Your Slimming Essentials – The Weekly Pinch of Shopping 23.02.24
Are you ready for the final February edition of the Weekly Pinch of Shopping in 2024? We’re not sure where the time’s going, but we can tell you that we’ve spotted a basket-load of tasty bites that’ll level-up your midweek menu.
If you’re looking for new ways to hit your daily protein goal, we’ve found an Eatlean spreadable cheese that’ll get you on your way and turn your morning toast into a treat at the same time.
Plus, we’ve spotted a purple sprouting broccoli stir-fry that’s full of fresh, springtime flavours, and ready to serve in a flash. Will you try it with flaky fish, stir-fried beef strips or tofu?
Oh and don’t worry, we’d never forget to include a fakeaway bite or two! Keep scrolling if you fancy pouring Iceland’s Chinese Curry Sauce over a portion of homemade chips this weekend…
Our latest cookbook Pinch of Nom: Express has been out in the world since December and we are still over the moon with all the positive comments you’ve left for us (we promise, we read every single one!). Thank you SO MUCH and please keep the recipe photos coming; there’s nothing we love more than scrolling through your creations!
You can share your photos with us in our Gallery, on our Facebook group or over on instagram @pinchofnom. Just don’t forget to tag us – we wouldn’t want to miss it!
You can order a copy here if you still need to grab one.
The members in our incredible Facebook group are always happy to have a good old chat about lots of these shopping items too. You can join the group by clicking here. Make sure to let us know if you spot any yummy-looking, slimming-friendly new products on the supermarket shelves – we might just feature them in our next article!
Our Weekly Pinch of Shopping list aims to show you slimming-friendly products that you can find online or in one of your local supermarkets. We try to make it as easy as possible for you to pick up these items as part of your usual weekly shop, and we’ll always include the calorie information and the RRP for you.
Please remember that, although all prices are correct at the time of writing, supermarkets can change their prices often, so this should be used as a guide only.
Along with our favourite new finds from the supermarket shelves, each week we include details of the Aldi Super 6. Every fortnight Aldi discounts a selection of 6 fruits and veggies that you can pick up for a fraction of the price. This week we’ve given you a reminder of the current selection, so hurry down to Aldi to pick up some bargains before a fresh selection goes on offer next week!
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**A note on our shopping list: we do not take payment, promotion or gifts for including any of the items mentioned in these articles. We bring them to you because we love them and hope you will too!**
Tesco Finest Blueberry & Lemon Hot Cross Mini Loaves – 156 calories per bun
Easter is around the corner! Hot cross buns are a traditional springtime bite for springtime, but we like that these Tesco Finest Blueberry and Lemon Hot Cross Mini Loaves swap dried fruits and cinnamon for a zingy lemon-and-blueberry twist.
Once you’ve tried them warm with a melted layer of reduced-fat spread, we think you’ll agree that they’re too tasty to wait for Good Friday!
Anything that combines lemons and blueberries is a winner in our book, and our Lemon and Blueberry Waffles recipe is no exception. A scrumptious, slimming-friendly breakfast that’ll have you jumping out of bed, don’t forget to top it all off with a dollop of sweetened quark.
Tesco Finest Blueberry & Lemon Hot Cross Mini Loaves are available from Tesco, priced at £1.60 per pack (or £1.25 with a Clubcard).
Eatlean Spreadable Cheese – 35 calories per 25g (4.3g protein)
Whether you’ve set yourself a higher protein goal for the day, or you’re just looking for lower-fat spreads, this Eatlean Spreadable Cheese from Aldi ticks all the boxes. Try a layer over a crispy wholemeal bagel or toast for just 35 calories, and you’ll know you’re getting at least 4 grams of protein per slice.
The perfect breakfast, brunch or lunch, there’s no denying that salmon, cream cheese and dill are a match made in heaven. Why not grab our Quick and Easy cookbook from your shelf and turn to pages 32-33 to try our Dill Cream Cheese and Smoked Salmon Bagel?
