Over in our Facebook group (where we now have over 703, 782 members – it keeps going up each week!) one of the hot topics of each week is spotting new products that are Slimming World friendly, for our New Slimming World Shopping Essentials list!
We’ve been squirrelling away doing squirelly things behind the scenes and can finally announce that our very first cookbook is available for pre-order!! The book will feature 100 recipes – around 80 of them BRAND NEW and not available anywhere else. Full colour photographs, hardback, a quality book that will stand up to frequent use! Each recipe has been taste tested by twenty members of the Pinch of Nom community to ensure that they are amazing. The book will be released on the 21st March 2019, and if you pre order now you won’t be charged until it’s released.Pre-Order Our Cookbook Now!
Not all of you are in our Facebook group (you should be!), but you can join up using the link below for the latest news and discussions on brand new Slimming World-friendly products.
This post contains affiliate links. Find out what this means.
Slimming World recommend having 1/3 Speed Food with every meal where appropriate as part of the Extra Easy plan.
If you’re not sure whether your fruit and vegetable choices are Speed Foods, you can check our Speed Foods list. Items listed in blue are linked to a recipe, too. Just click on the word to take you there.
We’re always searching for a range of Speed Foods, some Free Foods and a few different ways to use your Syns allowance in our weekly Shopping Essentials round up.
We check the supermarkets and food websites every week to find a selection of new products and special offers to help you stay on plan with Slimming World.
Aldi Super 6
The budget supermarkets are great for fruit and vegetable choices, so we usually have a look at their weekly offers and share them here.
The offers represent good value for money, so you can save a few pennies while you’re losing the pounds.
This week we’re looking at Aldi’s Super 6 offer – a range of Free and Speed foods at a special price. In this week’s offer we have;
- Swede – make this fab Syn Free Buttery Carrot & Swede Mash
- Chanteney Carrots – serve with comforting Syn Free Cottage Pie
- Green Beans – a speedy side dish for our Syn Free Bacon, Onion & Potato Bake
- Kiwi Fruits – fancy making our Syn Free Fruit Christmas Tree?
- Persimmon – delicious chopped up with some fat free natural yogurt
- Mangoes – for a fruity treat
The prices range from 39p to 65p per pack. Available from Aldi stores while stocks last.
Tesco Finest Pink Temptation Tomatoes
I always used to think a tomato was just a tomato; round, red and good for salads!
Nowadays, there are so many varieties to choose from, flavours can vary quite distinctly, and vine tomatoes always have that extra something that makes them taste so good.
I bought these Tesco Finest Pink Temptation tomatoes to try and wasn’t disappointed. They have that familiar vine tomato flavour, but it’s more delicate.
Roasting them really brought out that flavour, they made a great accompaniment to my Syn Free Crustless Quiche Lorraine for lunches this week!
A 300g punnet costs £1.50, or you can pick them up here, on the Tesco website.
Sainsbury’s Sweet Nectar Seedless grapes
I popped into Sainsbury’s earlier this week to grab a couple of things, but made the mistake of shopping hungry! To avoid temptation, I picked up some of these Sweet Nectar Seedless Grapes.
We’ve seen lots of different varieties of grapes recently, from cotton candy to strawberry flavoured. They are all natural flavours, developed using hybrids of different grape plants.
These Sweet Nectar Seedless grapes have a muscat flavour and are really tasty – I’m munching through a bowl of them as I type this. Sadly grapes are not a speed food, but they are free, so you can still enjoy them on the Slimming World plan.
Sainsbury’s limited edition Sweet Nectar flavour grapes cost £2.50 for a 400g punnet.
Wicked Kitchen Street Market Rainbow Slaw
In one of the September Shopping Essentials guides, we featured a new range of vegetarian products. The Wicked Kitchen range is exclusive to Tesco, and it’s being expanded all the time.
This week I found a couple of new products to try. The first is this Wicked Kitchen Street Market Rainbow Slaw.
Chargrilled savoy cabbage, red pepper, sprouted chickpeas and spring greens slaw in a sriracha, garlic and chilli dressing.
It sounds really tasty, and a little bit different to standard coleslaw. If you fancy making your own coleslaw, we have a great recipe for Syn Free Coleslaw on the website.
Wicked Kitchen Street Market Rainbow Slaw works out at 3 Syns per half pack (75g) using the Syns Estimator on the Slimming World website.
It costs £2.00 for a 150g pack. You can find it here, on the Tesco website.
Wicked Kitchen Hella Hot Cracked Corn
Here’s another new addition to the Wicked Kitchen range, Hella Hot Cracked Corn Dip. This one really does sound interesting, great for snacking too!
