Fastiversary 13 – Lucky for Some

Bon appetit - so happy to be celebrating and to have my love of food back

Today is an amazing triple celebration:

• Thirteen years since my first fast – On August 9, 2012, I decided to cut back on calories just twice a week to see if it would help me take control of my weight and health after decades of being unhappy with my diet and size. It led to my amazing Facebook group and my bestselling books about fasting.

• Nine months since my breast cancer diagnosis – In November 2024, I was told I had triple negative breast cancer (one of the most aggressive types) and would need chemotherapy, immunotherapy, surgery, and radiotherapy. I’m celebrating this because I found the lump in time because I examined myself every month.

• Just over a fortnight since life-changing news – My latest results show that treatment has worked to kill the tumour in my right lymph nodes (and, hopefully, any rogue cells elsewhere).

To say this has been the most challenging year since I began fasting doesn’t come close.

You can read my free real-time diary and helpful cancer treatment tips here and subscribe for updates on what my life is going to look like now I’ve had this second chance. Always free, of course.

the hardest nine months

Chemotherapy and immunotherapy worked very well on the cancer, but they took a huge toll on my body. The side effects—especially from immunotherapy—were severe, triggering my immune system to attack my digestive system and lungs. My love of food disappeared for more than six months.

I had a haircut just before and tried cold-capping. I did lose much of my hair despite cold capping, and, near the end of treatment, a different chemo led to me shedding the rest—along with my eyebrows and eyelashes. They’re now growing back, slowly. I also have lingering numbness in my feet, which may or may not improve.

I’m still on high-dose steroids to stop my body attacking itself, now tapering them very slowly. They come with their own side effects—insomnia, muscle loss, and (vanity alert) chipmunk cheeks.

The best possible result

First coffee after surgery!

But I made it. I am beyond thrilled to be well, and my surgery three weeks ago confirmed a pathological complete response—the cancer cells had been killed off.

I’m still sore and can’t yet return to running, and fasting has been tricky while on steroids, but I look forward to resuming my weekly fasts next month. Weight-wise I am tipping the scales at just over 9 stone after the chemo and muscle loss but am building up my protein and will be doing more training very soon indeed.

I did use fasting three times to try to avoid side effects from some of the more nausea-causing old-school chemo drugs and it seemed to work well. And I look forward to returning to my weekly one or two fasts for health next month.

how the weight loss world has changed & what I think of the new drugs

A visual flashback through my weight loss journey…

So much has changed in the weight loss world since I started fasting too, including injectable medications like Wegovy that have benefited so many. I am delighted to see how many people are able to feel freedom from the worry and health issues that have plagued them, as I was when I discovered fasting. To me, the benefits of being a healthy weight for your body are enormous. It’s early days, especially about long-term use, but I love how these developments could transform how we live.

I’ve always seen fasting as a tool, and the new medications are the same.

why I don’t feel angry about getting cancer

Lots of people have said how unfair it seemed to them that someone like me ended up with this diagnosis – I’ve been a vegetarian since my teens, a faster for over a decade (with a healty BMI), I run and exercise and take my health seriously. That’s partly because I’ve seen the effect poor diet and lack of exercise had on my parents’ quality of life before they died.

But life isn’t ‘fair’ and I feel that the habits I adopted and love to live by now might have helped me fight the cancer before I saw it, and have certainly helped me recover from treatment now. Maybe I had worse side effects because my body doesn’t like to be knocked off course. I kept exercising for as long as I could and long to get back to my weekly park runs.

TNBC has a higher risk of returning in the first few years, so I know I still have work to do to process what’s happened—and how the future looks. On diagnosis, I wasn’t sure I had much of a future at all.

My books - so proud of how they’ve helped people.

living life to the full

I’ll still send the occasional newsletter, but if you’d like more regular, chatty posts on food and health—about once a fortnight—subscribe for free on my Substack. I can’t wait to share recipes and more. Or you can always read my ebooks or listen to my podcast.

