5:2 Diet 225 Calorie Kebabs!
Cajun Chicken Kebab and Spiced Yoghurt Dip Recipe
5:2 Diet 215 Calorie Kebabs! Cajun Chicken Kebab and Spiced Yoghurt Dip Recipe
I am rather proud of this low-calorie recipe! I often hanker after tasty “fast food” types of food when I am on a diet, and although I have never really found a decent chicken kebab outside of Cyprus (or Turkey and Greece) I do love a good take-away kebab now and then. This is a recipe that is suitable for any meal, whether you are on a low-calorie diet or not, and is perfect for the barbecue, when that elusive season arrives. I pan-fried my chicken in a non-stick pan, but it could also be grilled or cooked over coals, as I mentioned before. The recipe is for TWO portions (or two people) and the calorie count is 215 calories per portion (430 calories for the whole recipe), but, on a non-fast day ( for the 5:2 diet) I have eaten all the whole meal with just one pitta bread, and it still came in at a low 350 calories, so that may suit those of you who only eat one or two meals a day whilst fasting. ( I always eat three meals a day)
5:2 Diet 215 Calorie Kebabs! Cajun Chicken Kebab and Spiced Yoghurt Dip Recipe
I work the calories out for all of my meals and recipes on a programme I have that was purchased for me by a large brand whom I develop recipes for, but there are several calorie counting websites out there, of which the one I use when I am on my iPad (and don’t have access to my calorie counting software) is My Fitness Pal. I like My Fitness Pal as there is a facility to save recipes to your account the site and I find searching for food and ingredients easy. This recipe was checked via My Fitness Pal, and as always, there is always a discrepancy with calories from site to site, as well as programme to programme. However, my advice is not to worry about 5 or 6 calories difference here and there, as long as you try to stick to the 500 calorie mark (for women, and 600 calories for me) a day, you will be fine, given that you are probably eating a quarter of what you normally eat!
5:2 Diet 215 Calorie Kebabs! Cajun Chicken Kebab and Spiced Yoghurt Dip Recipe
Here’s how my calories were calculated, as submitted on My Fitness Pal as well as taken from the back of the pitta bread packet:
Calories for Cajun Chicken Kebab and Spiced Yoghurt Dip Recipe
Skinless chicken breasts (2 x 100g) = 150 calories
Low-fat natural yoghurt, 100g – 50 calories
Fresh rocket leaves, 40g -= 8 calories
Fresh tomato, large = 32 calories
Small red onion = 30 calories
2 Mini white pitta bread = 160 calories
Total: 430 calories
(215 calories per portion)
5:2 Diet 215 Calorie Kebabs! Cajun Chicken Kebab and Spiced Yoghurt Dip Recipe
A purist will also add 4 to 5 calories (per portion) for the ground spices and the lemon juice, and by all means add those calories in if you wish, I sometimes add them in when I am right on or just over my limit for the day. A general rule of thumb is that a teaspoon of spice is between 6 and 8 calories, and juice from a lemon is about 4 calories. If you have trouble finding mini pitta breads, cut a large one in half, or use what you have available adjusting the calories of course. Anyway, I hope that my method of calorie counting has helped, in addition to calories, some people like to know what the other nutritional values are, so here is the breakdown for this recipe:
Nutritional Values per Portion:
Carbs = 31 (62)
Fat = 3 (6)
Protein = 21 (42)
Calories = 215 (430)
5:2 Diet 215 Calorie Kebabs! Cajun Chicken Kebab and Spiced Yoghurt Dip Recipe
That’s all for today, I have a delectable easy fish pie recipe for tomorrow, as well as some tea time treats over the weekend! See you later, Karen
5:2 Diet 215 Calorie Kebabs! Cajun Chicken Kebab and Spiced Yoghurt Dip Recipe
Cajun Chicken Kebab
Print recipe
| Serves | 2 |
| Prep time | 1 hour |
| Cook time | 15 minutes |
| Total time | 1 hour, 15 minutes |
