Recipes for 5.2 meal plan - Day 9
Breakfast: Start off the day with an omelette with two eggs, 50grams of red pepper, and 50grams of onion (156cals). Calories so far = 156.
Lunch: A sachet of miso soup (14cals) will warm you up, and try snacking on two carrot sticks (50cals). Calories so far = 220.
Dinner: Whip up this flavor-packed king prawn stir fry in just 20 minutes. This tasty meal is only 265 calories.
Total intake for the whole day = 485 calories.
Recipes for 5.2 meal plan - Day 10
Breakfast: Enjoy a medley of 100g hulled sliced strawberries, 100g cubed watermelon and 50g halved seedless grapes. Calories so far: 88.
Lunch: Tuck into Sainsbury’s Be Good to Yourself Cous Cous & Chargrilled Vegetable pot (127 cals) and 25 blueberries (20cals) Calories so far: 235.
Dinner: Filling and delicious, make this butternut squash and spinach tortilla by Weight Watchers (196 cals) for dinner. As a final treat to end the day, grab your spoon and enjoy a serving of Hartley’s Sugar-Free Raspberry Jelly (10 cals).
Total intake for the whole day: 441.
Recipes for 5.2 meal plan - Day 11
Breakfast: Get fruity with a 75g low-fat peach yogurt and top with 30g raspberries. Calories so far: 100.
Lunch: Make our flavorsome Spanish-style sizzling prawns (169 cals) the night before and heat up for lunch. Calories so far: 271.
Dinner: Make fish the dish of the day with our Chinese vegetable chow mein (195 cals).
You’ve still got 25 calories to use on low-cal drinks and snacks.
Total intake for the whole day without snacks: 464.
Recipes for 5.2 meal plan - Day 12
Breakfast: Grab a banana and give it a sweet kick with ½ tsp of honey. Calories so far: 95.
Lunch: For lunch, enjoy our prawn and pickled cucumber salad which is one salad that guarantees to fill you up (117 cals). Calories so far: 195
Dinner: In the evening, enjoy our spring chicken traybake (270 calories).
Total intake for the whole day = 482 calories
Recipes for 5.2 meal plan - Day 13
Breakfast: Begin your day with a bowl of porridge with a sweet maple syrup topping. Put 20g porridge oats in a bowl with 2tbsp water and 2tbsp skimmed milk. Microwave on high for 1 min 20 secs until the oats are tender and then stir in 1tsp maple syrup. Calories so far: 100
Lunch: For lunch on the go, opt for Tesco’s Healthy Living Chicken Noodle Soup in a Mug (44 cals) and one Salt & Vinegar Snack a Jacks Rice Cake (41 cals). Calories so far: 185.
Dinner: Our delicious Thai curried noodles are a great dinner option (297 cals).
Total intake for the whole day = 482 calories.
Recipes for 5.2 meal plan - Day 14
Breakfast: Using egg whites for an omelette is a great way to cut calories. Use 3 egg whites, 80g mushrooms, and 80g spinach. Calories so far: 58.
Lunch: You can afford to treat yourself, as Sainsbury’s tabbouleh salad (140 cals) is indulgent but still low-cal. Calories so far = 198.
Dinner: This Moroccan root tagine with couscous (300 cals) beats a takeaway.
Total intake for whole day: 498 calories.
Recipes for 5.2 meal plan - Day 15
Breakfast: Start the day with a fruit medley of 1 kiwi, 1 medium satsuma and 25g low-fat Greek yogurt. Calories so far: 101.
Lunch: Go veg heavy with this roasted veg ratatouille (170 cals) Calories so far: 271
Dinner: Speedy and super low in calories, this baked aubergine dish is only 90 cals per portion. Calories for the day are just 361 calories leaving you 139 to use on low-calorie snacks.
Total intake for the whole day = 361 calories.
Recipes for 5.2 meal plan - Day 16
Breakfast: Kickstart your day with a banana at 90 calories. Calories so far = 90
Lunch: Pick up a Beetroot and Cheese Salad from Waitrose for the ultimate crispy and chunky fix at 172 calories. Calories so far = 262.
Dinner: Our super-easy sweet potato pasta is also surprisingly good for you at 198 calories a portion. You've got 40 calories left for dessert.
Total intake for the whole day = 460 calories.
Recipes for 5.2 meal plan - Day 17
Breakfast: Start off the day with a hard-boiled egg (78 calories) and a satsuma (25 calories) as an elevenses snack. Calories so far = 103.
Lunch: Take half of Weight Watcher’s Mediterranean Veg Quiche (156 calories), and a Tesco side salad (12 calories) for a midday meal to give you a real energy boost. Calories so far = 178
Dinner: This hearty vegetable stew is packed full of veg including carrot, parsnips, celery, and swede (172 calls)
Total intake for the whole day = 453 calories
Recipes for 5.2 meal plan - Day 18
Breakfast: Hard-boiled egg (78cals) and 25 blueberries (20cals) Calories so far = 98.
Lunch: Half of Sainsbury’s Creamy Vegetable Soup is a super healthy option at only 53 calories. Calories so far = 151.
Dinner: Warming, chunky, delicious, and easy. This super-filling vegetarian pie is just 303 calories per portion.
Total intake for the whole day = 454 calories.
Recipes for 5.2 meal plan - Day 19
Breakfast: Perfect to grab on the go, an Alpen Fruit and Nut Bar starts your day off at 109 calories. Calories so far = 109
Lunch: Make your midday meal a filling one with a slice of toasted rye bread with a small can of reduced sugar and salt baked beans at 195 calories. Calories so far = 304.
Dinner: Forget a Thai takeaway and try this green miso noodle bowl instead. At just 198cals it’s your better option by a mile.
Total intake for the whole day = 502 calories.
Recipes for 5.2 meal plan - Day 20
Breakfast: Chocolate for brekkie isn’t as awful as it sounds. A Tesco white chocolate and strawberry cereal bar come in at just 85 calories.
Lunch: Pack a fiery punch at lunchtime with Tesco’s Chilli Chicken Noodles at 195 calories. Calories so far = 280.
Dinner: Opt for a refreshing, filling salad for dinner. Our bean and pepper salad (137cals) is perfects served with two rice cakes (70cals).
Total intake for the whole day = 487 calories.
Recipes for 5.2 meal plan - Day 21
Breakfast: Start the day off to a warming start with a sachet of Tesco’s Micro Oats. It’s speedy and healthy at 105 calories. If you fancy a mid-morning snack, opt for a fruity Weight Watchers citrus yogurt at 60 calories. Calories so far =165.
Lunch: You can’t beat a classic tomato soup, and Heinz’s Cream of Tomato Reduced Salt comes in at a light 115 calories. Calories so far = 280.
Dinner: Our delicious, filling masala omelette is a great choice at 118 calories, you would even have enough calories to treat yourself to a small glass of wine (120mls) for 80 calories.
Total intake for the whole day = 478 calories.
Recipes for 5.2 meal plan - Day 22
Breakfast: Melba toast is great when you’re on a diet. Try having two pieces of Melba toast each covered in one tablespoon of Philadelphia Light & Healthy Cream Cheese (48cals each). Calories so far = 98 calories.
Lunch: One mini Quorn Sausage Roll (48cals) will stop you from missing comfort foods. Serve with a salad made up of 30grams of spinach (7cals), 4 cherry tomatoes (16 calls), and a medium cucumber (24cals). Calories so far = 193.
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