So today’s Fastiversary is a huge cause for celebration—and a toast to the life we all still have to live. Let’s embrace every minute of it.

My big life plot twist & how it has inspired a new project

Five weeks ago, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. One in seven women will receive this bombshell news in their lifetime so I am very far from alone.

It’s meant I’ve had to shift my diet priorities, though I’m still passionate about 5:2. But it’s also inspired a brand new writing project, which I hope might take some of the fear out of cancer treatment.

Me sporting my new, pre-chemo crop - on doctor’s orders

three big changes

Two days before Christmas I started weekly chemo, after a quick haircut to make scalp cooling easier (this can help you keep your hair). Already I’m bowled over by the expertise and kindness of my medical team.

Chemo is the biggest change. But two others have affected my daily life. 

First, I had to choose whether to carry on with 5:2, which I’ve been loving for 12 years now.

And second, I’ve started a real-time diary of my experiences. Only a few weeks ago, I was in a state of insomniac terror, but the more I learn, less scary it seems. And I want to share why treatment is not nearly as frightening as the movies would suggest.

My diary is called… My Big Fat Cancer Plot Twist – as a novelist, I’m fascinated by stories and unexpected tests of character… and so my story is going to be honest, funny, informative and hopeful. I’m still the same Kate. And, of course, the diary is totally free to read.

 Check out my diary here  

Here are some of the topics I’ve talked about so far…

Becoming an ice queen during chemo to see if I can keep some of my hair

The sliding doors moment of getting a diagnosis (sadly, I didn’t turn into Gwyneth Paltrow)

Why my tumour reminds me of a very windy festive vegetable…

Fasting and me: big decisions to make after diagnosis

My chemo will last for six months and involve five different drugs. After that, I’ll have surgery, radiotherapy, and perhaps oral chemo for some years.

It’s going to be a long old haul.

But, way before my diagnosis, I read research about fasting being useful for chemo patients - potentially reducing side-effects, and maybe increasing effectiveness, too.

Big question 1: should I fast during chemo?

I asked my oncologist this question very early on - was the evidence for fasting good, and could I try it? He said there is some promising but early research - that the theory was good but most testing wasn’t in real, live patients. If I wanted to try it, he had no objection.

Please note that this was advice to me as an otherwise fit and regular faster – nothing in this post is intended as medical advice for anyone else!

Those close to me were more concerned. After I found the lump under my arm, I lost my appetite due to the worry. That has never happened to me before!  I am very much a comfort eater.

I was a healthy weight starting treatment but a little lower than normal. Could fasting - and potentially a reduced appetite during chemo - put me in danger?

So I decided not to fast on the first chemo, and to see if I wanted to use it as a tool later. Now I’m three treatments in, and I haven’t yet done a 5:2 day because I’ve realised that eating little and often helps me feel less icky - the opposite of my usual intermittent fasting routine of one or two meals.

But intermittent fasting is more than just 5:2 – why 16:8 is working for me right now

I am sticking with 16:8 (eating during an 8-hour ‘window’ - sometimes it’s 10 hours if I feel nauseous). This offers flexibility with the potential benefits of fasting. I might do some low-calorie fasting during chemo days once I get more used to it.

Big question 2: if 5:2 didn’t stop me getting cancer, do I have any regrets?

One of my original hopes with fasting was that it might reduce my chances of developing cancer, and specifically breast cancer, because a lot of women in my family have had it.

Many friends have been shocked by my diagnosis because I have taken diet and exercise so seriously for so long. I mean, I’m shocked too. But my consultant said breast cancer generally is very random. Plain bad luck.

Meanwhile, I don’t regret a single fast day. I know that fasting has had multiple benefits for me – helping me stay a healthy weight, reducing my diabetes risk, allowing me to feel comfortable in my body without any deprivation.

And who knows whether I might have developed cancer sooner had I not fasted and started running?

I’m grateful that fasting has kept me in very good physical health, aside from the cancer, which puts me in the best position for treatment and recovery. The doctor confirmed this – and told me to keep on doing what I’d been doing.

