I did it! How 5 days of fasting became a culinary delight
14/1/2026
Translation: Elicia Payne
Pictures: Anna Sandner
Five days of fasting, yet food’s still allowed? Sounds too good to be true. I had to try it out and embarked on a 5-day mock fast. Here’s what I found out about hunger, surprisingly delicious recipes, new routines and a changed attitude towards food.
I’ve put it off long enough. Tomorrow, I start my five-day mock fasting experiment. Yes, you read that right. I’m not really fasting, it just looks like I am. Wondering what that means now? I want to feel the positive effects of fasting without feeling hungry. The health guide «Scheinfasten» (Fasting Mimicking) promises that this is possible and comes with a whole recipe book.
In the foreword, the authors explain how the concept of the Fasting Mimicking Diet works: «A sophisticated composition of nutrients simulates abstinence for the body’s cells so that the body switches to a fasting metabolism.»
Elaborate preparation full of culinary delights
I need to do a surprising amount of prep so I can have a smooth start tomorrow. First, I read up on the subject. The mock fasting book provides a good basis. It explains the logic behind the five days and provides three vegan recipes per day for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Once the menu’s been decided, it’s time to go shopping. For breakfast on the first day, I bake nut and seed bread according to the guidebook recipe. After that, I feel well prepared. Turns out, there are still some surprises to come.
Day 1: from cooking marathon to growling stomach
I’m already mentally prepared for the first challenge: giving up my beloved cup of coffee with oat milk. This doesn’t stress me out much, I’ve done it before:
Black coffee doesn’t appeal to me, so I reach for a cup of black tea instead to wake me up. For breakfast, I choose the power slice with veggie spread from the recipe book. Although the bread’s already pre-baked, I first need to use the stove to prepare the spread.
I could get used to this breakfast: it tastes good and fills you up. For now, I’m happy with this start to the day. But three hours later, my stomach starts growling loudly. I’m starving! And it’s a while until lunch time. «Drink a glass of water slowly, you’ll realise your thoughts of food will go away,» advises the mock fasting book. It’s soon clear this is only moderately effective – I’m distracted for a moment, but not long after my stomach rumbles again. With hunger pangs and sips of water, I get back to cooking. This time, it’s sauteed zucchini and mushrooms with walnut paste.
It then hits me that five days of fasting also means cooking three times a day for five days. And a new recipe every single time – this will take much longer than my usual repertoire. To get the best possible outcome, I (still) meticulously stick to the specified quantities. But this is tedious and takes even more time. In the evening, over bean stew with spinach, I keep forcing myself to be precise. My stomach growls and I start to doubt my decisions.
Thoughts on day 1: My stomach’s rumbling, even though it feels like I’ve been cooking all day. I’m feeling quite stressed about this mock fasting diet. I desperately cling to the hope that things will begin to improve over the next few days – as is predicted in the guidebook.
Day 2: The hunger subsides, satisfaction grows
I’m surprised to wake up without feeling hungry. Amazing! It can stay that way. But the cooking schedule’s stressing me out and I need a solution. I decide to pay less attention to the grammes. And I allow myself to replace foods with suitable alternatives to make everything easier. Frozen vegetables, herbs and berries help to avoid long preparation times. I start my day with a slightly modified smoothie recipe – this saves me a trip to the greengrocer.
My hunger pangs come and go. I drink water and tea to distract myself, which usually kind of works. The biggest challenge is a trip to the bakery to get bread for the family. The smell of fresh rolls and cakes is tempting, but I resist. And my lunch makes up for it: pointed cabbage slaw with a cashew dressing. Yay, I’m happy – and so is my tummy. I’m actually full from a bit of cabbage and carrots. Who’d have thought?
When the afternoon comes round, I feel fit despite the reduced calorie intake. I end the day with a cream of tomato soup and avocado – a dish that’ll certainly end up on my plate more often.
Thoughts on day 2: The hunger subsides, the satisfaction grows. No longer weighing every gram pedantically makes the fasting experiment more relaxed and suitable for everyday use. Gradually, I begin to find a routine.
Day 3: When the body slowly switches over
«Day three is dawning. About time for a little self-praise. Give yourself a pat on the back for what you’ve achieved,» the words of encouragement from my book today. And it’s true, a part of me is actually proud. So it’s off to the kitchen again: tomato and avocado salad awaits on the breakfast menu.
As pretty as it looks and as good as it tastes, it doesn’t fill me up. Not much time passes before my stomach starts protesting. I thought today it’d be better because the body gets used to fasting? My motivation crumbles – until I’m finally sat down for lunch. This time I have a colourful salad with baked veggies. It hits the spot and it immediately becomes a new favourite recipe. I’m full, satisfied and don’t realise that my starving days are behind me.
After dinner, pumpkin soup with ginger croutons – I’m as full from the 260 kcal as if I’d eaten a full-blown 3-course meal.
Thoughts on day 3: After one last big hunger attack, the annoying feeling finally goes away. Now it feels enjoyable – superb little meals, a pleasantly light body sensation and the certainty that my body is recovering.
Day 4: In the flow between lightness and enjoyment
Over the next two days, my body should switch into the next gear i.e. fat burning is stimulated and my cells start to clean up. This is said to have a rejuvenating effect – which is why mock fasting is considered a possible anti-ageing approach.
And all this while I continue to indulge in culinary delights. I can’t quite believe it. After a turmeric latte with oatmeal for breakfast and Asian vegetable noodles with peanut sauce for lunch, my highlight of the fasting cure awaits me in the evening: celeriac fries with tomato and papaya dip.
Thoughts on day 4: Now I’m on a roll. The only thing that still doesn’t fit into my plan is all the cooking time.
Day 5: final spurt, euphoria and first effects
On the fifth day, I wake up still full from yesterday’s dinner. It’s the last day, too! I’m over the moon. Even though I’d already heard it, I still didn’t really want to believe it: according to the guidebook, the feeling of self-efficacy should help increase energy and performance.
And I’m seeing the effects: my skin looks fresher and my face looks more defined. Though this could be the placebo effect. The number on the scales is lower, probably mainly due to the loss of water. Not that this was my motivation. No, for me it was about feeling good and getting back to my normal routine after the gluttony of the festive season. And the five days were worth it.
Finally, I treat myself to my favourites from today’s fasting recipes: energy espresso with a chocolate-coconut touch, a cauliflower rice bowl with spinach and carrot-ginger soup with bimi.
My verdict after five days of mock fasting
To give my body time to get back into normal mode, I take it easy on my first day after the plan. The guide calls this Transition Day: no foods with a high glycaemic index such as potatoes, pasta or toast, and a maximum of 1,800 calories. And it feels pretty easy. Unlike at the beginning of the experiment, I no longer think about what I could reward myself with afterwards. My view’s changed. Instead of banning things, I see the joy of new recipes and an expanded repertoire of ingredients. I’ve also been able to leave the constant snacking behind.
It certainly wasn’t my last health experiment – more of a reset that I’ll treat myself to again if necessary. And some recipes have also secured themselves a permanent place on my everyday menu.
If you’d like to experience more of my healthy habit weeks, you’ll find them here:
Anna Sandner
Senior Editor
Anna.Sandner@galaxus.deScience editor and biologist. I love animals and am fascinated by plants, their abilities and everything you can do with them. That's why my favourite place is always the outdoors - somewhere in nature, preferably in my wild garden.
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