The Weekly Pinch of Shopping: NEW Tasty Products to Try 18.04.25
Hello and Happy (Good) Friday! Your Weekly Pinch of Shopping has arrived with NEW tasty products to try.
We’ve got lots of easy ideas that’ll help you get back on track after a chocolate-filled weekend, including Young’s extra-large fish fillets. They’re coated in a herby, garlicky breadcrumb that has a serious crunch!
Did someone say ‘crunch’? We’ve also spotted some ‘Ridiculously Crispy’ Garlic Butter Hash Brown Bites you can air-fry to perfection in minutes.
And don’t worry – we’ve not forgotten about your sweet tooth! We’ll tell you where to find Popcorn, Honeycomb Caramel and Vanilla Ice Cream Cones so you can add them to your freezer.
HUGE NEWS alert! The book you’ve been asking us to write for years is finally coming…Pinch of Nom: Slow Cooker is out on September 25th!
It’s brimming with 100 totally new slow cooker wonders, including comfort foods, fakeaways, sweet treats and surprising ‘I can’t believe you can make that in a slow cooker!’ dishes.
Tap here or the image below to pre-order and reserve your copy.
Pre-orders are the magic ingredient that help us keep creating the recipes, books, and products you love. You’re not just reserving your copy, you’re giving us a huge boost – and we appreciate it SO much!
Spotted any yummy-looking, slimming-friendly products at the supermarket lately? Share them with us – they might feature in our next article! You can also join the discussion in our Facebook group here.
Our Weekly Pinch of Shopping highlights budget-friendly, slimming-friendly products available in local supermarkets and online. We include calorie information and RRP, though prices may vary.
Each week, we also feature Aldi’s Super 6 deals – a fortnightly selection of discounted fruits and vegetables – along with recipe ideas to help you make the most of them. There’s a fresh selection this week, so scroll down to find out what’s included, along with some ideas on how to make the most of the ingredients.
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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!**
1. Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Peach & Apple Cider – 150 calories per 250ml glass
Rain or shine, a glass of Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Peach and Apple Cider is delightfully refreshing. It’s even better to sip on if you’ve got a selection of slimming-friendly savoury snacks to hand, like cheesy twists or crispy sausage rolls.
Our homely Somerset Pork wouldn’t be the same without a few drops of cider. It makes for a gorgeously fruity complement to the juicy pork sausages and apple slices we’ve stirred in.
We’d recommend serving with fluffy mashed potatoes to help soak up every last drop.
Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Peach & Apple Cider is available from Sainsbury’s, priced at £2.50 per bottle.
2. Tesco High Protein Strawberry Yoghurt – 153 calories per pot
This Tesco High Protein Strawberry Yoghurt will leave you feeling fuller and curb your sweet cravings all in one spoonful. A blend of fat-free strained yoghurt and fruity flavouring, you can snack on it alone, or serve it for breakfast with chopped fruits, nuts and crunchy granola.
If creamy, strawberry-flavoured goodies are a winner for you, try a scoop of our Strawberry Cheesecake Frozen Yoghurt recipe. Even with the irresistible, crunchy biscuit crumbs on top, each portion is only 152 calories per bowlful.
Just be sure to let it rest for 30 minutes before serving, so that it’s nice and soft by the time you dig in.
Tesco High Protein Strawberry Yoghurt is available from Tesco, priced at 95p per pot.
3. Proper All the Cheese Lentil Chips – 95 calories per pack
Next time you’re feeling peckish, lean on a bag of Proper All the Cheese Lentil Chips. At only 95 calories per pack, they’ll give you something cheesy and crunchy to snack on that’ll leave you satisfied, without taking you off track.
You can always make your own cheesy snack at home by following our Cheese Palmiers recipe.
These biscuit-like bites only have 3 ingredients; they’ll be rustled up (and tucked into an airtight container to take on the go!) in well under half an hour.
Proper All the Cheese Lentil Chips are available from Sainsbury’s, priced at £2.00 per pack.
4. Dolmio Classics Meatballs Fusilli Pasta – 232 calories per pack
Dolmio’s new range of quick meals for one make those busier days feel a bit easier. We picked up the tomato pack of Dolmio Classics Meatballs Fusilli Pasta, but there are Rigatoni Bolognese Pasta and Fusilli Carbonara Pasta (among others) to try too.
Low in sugar and saturated fat, it’s handy to have on standby in the store cupboard when you need something quick and flavourful in a flash.
Keep in mind, speed isn’t everything! Leaving a batch of our Slow-Cooked Meatballs in Tomato Sauce to bubble away for hours is just as convenient – and even tastier.
For the full recipe, turn to pages 142-144 inside our Enjoy cookbook.
Dolmio Classics Meatballs Fusilli Pasta is available from Morrisons, priced at £3.00 per pack.
5. M&S Spicy Rice – 162 calories per 1/2 pack
When you’ve not got a portion of our Nando’s Spicy Rice ready to serve, this M&S is a pretty good grab-and-go alternative. With colourful chopped peppers, smoky paprika and fiery chilli stirred in, it’s ideal for pairing with Peri-Peri Chicken.
From hot to medium-spicy, the great thing about making a Nando’s inspired fakeaway at home is that you can control the heat. Add a bit of green to your Portuguese-inspired plate with a portion of Chilli and Mint Peas.
Now’s your cue to dig that long-forgotten bag of petit pois out of your freezer!
M&S Spicy Rice is available from M&S stores and online at Ocado, priced at £3.90 per pack.
6. Iceland Ridiculously Crispy Garlic Butter Hash Brown Bites – 279 calories per 1/5 pack air-fried
These Iceland Ridiculously Crispy Garlic Butter Hash Brown Bites are a delicious excuse to crack out your air fryer. We’re talking about garlicky, buttery shredded potato, bundled into mini hash browns and air-fried to golden perfection.