For even more inspiration of what to cook with cream cheese, we’ve got a full blog of super smooth dishes you can scroll through here.
Eatlean Spreadable Cheese is available from Aldi, priced at 99p per pack.
Sun Hee Dried Chilli Flakes – 38 calories per 10g
An undeniable spice-rack essential, these Sun Hee Dried Chilli Flakes add a fiery kick to all kinds of dishes. From curries and stir-fries through to marinades and broths, it’s impossible not to get your money’s worth from a vibrant blend of dried red chillies.
Having a ready-to-sprinkle jar in the cupboard is also far quicker and handier than chopping fresh chillies.
You couldn’t make the lip-smacking marinade for our Chilli Sumac Chicken Thighs without a teaspoon of dried chilli flakes. It’s up to you if you’re feeling brave enough to add more (we’d say the spice level is medium-hot without making any tweaks).
Let the rub infuse for an hour or so in the fridge; once the chicken thighs have soaked up every last drop of flavour, they’re ready to cook until juicy and tender in the oven.
Sun Hee Dried Chilli Flakes are available from Tesco, priced at £1.75.
M&S Sweet & Salty Nut Mix – 153 calories per 25g bag
When your mind is wandering and thinking about snacks, it’s good to have a light nibble handy that won’t take you off track. With M&S’ Sweet and Salty Nut Mix, you’ve got a medley of salted cashews, almonds and honey-roasted peanuts at your fingertips for only 153 calories.
Scrummy, filling and conveniently portioned into grab-and-go bags, we’d say they’re well worth adding to the ‘snacks’ section of your meal plan.
The worst snack cravings are always the ones you’re not prepared for! These Banana and Peanut Muffins are delightfully simple to batch bake in just 15 minutes, and they’ll keep nicely in an airtight container (or the freezer) to suit your schedule.
M&S Sweet & Salty Nut Mix is available from M&S and Ocado, priced at £2.50 for a pack of 5 snack bags.
Sainsbury’s Purple Sprouting Broccoli Stir-Fry with Coriander, Taste the Difference – 99 calories per 1/2 pack
Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Purple Sprouting Broccoli Stir-Fry with Coriander serves up lots of flavour and cuts down all the effort of chopping different vegetables.
Great for those evenings where you need dinner in a hurry, toss the leafy greens and purple veggies in a wok with a few spritzes of spray oil, garlic and chilli.
When they’re cooked through with a slight bite, serve them up with an aromatic main dish like our Baked Garlic Salmon. We wrap our fillets in parcels of tin foil to keep them juicy while they bake and mingle with the homemade garlic, parsley and lemon sauce.
Vibrant springtime stir-fry veggies also pair really well with lean beef strips, meat alternatives or tofu!
Sainsbury’s Purple Sprouting Broccoli Stir-Fry with Coriander, Taste the Difference is available from Sainsbury’s, priced at £2.65 (or £2.30 with a Nectar card).
Blue Riband Hazelnut – 97 calories per bar
If you love nutty sweet treats, stop scrolling here! The classic chocolate bar is now available in Blue Riband Hazelnut flavour, with silky layers of milk chocolate, wafer biscuit and hazelnut cream in every bite.
At 97 calories per individually-wrapped bar, they’re spot on with a hot cup of tea or coffee to brighten up the mid-afternoon lull.
Our slimming-friendly Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars are absolutely perfect for curbing sweet cravings at a moment’s notice. When the chocolatey rice crisp cereal base has finished setting in the fridge, that’s your cue to pour a smooth layer of melted milk chocolate on top.
To finish things off without piling on the calories, stir peanut butter powder together with water to make the eye-catching ‘peanut butter’ drizzle.
Blue Riband Hazelnut is available from Tesco, priced at £1.05 for a pack of 5 bars.
