One of the most common issues many people have is that they do not know how many calories are in the foods that they eat. As such, we have put an extensive list of common foods together in a table below with calorie & kilojoule counts. This will help you get a “feel” of just how many calories are in what you eat, so make sure you check it out below.
We have also put together a recipe book, packed with over 180 pages of recipes, meal plans and heaps of other great information. Make sure you check it out here.
For the 5:2 diet to actually work for you, it is imperative that you stick to the correct calorie count on your fasting days. For women, this means consuming less than 500 calories for the day, and for men, the recommended calorie intake is 600 calories. This is calculated at about a ¼ of the daily recommended calorie intake in a normal, healthy diet.
However, instead of having to count calories every day, you only need to do the math on the 5:2 fasting days. Luckily this doesn’t mean that you are restricted to only certain foods — you can eat anything, as long as you remain below the recommended calorie count. Just keep in mind that the healthier your choices (whether on fasting days or not), the more health benefits you will reap and the more stable your blood sugar will be.
For your convenience, we have compiled a list of foods and their calorie counts per portion. You will soon discover that counting calories on the 5:2 intermittent fasting diet days will help to create an awareness of what you are consuming on the “normal” non-fasting days as well.
Bonus tip…
For those of you who want an in-depth look at thousands of different types of food, whether you’re interested in finding out more about calories, carbs, cholesterol, or protein in your favorite foods, then make sure to check out The Complete Book of Food Counts on Amazon… click here for more information.
| Food | Quantity | Calories* | Kilojoules* |
|---|---|---|---|
Almonds | 13 whole | 90 | 377 |
Alo Drink | 1 serve | 70 | 293 |
Apple | 1 piece | 53 | 222 |
Apricot Banana and Cashew Snack Jar | 1 small jar | 99 | 414 |
Baby Plum Tomatoes | 6 pieces | 11 | 46 |
Baked Beans | 100 grams | 70 | 293 |
Baked Potato | 1/2 medium | 85 | 356 |
Baked Salmon | 2 1/2 oz | 99 | 414 |
Baked Sweet Potato | 1 small | 22 | 92 |
Banana Bread | 1/2 slice | 165 | 690 |
Banana | 1 piece | 90 | 377 |
Bean Nachos | 1 serve (4.6 oz) | 280 | 1172 |
Bloody Mary | 1 collins glass (10 fl. oz) | 125 | 523 |
Blueberries  | 1 cup | 85 | 356 |
Boiled Egg  | 1 large | 70-80 | 293-335 |
Broccoli  | 1 cup | 95 | 397 |
Brown Bread  | 1 slice | 74 | 310 |
Buttered Oatcakes  | 2 pieces | 100 | 418 |
Buttered Rice Cakes  | 3 pieces | 90 | 377 |
Cadbury Highlights Hot Chocolate  | 1 cup | 40 | 167 |
| Canned Pure Pumpkin | 1 cup | 85 | 356 |
Canned Red Kidney Beans  | 1/3 cup | 85 | 356 |
Cantaloupe / Rockmelon  | 1/2 cup | 21 | 88 |
Cappuccino Non-fat milk  | 1 cup (8 fl. oz) | 40 | 167 |