My food priorities right now

I’m being very conscious of eating well as I enter treatment. And I have just two rules:

1: Protein and pleasure are my foodie priorities: Appetite will come and go, so I have given myself more leeway when I’m feeling poorly to eat less healthy foods if that’s all I fancy. I don’t eat much ultra-processed anyway.

But one thing I am paying more attention to is eating enough protein – this is really important during treatment and recovery, because it maintains muscle mass.

As a vegetarian, I might not always have made it top priority but I am now incorporating tofu, nuts, eggs, seeds, Greek yogurt or cheese into every meal. I’m also taking an omega-3 supplement, with the pharmacist’s approval, as it can help prevent some chemo side-effects.

2: I’m not going to worry about my weight: When I started reading about treatment, a lot of patients reported weight GAIN on my kind of chemo. And I felt a bit fed up, briefly. But treatment won’t last forever. I need food to fuel my response and recovery.

So if I gain a few pounds, 5:2 will help me lose them again once I’ve ended treatment. For now, what will be, will be.

In writing news

My head’s too full for writing fiction right now. But I have been working on two brilliant podcasts – the history show, A Short History of… (here’s my episode about Marilyn Monroe). And if you love true crime, try Murder They Wrote (here’s one I researched for brilliant presenters Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling about The Scream Thieves).

You can read my diary here, for free.

My 11th fastiversary - and how I got my confidence back!

Today is my official 5:2 Fastiversary – eleven years to the day since I first tried intermittent fasting. And I wanted to share some really raw, personal stuff about my last 12 months - and some hard-won lessons that I hope might help you too!

I went to the Royal Pavilion in my home city of Brighton this morning as the weather was sunny for the first time in ages! But only a few months ago, I wouldn’t have posed like this or worn this dress as it was too tight and made me feel so self-conscious… read on to hear why!

My rubbish 2 years - and how I got back on track!

Right now, I’m feeling good. But this time last year, I wasn’t exactly a beacon of body positivity. OK, I was still well within the ‘healthy BMI’ range. I was fitting in my 5k runs, and squeezing into my jeans (just about). But the inner confidence fasting had given me for so long was AWOL.

Where had my confidence gone?

If you are a regular newsletter reader, you’ll know I was grieving my parents and other losses. Plus dealing with ill health issues close to home, not to mention massive work disappointments. Fasting was still part of my routine, once a week, and it saved my vegetarian bacon by helping me stay in reasonable shape.

The fast days were fine but the other days – not so much. Back in 2012, when I’d been at my heaviest (11 stone 7 or 161lbs or 73kg) and least healthy, fasting had been revolutionary. I quickly achieved my goal of breaking through the 10-stone barrier – and I found it easy to eat well and in moderation on non-fasting days. Soon I was down to 9 stone 7 (that’s 60kg or 133 lbs), even less in the summer months. I wrote the book about it - well, six in total. It was my new normal, the best thing I’d ever tried.

And I stayed that way for nearly a decade…

Moderation? What’s that again?

But in the last two years, the stress of caring and grieving made me crave sweet things again. Plus, I think I was so overwhelmed by upset that my ‘off switch’ stopped working on non-fasting days.

My weight crept up. Friends insisted it was barely noticeable, but the lovely clothes I’d made for myself were tight and I felt ashamed.

Then, in January 2023, I was ill for over a month – an ‘old school’ virus that made me eat for comfort. When I recovered, I was approaching 10 stone/63.5kg and that didn’t feel good to me. So I decided to keep fasting but add in a lower-carb veggie approach – something that had worked well for me years ago when I was in my 30s.

When you have to recalibrate…

Nothing happened. Didn’t lose a single pound. Maybe it’s being past the menopause, or due to my stress levels but low-carbing no longer works for me. I lost no weight and felt very light-headed when I tried to run.

Next, I wondered if I could reduce the emotional pressure on myself by accepting that around 10 stone (140lbs or 63.5kg) should be my new ‘comfortable’ weight. It’s in the healthy BMI zone.