A sweetcorn, potato and coconut dip with a chargrilled sweetcorn and chilli topping.
Dips with speedy crudities are a great way to fill up when you’re feeling peckish.
With the party season approaching, some of us may be facing the horrors of the ‘beige buffet’, with lots of high Syn pastry products.
We have a super selection of Syn Free and low Syn tasters and party food, which should help keep you on the right track.
Our recipes for Syn free hummus offer a guilt-free choice to snack your way through the buffet, too.
Wicked Kitchen Hella Hot Cracked Corn Dip works out at 4 Syns per half pack (85g) using the Syns Estimator on the Slimming World website. A 170g pot is priced at £2.00. You can also find it here, on the Tesco website.
Vivera Chilli Lemon Chicken pieces
We try to find a couple of veggie/vegan alternatives to include in the Shopping Essentials list each week. The Vivera meat-free range has been growing and this week we have another new product to share.
Vivera Chilli Lemon Chicken pieces are made from Soya protein with a chilli-lemon marinade.
The pieces need to be cooked before serving. You could try them as an alternative to the Syn Free Chicken Shawarma in this recipe for an alternative veggie fakeaway.
We’ve used the Syns Estimator to calculate the value of these – they work out at 0.5 Syns per 100g. A 175g pack costs £2.50 from Sainsbury’s.
Tesco Light Garlic Mayo
I’m one of those people who needs something to dip my Syn Free chips into! I am more than happy to count the Syns for some ketchup or mayonnaise, as long as I can dip!
This weekend, I’m planning to make the Crispy Jerk Chicken Stack from the Pinch of Nom website, with some Syn Free Chips.
In anticipation of this, I’ve bought some of this Tesco Light Garlic Mayo…what a great combo…what diet?!
This is listed on the Slimming World database at 0.5 Syns per tbsp, so you can ‘dip yer chips’ with no guilt at all! It costs 85p for a 250ml squeezy bottle. You can pick it up here, on the Tesco website.
Onken Naked Yogurt
Yogurt products have always been a talking point when it comes to Slimming World.
The recent changes have meant lots of us are on the lookout for low Synned yogurts that taste good. If you missed the news about Syn changes for yogurts, catch up here.
Of course, there are other priorities for many people when it comes to selecting yogurts.
Some people like to avoid sweeteners, or if you’re a vegetarian, you need to be sure your choice doesn’t contain gelatine.
Onken Naked Yogurt has just 3 ingredients; yogurt, fruit and sugar, nothing else added at all. No artificial flavours, colours or preservatives, no gelatine and no sweeteners.
Available in 3 flavours, Strawberry, Raspberry and Peach & Passionfruit.
As it is made with milk and sugar, the Syn count works out a bit higher. We’ve used the Syns Estimator and it comes out as 4.5 Syns per 150g serving.
Onken Naked Yogurt costs £1.75 for a 450g pot. (3 servings) You can find it here, on the Tesco website.
Lewis’ Natural food flavourings
Ever since Slimming World announced the changes to Syn values in flavoured yogurts, we’ve seen people looking for alternatives that they can try for themselves.
Over in our Facebook group, many people suggest using food flavourings.
With this in mind, I spotted these Lewis’ Natural food flavourings in Home Bargains this week. They can be added to Syn free natural yogurt or even quark, giving you a flavoured yogurt choice for desserts.
You can also use these in lots of recipes on the Pinch of Nom website, including Baked Oats, or our yummy Syn Free Strawberry & Vanilla Waffles. Nom Nom Nom!
Lewis’ Natural Food Flavourings cost 69p for a 38ml bottle from Home Bargains. All essences and flavourings are free on the SW app.
GÜ – Mousse Fusions
Remember that expression, ‘A little of what you fancy does you good?’ It’s also worth remembering this one, ‘Nothing is banned if it’s Slimming World planned!’ It’s all about choice power.
If you really fancy a dessert, you could have a Syn free day and splurge all 15 of those precious Syns on a decent pud. Why not?! They’re your Syns, it’s your choice.
These Gü Mousse Fusions are a pretty delicious way to use your allowance if you have a sweet tooth.
The Chocolate & Toffee flavour has a layer of smooth chocolate crème dessert, hiding a chocolate and toffee flavoured mousse. This flavour is listed on the Slimming World app at 10 Syns per pot.
The Mango flavour has a layer of Mango & Passionfruit Coulis over a light mango mousse. This one is on the app for 6.5 Syns per pot.
Both flavours come in a 2 x 70g pack, which costs £1.90 in Tesco. You can find them here, on the Tesco website.