Carrot  | 1 piece | 100 | 418 |
Cashew Nuts  | 8 pieces | 100 | 418 |
Cauliflower  | 87 grams | 23 | 96 |
Celery  | 3 sticks | 75 | 314 |
Celery  | 1 piece | 7 | 29 |
Champagne  | 1 glass (4.1 fl. oz) | 78 | 326 |
Cheddar Cheese  | 3/4 oz | 90 | 377 |
Cherry Tomato  | 1 piece | 4 | 17 |
Chicken Breast  | 1 piece | 162 | 678 |
Chicken Salad Sandwich  | 1 sandwich | 500 | 2092 |
Choco Chip Cookie  | 1 cookie | 11 | 46 |
Chocolate Bar (eg. Kitkat)  | 1 bar (1.9 oz) | 250 | 1046 |
Coconut Juice  | 11.2 fl. oz | 60 | 251 |
Cooked Prawns  | 50 grams | 40 | 167 |
Corn on the Cob  | 1 medium | 100 | 418 |
Cranberry Sauce  | 3 tbsp | 75 | 314 |
Crumpet  | 1 piece | 100 | 418 |
Dark Chocolate  | 2/3 oz | 95 | 397 |
Dried Apricot  | 6 pieces | 100 | 418 |
| Dried Cherries | 3 tbsp | 75 | 314 |
Dry Roasted Unsalted Pistachios  | 25 pieces | 85 | 356 |
Dry Soda  | 1 bottle | 45-70 | 188-293 |
Figs  | 1 medium | 75 | 314 |
Fillet of Salmon  | 1/2 slice | 185 | 774 |
Fried Rice  | 1 oz | 50 | 209 |
Fruit Cocktail  | 1 cup (8.4 oz) | 109 | 456 |
Fruit Muffin  | 1 piece (4.3 oz) | 360 | 1506 |
Full Strength Beer  | 1 bottle/can (12 fl. 0z) | 164 | 686 |
Granola (All Natural)  | 3 tsbp | 85 | 356 |
Grapefruit (All Natural)  | 1 cup (8.8 oz) | 92 | 385 |
Grapes  | 30 pieces | 100 | 418 |
Green Tea with Honey  | 1 cup | 65 | 272 |
Grilled Chicken Breast with light mayo  | 1 piece | 90 | 377 |
Heinz Baked Beans  | 1/2 tin | 100 | 418 |
Heinz Weight Watchers Carrot & Lentil Soup  | 1 cup | 87 | 364 |
Heinz Weight Watchers Tomato Soup  | 1 cup | 76 | 318 |
Jaffa Cakes  | 2 pieces | 90 | 377 |
Kalamata Olives  | 9 pieces | 95 | 397 |
Kiwi (Organic)  | 1 medium | 48 | 201 |
Lean Beef  | 2 oz | 90 | 377 |
Lipton Tea  | 1 tea bag (0.1 oz) | 0 | 0 |
Lite Beer  | 1 bottle/can (12 fl. 0z) | 96 | 402 |
Low Fat Ice Cream  | 1 small scoop | 80-90 | 335-377 |
Mamma Chia  | 1 bottle | 120 | 502 |
Mango  | 4 slices | 90 | 377 |
Margarita  | 1 cocktail glass (3.3 fl. oz) | 153 | 640 |
Marshmallows  | 4 pieces | 90 | 377 |
Mayonnaise (Real)  | 2 1/2 tsp | 85 | 356 |
Milk (Reduced Fat)  | 1 cup (8 fl. oz) | 122 | 510 |
Minestrone Soup  | 1 cup | 80 | 335 |
Muller Light Yoghurt  | 1 cup | 89 | 372 |
Natural Fat-Free Yoghurt  | 1/2 cup | 85 | 356 |
| Natural Peanut Butter | 2 tsp | 65 | 272 |
Oatmeal Cookie  | 1 small | 65 | 272 |
Oats topped with Berries  | 1/3 cup | 100 | 418 |
Orange  | 1 piece | 59 | 247 |
Organic Hotdog  | 1 1/2 oz | 85 | 356 |
Papaya  | 1/2 cup | 23 | 96 |
Pasta Salad  | 1 cup (9.8 oz) | 253 | 1059 |
Peach Juice  | 1/2 cup (3.5 oz) | 43 | 180 |
Peaches  | 2 medium | 76 | 318 |
Pear  | 1 piece | 100 | 418 |
Peas  | 38 grams | 38 | 159 |
Pineapple juice  | 1 cup crushed 8.8 oz | 149 | 623 |
PitayaPlus Super Juice  | 1 bottle | 70 | 293 |
Pomegranate Juice  | 2/3 cup | 90 | 377 |
Popcorn with Butter  | 2 cups | 95 | 397 |
Porridge Oats  | 45 grams | 166 | 695 |
Raisin and Cranberry Porridge  | 1 bowl | 215 | 900 |
Raspberries  | 1/2 cup | 32 | 134 |