But that really didn’t help either. While for many people, it’d be fine, I know what I’m comfortable with. I am pretty short and I don’t carry extra pounds very well.

I also tried the Zoe plan – I loved the science part. But though I’d always guessed that my blood sugar control was RUBBISH, having it confirmed was disheartening. My parents suffered so much with type 2 diabetes, and I feared I was destined to be the same way, despite my decade of careful fasting. The food choices the plan recommended weren’t that tempting (I will share my full review one day soon) though it reinforced what I already knew about increasing diversity in my diet.

The Embarrassment Factor

Some days I felt I’d gone back in time to my days BF: Before Fasting. Out of control, embarrassed by my rounded tummy. Even worse, I was an accidental ‘diet guru’ now, yet I wasn’t where I wanted to be. From the outside, I still looked OK, yet inside I was low.

But the darkest hour comes before dawn. Spring sprung. My grief became less acute and some of my other worries faded a little. I cut down from having a glass of wine four nights a week to two. I started to feel I was taking better care of myself. And I didn’t weigh myself for ages.

June was a month of travel – and temptations. France first, then Greece. All the delicious cheese, patisserie, baklava, and yes, I was also drinking wine most evenings at sunset. I did eat loads of salads and the food was most unprocessed and very fresh. I also walked and swam a lot every day. But even so, I dreaded getting on the scales again when we got home.

Scale Victory…

But to my surprise – I’d actually lost weight. Encouraged by that, for the last 6 weeks I’ve been experimenting with longer fasts, to boost my immunity as well as fat loss: the scientific research on fasting safely has come on so much. On fasting days I’ve extended the time without eating up to 24 hours, and it’s really added to that reset effect (it’s REALLY important to check with a doctor if it’s suitable for you before doing the same, especially if you have acute or chronic health issues).

Within 3 weeks I was back at 9 stone 7 pounds (that’s 60kg or 133 lbs) and I’ve stayed there. But it’s not the numbers on the scale I’m celebrating as much as the way I feel in my favourite clothes, the energy I have, and the confidence it gives me to be the healthiest version of myself again.

I’ve turned a corner, just as I did 11 years ago this month. Sure, 7lbs doesn’t make a huge difference to my health – even before this, I’d maintained 75% of the weight I lost 11 years ago. But I am back to feeling great - happy to have my photo taken by another person again (as opposed to doing a very carefully controlled selfie). Plus the ability to eat well without cravings is wonderful.

So are my lessons from the last year?

Lesson one: Keep flexing your fasting muscles

Make changes and recalibrate if your old plan isn’t working as well. Your body changes over time, and so does the science. Challenge yourself but don’t throw out an approach, like fasting, if it’s worked for you before.

Lesson two: life happens, be kind to yourself…

I’m always honest in my emails and so you may have guessed that I’m not great at cutting myself some slack, even now. But telling yourself you’re rubbish or a failure never helps… try to turn your inner voice into a supportive best mate, rather than a harsh head teacher. It’s no coincidence that I started losing the weight when I went on holiday and relaxed…

Lesson three: allow yourself the pleasure of good food

Diets are a balance – yes, my blood sugar control might predispose me to diabetes. No, it doesn’t mean the odd cake will kill me. Sometimes cake is exactly what I feel like – but the nicer I am to myself, the more I feel like eating the tasty and healthy stuff! When I was in Greece and France, I probably ate more but avoiding processed and focusing on fresh made a big difference.

So, that’s my end of year report. After 11 years, my fasting regime is off to big school – and I reckon I’m back in the top stream… If you’ve found this useful, remember you can always get inspiration from my books and podcasts!

Cocktails & mocktails for celebrations

I’m celebrating my latest novel, Owner of a Lonely Heart, which is published this week in hardback, e-book and audiobook formats.

So it seemed like a great time to share these ideas for celebrations, taken from my Ultimate 5:2 Recipe Book.

People were surprised when I included cocktail recipes in a diet cookbook, but I have always believed that fasting - and in fact all successful lifestyle changes - only work long-term if they make room for enjoyment!