Frö Snackers
We regularly get questions in the Facebook group asking about savoury snacks. Whether it’s low Syn crisps, or some other snack, people are looking for the crunch factor.
If you’re Syns-savvy, you can plan your day to include some savoury goodies. By planning carefully, you can indulge in a selection of nibbles to see you through until bedtime.
I love to save my Healthy Extra A choice for some cheese, which I can enjoy with savoury crackers, cold meats, pickled vegetables and so on. As long as you know the Syn values, you’re in control!
These Frö Snackers are savoury crackers, crispy baked and seasoned. They come in two flavours, Salted, or Sour Cream & Chive.
Both flavours work out as 6.5 Syns per 25g serving using the Syns Estimator
Frö Snackers are currently on offer at Tesco, costing £1.04 for a 120g box. (Usual price £1.39 applies after 18th December)
Ritz Tomato & Herb crackers
We are continuing the savoury snacks theme with this variation on a classic! Ritz crackers have been around forever. Crisp, salty and moreish, they are always a temptation.
The good thing about these savoury snacks is that they are relatively lightweight, so you get quite a few crackers in a serving. For example, a 25g serving of these Ritz Tomato & Herb crackers will give you approximately 7 biscuits, so it feels like a decent amount!
We’ve used the Syns Estimator to work out 6 Syns per 25g serving. Like the Frö crackers listed above, these are on offer in Tesco at the moment, where a 175g box costs £1.00. (After promotion, the price will be £1.39) You can find them here, on the Tesco website.
Cathedral City Sweet Chilli Cheddar Crumbles
Our final selection for savoury snacks this week are these Cathedral City Sweet Chilli Cheddar Crumbles. They are mini baked cheddar cheese biscuits with a sweet chilli flavour.
The idea of biscuits baked with cheddar cheese is a mouthwatering combination, isn’t it?! These are coming out as 4 Syns per 16g serving, which is approximately 7 biscuits. Try making up a snacking plate with lots of free & speed foods with these for the ultimate munch-buster!
Cathedral City Sweet Chilli Cheddar Crumbles cost £1.49 for a 100g box. You’ll find them here, on the Tesco website.
Penguin Mini Biscuits
Penguin biscuits have been a lunchbox staple for years. They’ve actually been around since they were first manufactured in Glasgow in 1932, so they certainly have staying power!
These mini penguin-shaped treats are made from chocolate biscuits half-covered in milk chocolate. Using the Syns Estimator, a single 25g bag works out at 6 Syns.
You get 8 mini penguin biscuits per bag. (I had to check for research purposes, obviously!)
A multipack of 6 x 25g bags is on offer for £1.00 in Tesco at the moment, usual price £1.69.
Penguin Choc Cake Bars
We can’t avoid it anymore, the juggernaut that is Christmas is fast approaching! The festive season brings lots of tempting treats, but as long as you’ve got the Syns information you can enjoy some of them and still stay in control.
These Penguin Choc Cake Bars contain biscuit pieces too, soooo good! They’re available in two flavours, Merry Mint and Merry Berry.
We have a cake section on the website, so if you fancy making some lower Synned alternatives to satisfy your cake cravings, have a look here. The Low Syn Chocolate Brownies are a-maz-ing! If you haven’t made them yet, try them soon!
I found these in Home Bargains, priced at 79p for a pack of 5 cake bars. Both flavours work out at 6 Syns per cake bar, using the Syns Estimator.
Mr Kipling Raspberry & Vanilla Candy Cane Slices
The final choice for this week’s list are these Mr Kipling Raspberry & Vanilla Candy Cane Slices. Candy canes have a slightly festive feel to them, so we’ve had to include them, as it’s December the 1st on Saturday! How did that happen?!
The Candy Cane Slices are red and white sponge, topped with a decorated raspberry and vanilla flavour icing. We’ve used the Syns Estimator to find the Syn value for these and they work out at 5.5 Syns per slice.
A pack of 8 Mr Kipling Slices costs £1.50 from Tesco. You can find them here, on the Tesco website.
Fallen off the wagon and need some motivation, or want to help others on their journey?
Our Facebook group is growing by the day. If you haven’t joined yet head over there and take a look. You wouldn’t want to miss out on the fun, would you?
You might just find the inspiration you need from our awesome members. If you’ve joined already why not invite any friends that may find it helpful?
Disclaimer
I must stress the following…
Everything written here about the products is my own opinion. Syn values given are correct at time of writing but may not always be accurate.
Ideally, you should check with Slimming world for the most up to date Syn values using official resources such as; the Syns calculator, Syns Online on LifelineOnline or by calling the Syns Hotline on (0906) 851 8518.