If you’ve ever logged your intake in MyFitnessPal, you’ll have faced the cruel fact I recently did: you don’t get much food for 1,500 calories.
A couple of globs of nut butter and a protein shake and you’re down to 1,000. So when I was asked to road test Dietlicious’ 1,500 calorie seven-day plan, my head convo went something like this.
Voice 1: But I hate being hungry.
Voice 2: You could always cheat.
Voice 1: Good point. It’s not like they’re bugging the house. From this cynical vantage, the weekly delivery – seven days’ meals and snacks arrive at your door on Monday morning – made me slightly suspicious.
Voice 1: Do they call it five-seed porridge because you only get five seeds? What’s in the protein balls – sawdust?
Voice 2: There’s raisin toast in the cupboard, remember?
Here’s how it went.
Day 1: Breakfast frittata, nuts and seeds, vegetable and lentil burger, banana smoothie, Arabian beef with almond and tahini, lemon and herb quinoa and green vegies.
Voice 1: Okay, full to pussy’s bow, but they would make the first day good. Indoctrination 101.
Voice 2: You know what’s really good on raisin toast?
Day 2: Honey, vanilla and five-seed porridge, protein ball, chicken cacciatore with quinoa, coconut protein ball, Malaysian lamb fillet with nonya marinade, sweet potato mash and broccoli with garlic oil.
Voice 1: You do realise they’re maximising satiety by balancing protein and complex carbs? Unfair advantage.
Voice 2: You’ve still got some of that whole fruit jam.
Day 4: Rye toast with hummus and tomato, nuts and seeds, spinach chana dhal with chilli and basmati rice, mixed berry smoothie with LSA, lamb ratatouille with Italian vegies, lemon and herb quinoa and green veg.
Voice 1: Toast is the oldest trick in the book.
Voice 2: Don’t be seduced.
By day five’s yum cha-esque san choy bau with rice (lunch), I had to concede that this was looking like the real deal. I couldn’t imagine fitting in the optional extra salad and fruit (which fit within the 1,500 quota) and reckoned that the MyFitnessPal thing said more about my cooking than physics.
Complaints? I’d swap the smoothies for more protein balls (ay-mazing) and order from the bespoke 1,500 calorie menu.
Voice 1: They have organic fruit toast with raspberry jam.
Voice 2: Great. Mine’s gone mouldy.
Seven-day plan including meals and snacks $285 (excluding delivery). Visit dietlicious.com.au for menus including gluten free, low-GI, low-carb and dairy free options.