The Fast Day versions are also ideal if you’re taking a break from alcohol, or don’t drink it at all.

Cocktails for everybody

I am a cocktail lover, partly from watching too much Mad Men and partly after discovering so many great cocktail bars when we lived in Barcelona – Brighton, where we now live, doesn’t disappoint on the mixology front either.

To celebrate the 5:2 red-and-green theme (they also happen to be my favourite colours), I focused on red and green cocktails.  The alcohol-free versions mean you can still enjoy a colourful and tempting drink on Fast Days – and the stronger cocktails are perfect for when you’re celebrating reaching a weight loss milestone. Cheers!

Red Drinks

At home, our favourite martini is a Cosmopolitan, made famous by the Sex and the City girls. It’s the drink my partner, Richard, makes when we’re celebrating, or before going out for a big night! Yes, it’s boozy and but there’s a Fast Day version, too.

All measures are 25ml unless otherwise stated.

Richard’s Cosmo

Calories per cocktail: 224

2 measures vodka 112 cals

1 measure triple sec (e.g. Cointreau) 85 cals

squeeze fresh lime juice 2 cals

2 measures cranberry juice 25 cals

(Adjust up for more than one person – or down for less alcohol, but the proportions stay the same!)

orange peel, to garnish

 1.       Put all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with lots of ice. Shake well (Richard says the sound changes when you’ve shaken thoroughly to more of a ‘thump’).

2.       Strain into a martini glass. Garnish with a strip of orange peel that you’ve ‘flamed’ by holding next to a lit match until the oils spit a little and release their aroma.

 Fast Day: Kate’s Cosmopo-light-an
Calories per mocktail: 23

2 measures light cranberry juice 4 cals

squeeze of fresh lime juice 2 cals

2 measures fresh orange juice or 1 measure fresh orange and 1 measure grapefruit 18 cals or 17 cals

orange peel, to garnish

 1.       Prepare in exactly the same way as a normal Cosmo including the garnish! If you want a little alcohol, 1 measure of vodka is 56 calories.  

 Green Drinks

Our favourite bar when we lived in Barcelona was called Gimlet. It really did make you feel like Don Draper or Joan Harris from Mad Men, with the polished wood bar, the even more polished bar staff and the dreadful silence if you so much as whispered the word Cosmopolitan – any drink invented post-1960 was cocktail-non-grata.

Gimlet: Calories per cocktail: 87

A knockout, although too many will also knock you out.

25ml measure gin (I like Hendrick’s –nothing to do with Christina Hendricks who plays Joan as far as I know) approx. 56 cals
25ml measure lime cordial 31 cals
cocktail cherry, to serve

1.       Shake together with ice. Strain. Serve with a cocktail cherry (green and almost red!).

 Fast Day: Noijito
Calories per mocktail: 30 (or 88 with a 25ml measure of white rum)

Just like a Mojito. But without the sugar, or the alcohol (well, you can have some if you insist). I don’t often use sweetener but this is a tiny quantity. Or use half a teaspoon of sugar, dissolved in a tablespoon of hot water, then cooled and added to the soda water.

½ teaspoon sweetener 5 cals
1 lime, quartered, plus extra to garnish 20 cals
8 mint leaves, plus extra to garnish 5 cals
crushed ice 
25ml white rum e.g. Bacardi (optional) 58 cals
300ml soda water

1.       Pound the sweetener, lime quarters and half the mint in a pestle and mortar to release some of the flavours.

2.       Place crushed ice in a tall glass, to a quarter of the height. Add the muddled fruits and whole mint leaves and the rum, if using. Top with more ice, then fill to the top with soda water.  Garnish with slice of lime and a mint leaf.

Other lower-Calorie Alcohol Choices

• Dry sparkling wines like Champagne and cava are among the lowest (90–100 cals per 125ml) – or choose a spirit with a low-calorie mixer.

• A small glass (125ml) of red wine is 85 calories and of white wine 83.