VFC Lean Mean Chick*n Sausages – 194 calories per 2 sausages
We’ve been hearing great things about VFC Lean Mean Chick*n Sausages since they hit the shop shelves, so we had to grab a pack for ourselves. A plant-based recipe, each low-fat banger is made with pea protein, and seasoned with plenty of Italian-style herbs.
Why not try them for a Meat-free Monday feast? You could give a hearty midweek classic like our comforting Sausage Lasagne a vegetarian makeover (just be sure to swap out the pork stock cubes for vegetable ones).
A nice change from layers of mince and quicker to prepare, this cheat’s lasagne recipe is one to have on repeat. We’ve made a lower-calorie bechamel-style sauce from scratch to cover our layers of pasta, including the gooey golden top.
VFC Lean Mean Chick*n Sausages are available from Asda, priced at £2.00 for a pack of 6 sausages.
Iceland Luxury Atlantic Salmon Fillets With Ginger, Chilli & Lime – 231 calories per fillet (microwaved)
We never get bored of having salmon for dinner. These Iceland Luxury Atlantic Salmon Fillets With Ginger, Chilli and Lime come ready-glazed, which means all that’s left for you to do is bake them to flaky perfection in the oven.
If you’re in a rush, you can make them in the microwave too (they arrive in pierceable plastic pouches for microwave cooking in minutes).
Our Nando’s Spicy Rice works really well with fish, and it’s ready without a fuss. A colourful takeaway-inspired way to get your 5-a-day, it takes less than half an hour to go from pan to plate, and you can refrigerate or freeze leftover portions for a rainy day.
Iceland Luxury Atlantic Salmon Fillets With Ginger, Chilli & Lime are available from Iceland, priced at £5.00 for 2 fillets.
Morrisons Takeaway Halloumi Fries – 121 calories per 2 halloumi fries (ovencooked)
We’re sure we don’t need to explain why Morrisons’ Takeaway Halloumi Fries caught our eye. A savoury breadcrumb-coated treat, they’ll crisp up nicely in your oven or air fryer from frozen – in just 10 minutes!
If you’ve never combined the saltiness of halloumi with sweet flavours before, our Halloumi Fries Salad is a great place to start. The juicy-sweet magic comes from the sliced oranges and tangy pomegranate seeds we’ve stirred into the leafy greens.
By baking our homemade halloumi fries in the oven with low-calorie cooking spray, rather than deep-frying, we’ve brought the calories down without compromising on the scrumptiousness of everyone’s favourite squeaky cheese.
Morrisons Takeaway Halloumi Fries are available from Morrisons, priced at £3.00 per pack.
Iceland Chinese Curry Sauce – 76 calories per 1/4 pot
It’s no secret that we LOVE a chip-shop curry sauce just as much as our lovely Facebook community does! While we’re all about making sauces at home when you can, it’s fine to lean on shop-bought versions when it makes life easier, especially if they’re as tasty as Iceland’s Chinese Curry Sauce.
Ready in a pinch, simply cover loosely in the microwave and wait for the beep.
On nights where you do have the time and energy to make your own, our Chips and Curry Sauce will never let you down. It’s got all of the flavours from your favourite chippy tea for only 260 calories per portion!
To take things up a notch, we like to add grated reduced-fat cheese on top – trust us, you’ve not lived until you’ve tried cheese with chip-shop curry sauce!
Iceland Chinese Curry Sauce is available from Iceland, priced at £1.75 per pack.
REMINDER Aldi Super 6 Fruit and Veg Selection
We love Aldi’s fortnightly selection of fresh fruit and veggies! They choose different items for a special offer where you can pick them up for much less than the normal price.
Here’s our reminder of this week’s Super 6 selection:
- Swede – 38 calories per 100g
- Red Seedless Grapes – 69 calories per 100g
- Easy Peelers – 35 calories per 100g
- Limes – 30 calories per 100g
- Baby corn – 26 calories per 100g
- Mini Apples – 53 calories per 100g
**Remember: we do not take payment, promotion or gift for any of the items mentioned in these articles. We bring them to you because we love them and hope you will too!**
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