| Meal type | Lunch, Main Dish, Side Dish, Snack, Starter |
| Misc | Child Friendly, Pre-preparable, Serve Hot |
| Occasion | Barbecue, Casual Party |
| Region | American |
| By author | Karen S Burns-Booth |
Ingredients
- 2 x Chicken Breasts, Skinless, (200g in total weight, about 100g per breast, cut into chunks)
- 1 teaspoon Schwartz Cajun Spice
- Low Fat Natural Yoghurt, 100 g
- 2 x Weight Watchers Pitta Bread (or 2 x mini pitta breads)
- 1 medium tomato, thinly sliced
- Small Red Onion, peeled and thinly sliced
- Fresh - Rocket Leaves, 40 g
- 1/4 tsp Ground Cumin
- 1/4 tsp Ground Coriander
- 1 lemon, cut in half (one half cut into 2 wedges)
- salt and pepper to taste
Note
Delicious low-calorie Cajun style chicken kebabs served with a spices yoghurt dip, pitta bread and salad, and only 215 calories per portion! These are easy to make and make a tasty change of pace if you are following a low-calorie diet, or for those following the 5:2 diet for fast days. The chicken is pan-fried, but is also suitable to be cooked on a BBQ or under the grill.
Directions
| Step 1 | Spoon about a quarter of the low-fat yoghurt into a bowl and add the Cajun spice mix, and the juice of half a lemon. Mix well and then add the chicken pieces and allow to marinate for at least an hour or up to four hours. |
| Step 2 | Just before cooking, take the chicken pieces out of the marinade. Heat a griddle pan over medium heat (or a grill if grilling the chicken) and put the chicken pieces in the pan. Keep moving them around so they don't stick to the pan and keep cooking over a low heat until cooked. |
| Step 3 | Mix the rest of the low-fat yoghurt with the ground coriander and cumin, and spoon in to a small bowl. |
| Step 4 | Two or three minutes before the chicken is cooked, pop the pitta breads in a toaster or in a warm oven and heat them up. Arrange the rocket leaves, sliced tomatoes and sliced red onion on a plate. |
| Step 5 | Divide the chicken pieces between two plates and allow the diners to assemble the kebab themselves by adding the salad and yoghurt dip to the chicken in a split pitta bread. |
| Step 6 | PLEASE NOTE:This recipe serves TWO people; the total calorie count is 430 calories, but each portion is 215 calories with a mini pitta bread. If using other pitta breads, check the calorie count, as they can vary. |
My other 5:2 Diet Fast Day Recipes:
Lavender and Lovage 5:2 Diet Recipes
Karen S Booth
What a tasty meal – looking at it I would never believe that you could eat something like this on a fast day!
Thanks Kathryn, chicken is surprisingly low in calories, like fish and is perked up with spices!
This recipe looks lovely.
the 75 calories for 140grams of chicken seems very very low though. everywhere i looked seemed much higher and the myfitnesspal website unless i’m getting it all wrong seems to suggest 120 Calories for 4oz of organic chicken breast while 125G of pan fried regular chicken breast was a full 235 and 125G of (Tesco) chicken breast grilled was 170.
Thanks! On My Fitness Pal, Generic skinless breasts, small, are 150 calories for 200g. That is for raw chicken and not pan-fried chicken, as I add no oil to pan! That is for 2 x small skinless chicken breasts, raw and uncooked. I will try to get a screen shot if I can! Karen
mmm, chicken, spices and yogurt, we have that often here, one of my favourite filling foods on 5:2, I think my stomach has shrunk for doing the diet though! I have myfitnesspal but am getting very good at judging calories and not worrying about it too much as you say, weight still going down steadily, love your recipes x
Thanks Carina! I have the same thoughts as you, as long as I am within a whisker of 500 cals, I am happy! GLAD you like my recipes too! Karen
Great tips and yummy recipe, Karen. Which software programme do you use that was purchased for you? I’ve got a low-fibre section on my blog for some of the patients I see and am curious as to which software you use.