Sweet drinks, like liqueurs (and especially the cream-based ones) contain extra sugar on top of the sugar in the alcohol, and alco-pops are often ultra-sweet to suit people who aren’t that keen on the taste of alcohol. You can wean yourself off the sweeter drinks if you want to; our taste buds are very adaptable. Remember when you first tasted alcohol? Chances are you hated the taste, but it grew on you . . .

Coconut Vegetable Curry

Sri Lankan inspired Coconut Vegetable Curry

Vegetarian/vegan/gluten free

I recently recovered from Covid-19 and since then, I’ve been craving lighter and full-flavoured food, so I started with one of my favourites, inspired by my first ever trip to Asia. I loved Sri Lanka – and even though I’m not really a big coconut fan, I loved the sweet-sour taste of their veggie dishes, which comes from coconut milk. This simple dish is always a winner.

Don’t worry if you don’t have the tamarind or the curry leaves. You can also leave out the desiccated coconut, but the coconut milk is pretty essential for this delicious dish.  Choose a rainbow of seasonal vegetables for a beautiful bowlful!

Makes 2 servings

Calories per serving: 240–265

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 13 minutes

1 tsp coconut OR olive oil 45 cals

1 tsp black mustard seeds 5 cals

1 tsp turmeric 5 cals

few black peppercorns

1 red onion, chopped 38 cals

½–1 small, hot red chilli, seeded, finely chopped 2–4 cals

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 8 cals

1–2cm-piece ginger, peeled and grated, to taste 3–4 cals

400g mixed vegetables, diced or chopped into equal-size pieces, including 80g baby aubergines 16 cals, 150g mixed butternut squash and sweet potato 92 cals, 1 medium courgette 34 cals, 1 red pepper 30 cals (150–200 cals in total)

Optional: 10g desiccated coconut, plus a little extra for serving 62 cals

1 tsp tamarind paste 7 cals or juice of ½ lime 10 cals

80ml coconut milk made up to 200ml with cold water 140 cals

100g Chinese cabbage, pak choi, or other greens 17 cals

Optional: 4 dried curry leaves, a few fresh coriander leaves, chopped to garnish

1.     Heat the oil in a large non-stick saucepan over a medium heat. Add the mustard seeds and cook for 1 minute till they pop slightly. Reduce the heat and add the onion, chilli, garlic, ginger, turmeric, peppercorns and fry gently for 2 minutes.

2.     Add the chopped vegetables and desiccated coconut if using, and fry for 2 more minutes. Add the curry leaves, tamarind paste and coconut milk and water mixture and, bring to a simmer. Let it cook for 6 minutes.

3.     Add the Chinese cabbage or greens and cook for a further 2 minutes.

4.     Serve sprinkled with the reserved coconut and chopped coriander. Delicious served with 50g basmati or jasmine rice per person (dry weight: 166-175 calories per serving).

More ideas from the 5:2 Kitchen For more protein, add tofu, cooked prawns or cooked chicken at the same stage as the coconut milk.

To freeze Simply allow the second portion to cool before freezing in an airtight plastic container. Defrost the curry before reheating in a pan or the microwave. 

For more delicious, healthy recipes like this, read my book,

5:2 Good Food Kitchen

Dear Kate: I get cold on Fast Days

DEAR KATE,

I’ve started fasting and find it easier than I expected except for one thing: I get so cold on fast days! Is this normal, and is there anything I can do?

MEL

DEAR MEL,

I’m writing my reply with a throw on my lap, a pair of my thickest socks on my feet, and a mug of hot coffee at my side. Yes, it’s a Fast Day, it’s -2 degrees and there’s freezing fog outside, and it doesn’t feel much warmer inside either.

Brrrr...

Feeling colder than usual on a fast day is really common: some people get used to it while others (like me) just take steps to make it feel better.There are different reasons why you might feel colder. Firstly, your body creates heat when it digests food. So on a Fast Day when you’re eating less, you’re not generating that ‘central heating.’ Also, your body is very good at protecting your vital organs, which means if you’re not eating as much, it may sense that and prioritise them, so your extremities (hands and feet) cool down.