Red Wine Burgundy  | 1 glass (5 fl. oz) | 127 | 531 |
Rice Cake  | 1 piece | 38 | 159 |
Rice Crackers (Fantastic Brand)  | 1 oz | 104 | 435 |
Roast Beef with Baked Vegetables  | 1 serve (3 oz) | 180 | 753 |
Roasted Pepper  | 1 piece | 30 | 126 |
Roasted Skinless Chicken Drumstick  | 1 piece | 75 | 314 |
Roasted Unsalted Soy Nuts  | 3 tsbp | 80 | 335 |
Rum  | 1 jigger (1.5 fl. oz) | 96 | 402 |
Salad  | 1 plate | 230 | 962 |
Salsa  | 1 cup | 70 | 293 |
Salted Peanuts  | 10 pieces | 74 | 310 |
Satsumas  | 2 pieces | 42 | 176 |
Sausage Roll  | 1 bite | 61 | 255 |
Scrambled Eggs  | 1/2 cup | 190 | 795 |
Spaghetti Bolognese  | 1 serve | 830 | 3473 |
Spears of Asparagus  | 10 pieces | 50 | 209 |
Spinach with Evoo  | 2 cups | 75 | 314 |
Strawberries  | 1/2 cup | 21 | 88 |
Sugar-Free Gum  | 1 stick | 5 | 21 |
Sushi Roll  | 2 pieces (1/3 roll) | 59 | 247 |
Tequila  | 1 jigger (1.5 fl. oz) | 96 | 402 |
Tiger Prawn Curry with Basmati Rice  | 1 portion | 250 | 1046 |
Tomato Juice  | 1 cup | 50 | 209 |
Tuna Salad  | 1 serve | 175 | 732 |
Vegetable & Lentil Stew  | 1 bowl | 242 | 1013 |
Vegetable Lasagne  | 1 serve (8 oz) | 230 | 962 |
Vegetable Soup  | 1 cup | 90 | 377 |
Vodka  | 1 jigger (1.5 fl. oz) | 96 | 402 |
Watermelon  | 2 cups | 90 | 377 |
| Weight Watchers Mediterranean Veg Quiche | 1 piece | 156 | 653 |
Whiskey  | 1 jigger (1.5 fl. oz) | 96 | 402 |
White wine  | 1 glass (5 fl. oz) | 120 | 502 |
Whole-Grain Bread  | 1 slice | 65 | 272 |
* Values given are a guide only and will vary depending on many factors. Check product labels for more information.
Thank u
Hi Marsha
You’re most welcome! I’m glad you found this outline helpful. Remember nothing is off limits as such but with only 500 – 600 calories available for consumption the best foods to consume are fibrous, watery or high protein and low-fat foods. These include salads, vegetables, lean meats, eggs, some dairy and nuts/seeds and a small amount of carbs.
Hope you are seeing results and of course the more you can integrate whole natural non-processed foods the better it will be for digestion, eliminating wastes and toxins.
To your health
Sarah
What foods can’t you eat?
Hi Erin
You can eat whatever foods you like, no food is off limits.
Having said that sticking to healthy wholesome foods is preferred as it will help with eliminating toxins and headaches etc.
Read this article it may help you http://thefastingdietplan.com/food/food-and-nutrition/
That being said this eating plan is designed to be adaptable and to help get you set up so you can get used to eating 500 calories on your fast days. So if you still want a piece of chocolate or cookie or glass of wine on your fast days you can have it, but it does count towards your calorie count. Most people would prefer that their calories may go to food that is more nutritious and filling.
But start this way and experiment for the first 1 -2 weeks and you will start to work out what is best for you.
To your health
Sarah