Diet-Pro is the one I use and was purchased for me Kellie, which one do you use? Thanks for your lovely comments! Karen
Looks delicious and healthy. Tried to fast the other day and couldn’t get past 10.30am!
Never mind Maya, try again maybe? Karen
I don’t know how you manage to make your diet food look so delicious! I’m loving this idea. I adore yogurt, chicken and spices. Although I haven’t marinaded in a while. Would be easy to do though as I tend to defrost the chicken the night before I use it and it just sits in the fridge all day. All the calorie counting really brought back to me my diet last year! Never went as low as 600 calories though. I’m not sure I could do that!
Thanks Fiona! It is amazing how a few spices can perk up a meal, and chicken breast (and fish) are the dieter’s friends! Karen
Wow – I *have* to try these!
Thanks!
Cajun is one of my favourite flavours so I’ll be looking to try this recipe out asap
I hope you enjoy it Herbert! Karen
I’d never thought of kebabs as diet food. What a great idea. They look really tasty
Kebabs don’t have a reputation as being diet food, but, these are just as tasty as a fully laden take away kebab!
Love Cajun flavours. Your diet food looks very tempting.
Thanks Galina!
Yum, this looks and sounds delicious!
They tasted wonderful too!
I keep hearing about this 5 2 diet and if you can have yummy things like this on it, I’m going to investigate!
IT’s more a lifestyle change Beverley and easy to follow too!
Well, you can really be proud of this recipe. It looks so great and tasty. That is a really lovely one!
This looks so good!
Oh yum, that looks absolutely delicious – so fresh and tasty!
This looks a great idea, and I’m not following any diet. Just like to eat healthy fresh food. Most of the time at least…
Can I just say that I made this for myself and my husband as part of our fast day meal and it was divine – seriously, so tasty and everything worked really well together! Who knew fasting could be so tasty! Thanks Karen, we will definitely be making this again!
Made this yesterday for tea,added some chilli and fresh ginger to the marinade,absolutely gorgeous!
I have just had this for my one 5:2 main meal, I had the whole thing and it was absolutely delicious, very nice tastes all coming together. I thought I had pita bread but it was actually WW tortilla, so just had one piece, will definitely be making this again. Thoroughly recommended. Thank you.
I’m still dithering over doing 5.2, but I have made these and they were so delicious, it’s pushing me more towards trying it. A diet where you can eat food like this can’t be bad.
This looks absolutely delicious, totally agree that when on a diet we seem to crave ‘naughty’ foods and this would satisfy that urge in a good way!
I must get a pot of cajun spice so I can try this recipe soon
I make my own tomato and chilli sauce with a touch of clove, real tomatoes and real chillies. That would be lovely with this too and quite acceptable on a diet as long as you don’t use shed loads!!!!
Looks yum! I make my own cajun spice mix with cumin, ground coriander and paprika – makes it much cheaper!
a really tasty sounding meal that won`t pile on the pounds, i will definitely try this one out x
mmmmm i have bookmarked this, ill definatly be giving this a try
Looks fantastic and would taste great, no one would ever know it was “Diet” food
oo looks lovely, and not too many propoints either
yummy! shared to twitter @olivia280177
Wow, this sounds great. I’m really struggling to stick to healthy recipes but this sounds full of flavour
These look delicious! Might have a go at making them tonight. Thanks for the recipe.
Definitely going to try this – great for lunch box.
I would normally only have a kebab when ive had a few too many pints on a night out, but this would be an exception looks delicious
wow looks really tasty
Don’t know the 5:2 diet, but these look delicious for a healthy family meal. My children will enjoy them too, so that’s next Saturday’s evening meal sorted!
will definately be trying this one, its looks really delicious and healthy too – bonus