A New 5:2 Diet Fast Day Recipe – Greek Lunch Box Salad with Feta Cheese and Mint Dressing

A New 5:2 Diet Fast Day Recipe – Greek Lunch Box Salad with Feta Cheese and Mint Dressing

A New 5:2 Diet Fast Day Recipe

– Greek Lunch Box Salad with Feta Cheese and Mint Dressing –

Whereas I would LOVE a cat in my lunch box, well an edible cat that is, like the one above that I discovered on an Israeli website, it might raise a few eyebrows! I do remember making funny face sandwiches for my daughter, for her school lunch box, and even now, we both love quirky food presentation, in fact the last time I stayed with her, she made me some toasted crumpet faces for breakfast! (I am easily pleased)  I also LOVE the idea of a lunch box – a box or a selection of containers that have home-made ingredients in them, that have been lovingly prepared, with thought and care, and that are healthy too. It must run in my family, as I remember my dad making orange boats with wafer sails as well as potato faces (with peas for hair etc) for parties and dinner-time meals…..whilst a funny face sandwich often made it into my school lunch too! And the thing is this, it’s a little bit of home whilst you are away from home……it’s love in a box with tasty stuff, that’s how I always think of it anyway. So, when I created this next recipe, it was based on what I would LIKE to see in my lunch box now, or what my daughter might like to take to work with her, a tasty and yet LOW CALORIE lunch with lots of flavour, and bags of taste. Made with seasonal ingredients and ONLY 200 calories per serving too!

Greek Lunch Box Salad with Feta Cheese and Mint Dressing

This is week three of my experiment with the 5:2 diet, and fast days – two days a week where you only eat 500 calories a day (or 600 calories a day for men) and I have to say that although I was already losing weight on my much-loved Weight Watcher’s diet, the two low-calorie days have kick-started my weight loss again, and I DO feel energised and more alert! I have now lost 7lbs over three weeks and I have eaten VERY well I think, mainly as I have planned my meals and have tried to create recipes that don’t have “Diet” written all over them. But with the start back to school for the Autumn term, my ideas turned to portable food that would be handy for anyone who wanted to lovely packed lunch on their fast days……this salad is an adapted recipe from an OLD Weight Watcher’s cookbook and I have added my stamp on it – it’s full of flavour, hearty and filling and I just LOVE the minty lemon dressing. On a non-fast day, (I made enough for four servings), I served this with a toasted pita bread and some houmous, for a REALLY filling and delicious lunch; so as you can see it is very adaptable. 

Greek Lunch Box Salad with Feta Cheese and Mint Dressing

 I don’t see why a smaller version of this couldn’t be added to your children’s lunch box too, along with half a pita bread, some fruit and maybe a sweet treat such as a home-made flapjack or scone etc. It may not be an edible cat, but I am sure that the bright cheery “crayon” like colours will bring a smile to their faces, and the olives can be left our if necessary…..and you can still add a funny face sandwich if you like too!

So, here is my latest low-calorie recipe offering – but like all my recipes, I HOPE that they can be cooked or prepared for those of you NOT on a diet too. I am trying to finish my Herbs on Saturday round-up, I had to write it again, as my document was “lost” (I accidentally deleted it I think!) and I also have some reviews to share with you, as well as more recipes. See you later, Karen

This salad is part of my Weekly Meal Plan: 

5:2 Diet – Fast Days & Feast Days, Weekly Meal Plan and a LOW CALORIE Breakfast Omelette Recipe

All of my 5:2 Diet Recipes can be found here:

Lavender and Lovage 5:2 Diet Recipes

Greek Lunch Box Salad with Feta Cheese and Mint Dressing

Greek Lunch Box Salad with Feta Cheese and Mint Dressing

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Serves	4
Prep time	10 minutes
Dietary	Vegetarian
Meal type	Lunch, Salad, Side Dish, Snack, Starter
Misc	Child Friendly, Pre-preparable, Serve Cold
Occasion	Barbecue, Casual Party
By author	Karen S Burns-Booth

A robust and flavourful salad which makes a perfect lunch box meal to take to work on a 5:2 diet fast day; this is Greek style salad comprises mixed peppers, cucumber, tomatoes, spring onions, Feta cheese and black olives, all bound in a minty dressing. On a non fast day this is DELICIOUS when packed into a hot pita bread as a lunch time sandwich, and crusty bread also makes a wonderful accompaniment.

Ingredients

• 1 small cucumber (Halved lengthways and with seeds scooped out, then cut into slices)
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 cloves garlic (peeked and crushed)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 10 black olives (pitted, and sliced )
• 175g Feta cheese (crumbled)
• 4 spring onions (chopped into small slices including green tops)
• 450g tomatoes (cut into quarters or eights if large)
• 1 small yellow pepper (de-seeded and sliced)
• 1 small green pepper (de-seeded and sliced)
• 1 small red pepper (de-seeded and sliced)
• 2 tablespoons low calorie or low fat vinaigrette dressing (such as Weight Watchers)

Note

A robust and flavourful salad which makes a perfect lunch box meal to take to work on a 5:2 diet fast day; this Greek style salad comprises mixed peppers, cucumber, tomatoes, spring onions, Feta cheese and black olives, all bound in a minty lemon dressing. On a non fast day this is DELICIOUS when packed into a hot pita bread as a lunch time sandwich, and crusty bread also makes a wonderful accompaniment. Only 200 calories per serving or 4 points on Weight Watchers. (Pre pro-points)

Directions

Step 1	First make the dressing: Whisk together the mint, garlic, lemon juice and vinaigrette dressing and then season it with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Step 2	In a large bowl, or four individual bowls or a lunch box (this recipe serves four) layer the peppers, tomatoes, cucumber and spring onions, and then crumble the Feta cheese over the top and add the sliced black olives.
Step 3	Pour the dressing over the salad and serve with crisp breads or rice cakes for 5:2 fast days or with crusty bread on feast days!

Greek Lunch Box Salad with Feta Cheese and Mint Dressing

Greek Lunch Box Salad with Feta Cheese and Mint Dressing

What is your favourite lunch-box recipe?

Have you ever made “funny face” sandwiches?