Just imagine serving a portion beside our stacked Breakfast Burgers. With homemade juicy pork patties, bacon, eggs, mushrooms and tomato, there’s no better way to kick off the weekend.
The only question left is: will you add a squeeze of red or brown sauce?
Iceland Ridiculously Crispy Garlic Butter Hash Brown Bites are available from Iceland, priced at £2.50 per bag.
7. M&S Italian Style Chicken Dogs – 108 calories per hot dog
With a pack of low-fat sausage handy, you’re well on your way to making a delicious, slimming-friendly meal. M&S’ Italian Style Chicken Dogs are bursting with Mediterranean goodness, with semi-dried tomatoes and dried herbs inside.
While we’ve used reduced-fat pork sausages for our Herby Sausage Orzo, there’s nothing to stop you stirring in these Italian-style bangers instead.
You’ll want to use fresh thyme, rosemary and parsley (rather than dried herbs) when cooking this one; they’ll taste more vibrant, and add a lovely splash of green to your finished dish.
M&S Italian Style Chicken Dogs are available from M&S stores and online at Ocado, priced at £5.00 for a pack of 4 hot dogs.
8. Young’s Garlic & Herb Extra Large Fish Fillets – 276 calories per ovenbaked fish fillet
While these Young’s Garlic & Herb Extra Large Fish Fillets are larger in size, they’ve stayed nice and light in calories at 276 calories per fillet. Coated in a garlicky, herby blend of breadcrumbs, you’ll get a mouthful of tender, flaky fish with a satisfying crunch.
You can take home Young’s Paprika & Pepper Extra Large Fish Fillets if you’d prefer.
Both flavours would make for an easy, slimming-friendly midweek dinner after a chocolate-filled Easter weekend.
We recently revamped one of our golden oldie fish recipes: Smoked Haddock and Spring Onion Fishcakes. They’re a must-try with our homemade chive-infused dipping sauce and a zingy squeeze of fresh lemon.
Young’s Garlic & Herb Extra Large Fish Fillets are available from Asda, priced at £3.98 for a pack of 2 fillets.
9. Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Popcorn, Honeycomb Caramel & Vanilla Ice Cream Cones – 218 calories per ice cream
You’ll love having these Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Popcorn, Honeycomb Caramel & Vanilla Ice Cream Cones in your freezer when the sun is shining. The pairing of salted caramel with crunchy popcorn pieces is a delicious touch…
Speaking of, have you tried our Salted Caramel and Chocolate Popcorn Bites from pages 186-189 of our Enjoy cookbook?
Bound with sticky caramel, we’ve made these chocolate-covered popcorn pieces extra-delicious with a light sprinkling of sea salt on top.
Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Popcorn, Honeycomb Caramel & Vanilla Ice Cream Cones are available from Sainsbury’s, priced at £3.00 for a pack of 4 cones.
10. M&S Extra Crunchy Masala Chicken Bites with Mango Chutney Drizzle – 296 calories per 1/2 pack
If you pop to M&S this week, you’ll spot a whole new selection of ‘Extra Crunchy’ chicken tenders. They’re available in a variety of flavours, from Hot Honey to Piri Piri.
We took home the M&S Extra Crunchy Masala Chicken Bites with Mango Chutney Drizzle since we were in the mood for fakeaway flavours, and we couldn’t say no to a crispy curry-infused coating.
Was the frozen portion of Indian-Style Fried Rice from last week’s curry night also part of the decision process? Absolutely!
This is one of those batch-friendly wonders that tastes just as good (or even better) reheated – especially if you liven things up with a sprinkling of fresh coriander and a squeeze of lime.
M&S Extra Crunchy Marsala Chicken Bites with Mango Chutney Drizzle are available from M&S stores and online at Ocado, priced at £4.75 per pack.
NEW 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 a rundown of the recipes we’d make with this week’s Super 6 offering.
Carrots – 41 calories per 100g
The Easter Bunny will be thrilled that carrots are only 8p in Aldi this weekend! You can always grab a bag to turn into an easy go-to lunch like our Carrot, Orange and Thyme Soup.
We’ve added a zesty twist by including a surprise ingredient you don’t often find in soup: orange juice!
Garlic – 5 calories per clove
It’s always a good idea to have plenty of garlic on standby, as our blog full of healthy, slimming-friendly, garlic-loaded recipes proves.
If you’re not sure what to make, why not try one of our most-popular recipes EVER? We’re so happy our community loves our Bolognese and Garlic Swirl Pie as much as we do…
Spring Onions – 32 calories per 100g
We always think of spring onions as ‘the fakeaway veggie!’. While they’re delicious cooked or raw tossed into salads, stir-fries, wraps and lots of different recipes, we love them best on top of an aromatic crowdpleaser like our Air Fryer Crispy Chilli Beef.
Broccoli – 35 calories per 100g
We love the versatility of broccoli florets. Baked into pasta, chopped it into stir-fries or blended into a soup, you can always count on broc to add flavour, colour and nutrients.
Our crunchy Broccoli and Sweetcorn Fritters add something a little bit different to your meal plan for breakfast, lunch or a quick snack.
White Potatoes – 92 calories per 100g
A staple ingredient for all kinds of recipes, you can always rustle something up for dinner when you have a bag of spuds in the house.
Try something a bit different on your Easter Sunday dinner with our Stilton Roast Potatoes. The strong nuttiness of the cheese is perfect for adding a flavour-boosting twist!
Cucumber – 15 calories per 100g
Cucumber is the ultimate refreshing veg for summery weather – fingers crossed we get some of that this bank holiday!
Chop your cucumber into batons for dunking in fresh hummus, slice it into salads, or pickle it into your own homemade Kimchi slaw.
**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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