The good news about being cool...

The good news, is that your body actually burns calories maintaining a stable temperature, so you’re likely to be using energy that way. This fascinating Dutch research even suggests that turning down the central heating could help us stay slim.

Down with cold - tips to warm you up again

Stick on the kettle

Hot drinks warm your hands and your insides too.

Black coffee, herb teas, or especially a lump of fresh ginger and a slice of lemon in boiling water will soon make you toastier.

Pull on the socks (and the gloves) 

Your extremities are left to fend for themselves, so help them out with warm socks and, if you do a desk-based job, even fingerless gloves can help (I use these if I don’t want to stick the heating on as I work from home).

PS: a warm pet helps too…

Eat for heat…

When you do eat, plan meals with warming spices - a big pot of curry or chilli will be perfect and can be made fast day friendly so easily.

A bowl of soup always saves my life on a Fast Day, too. Chili peppers can raise the metabolism to warm you up and possibly burn a few more calories…

Jump around!

Being active helps get the circulation moving again. Getting up from your desk every hour and walking for a few minutes will help, or dancing to the radio. Better still, a walk outside (wrapped up warm) will energise you too. 

Want more tips and down to earth advice? 

You can read much more about my journey, fasting tips and weight loss science, in The 5:2 Diet Book.

With my VERY warmest wishes,
Kate x

September soup: Cauliflower & mustard with cheese, 53-101 cals

Cauliflower and Mustard Soup with Melted Cheese Crispy Crumbs 53-71 calories + topping 30 calories

This soup recipe always makes me feel warm inside – cauliflower cheese is such a comfort food, and this soup gives you all the comfort with hardly any of the calories. If you’re not fasting, just add more cheese and crumbs, or… if you fancy a really satisfying supper, serve with sourdough bread topped with the rarebit from the Rarebit Mushrooms recipe!

For a vegan version, use ‘Nooch’ – nutritional yeast – which has bags of savoury ‘umami’ flavour -and if you’re a fan of mustard, increase the amount to taste. #

Makes 4 servings

Calories per serving: 53 made with almond milk; 71 made with semi-skimmed milk, plus 30 with topping

Preparation time: 8 minutes

Cooking time: 25 minutes

 Ingredients:

½ tsp butter or olive oil 19–23 cals

1 white onion 38 cals

1 medium cauliflower, florets only 100 cals

600ml homemade vegetable stock 15 cals or water and 2 tsp Marigold bouillon 24 cals

2–3 tsp Dijon mustard 15–30 cals

200ml almond milk 26 cals or semi-skimmed milk 98 cals 

30g reduced-fat mature cheddar cheese 65 cals

20g breadcrumbs 55 cals

salt and pepper

 1.     Add the butter or oil to a large non-stick saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and fry for 2 minutes then add the cauliflower and let it brown lightly for 3 minutes.

2.     Add the stock and bring to the boil. Simmer for 18–20 minutes, or until the cauliflower is soft enough to blend.

3.     Add 2 teaspoons of Dijon mustard and the almond or semi-skimmed milk and blend, using a stick blender or move the mixture to a blender goblet to blend, until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. If you like more mustard, add it now.

4.     To serve, preheat the grill to medium. Divide the soup between heatproof bowls. Gently sprinkle over the cheese and breadcrumbs so they don’t sink. Place the bowls under the grill and let cook until the crumbs are brown and the cheese has melted.

More ideas from the 5:2 Kitchen This soup freezes well (but without the cheese and crumb topping). Defrost and reheat, then add topping. Try blue cheese in place of cheddar in the cheese crumb topping. Or use wholegrain mustard in an alternative topping: simply mix together 1 level tablespoon 0% fat crème fraîche (6 calories) and 1 teaspoon wholegrain mustard (8 calories) and swirl into each portion just before serving.

Freezes well before adding the topping.

From The 5:2 Good Food Kitchen - buy here.