Your Slimming Essentials – The Weekly Pinch Of Shopping 27.11
It’s really felt like winter has arrived this week and so we’ve got plenty of comforting meal ideas to help you keep warm in this week’s Weekly Pinch of Shopping.
From spiced butternut soup that’s an ideal, quick and hearty lunch, to a box of wonky seasonal veg, and a pre-cooked frozen seafood cocktail that can simply be added straight to your favourite dish.
And how could we forget the festive treats? Enjoy mince pies for breakfast alongside a seasonal coffee from your favourite coffee shop, followed by some fun crumpets or a cake bar that tastes like Christmas in a bite!
If you’re looking for Christmas inspiration and festive recipes then you make sure that you check out our Christmas category here.
Lots of these products have been talked about over on our Facebook Group, so if you’re not a member then make sure that you click here to join now so that you don’t miss out (and don’t forget to share any delicious new products that you come across).
Our Weekly Pinch of Shopping list aims to show you slimming friendly products that are available in a wide range of stores so that you can pick them up during your weekly shop, and to make things really convenient we’ve also listed any relevant nutritional info and the RRP.
Please remember that all prices are correct at the time of us writing this article and so they should be used as a guide only.
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**A note on our shopping list: 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!**
New Covent Garden Spiced Butternut Soup – 95 calories per ½ pack
Sometimes a delicious, hearty soup is exactly what you need to warm yourself up on a cold winter’s day and we love the flavours of this New Covent Garden Spiced Butternut Soup.
A tasty combo of butternut squash, carrots, cumin, chillies and honey, we think that it has a nice little kick to it and it’s suitable for vegetarian diets as well.
1 of your 5 a day, low in saturated fat and high in fibre, this soup is naturally full of fuel to keep you going throughout your day.
It’s really quick and easy to prepare as well, as you simply pop it in the microwave or on the hob for 5 minutes, so it’s the perfect choice for when you’re low on time.
½ a carton of this New Covent Garden Spiced Butternut Soup is 95 calories which means it’s a definite slimming essential.
Serve with a chunk of crusty bread, so fresh bread rolls or a few slices of our Fougasse Bread for a really filling lunch.
This New Covent Garden Spiced Butternut Soup is available in most supermarkets and is currently on offer at Sainsbury’s for half price at £1.
Cadbury Winter Gingerbread Chocolate Cake Bars – 110 calories per cake bar
These Cadbury Winter Gingerbread Chocolate Cake Bars taste just like Christmas in a bite – and they’re only 110 calories per cake bar too!
Chocolate sponge with a gingerbread flavoured topping, coated in milk chocolate, these cake bars are suitable for vegetarians and the perfect size for an afternoon treat.
They’re fantastic when accompanied with a warm glass of Mulled Wine or a cup of our Eggnog to really get you into the festive mood.
We love food that tastes really indulgent but is low on calories as it means that we don’t have to feel like we’re missing out during the festive season!
You can find our complete collection of Christmas recipes here – there’s something to suit every diet and every occasion.
Grab these Cadbury Winter Gingerbread Chocolate Cake Bars from Asda or Tesco for £1 per box.
Morrisons Wonky Vegetables Selection Box – Calories vary between boxes
Did you know that some fruits and vegetables are rejected by supermarkets because they’re a bit wonky or a little misshapen?
We’re all about reducing food waste, and this Morrisons Wonky Vegetables Selection Box is full of really fresh and tasty vegetables that just didn’t quite make the cut in terms of how they look!
These veggies may not look the part, but that doesn’t mean that they’re still completely delicious and a fantastic addition to any dish.
Each box is guaranteed to contain potatoes, carrots and (red or white) onions, alongside a selection of seasonal produce.
This means that your box could contain everything from cabbage or cauliflower, to parsnips or swede – perfect for adding into dishes like our Mexican Chilli Beef or our Beef and Baked Bean Stew to help you get your 5 a day.
Grab this Morrisons Wonky Vegetables Selection Box from Morrisons for £3.
Christmas Tree Crumpets – 118 calories per crumpet
Crumpets (otherwise known as ‘butter sponges’ here at PON HQ!) are definitely one of our all time favourite breakfasts and these Christmas Tree Crumpets are a really fun, festive take on a classic.
Crispy on the outside, and light and fluffy on the inside, these Christmas tree shaped crumpets are perfect for pretty much any topping.
Keep it simple with just a spread of butter, or feel free to get a bit more creative by topping them with some jam, Marmite or even cheese – yes, really!
Suitable for vegetarians, these Christmas Tree Crumpets have 118 calories each which makes them a delicious slimming essential in our opinion.
Serve alongside some Soft Boiled Eggs for a really satisfying breakfast that will keep you full until lunchtime.
These Christmas Tree Crumpets are available from Morrisons at £1 for a pack of six.
Starbucks by Nescafé Dolce Gusto Toffee Nut Latte Coffee Pods – 76 calories per cup
Missing your Starbucks fix? These Starbucks by Nescafé Dolce Gusto Toffee Nut Latte Coffee Pods are the perfect way to enjoy your favourite drink in the comfort of your home.
The Toffee Nut Latte is a combination of roasted coffee, sweet toffee and toasted nuts and allows you to give your morning coffee a festive, winter twist.
Deliciously rich and buttery, we love enjoying a cup of this Toffee Nut Latte alongside an afternoon snack like our Mini Spiced Christmas Apple Pies.
With just 76 calories in every 200ml cup, you won’t have to worry about lots of unnecessary calories either and you’ll have plenty left over for a biscuit or two!
These Starbucks by Nescafé Dolce Gusto Toffee Nut Latte Coffee Pods are available in Sainsbury’s, Asda and Tesco at £4.40 for a pack of 6 pods.
ASDA Seafood Cocktail – 103 calories per ½ pack
Products that help us save time in the kitchen are always a winner in our book and this ASDA Seafood Cocktail is no exception.
This selection of mussel meat, squid rings and king prawns has been pre-cooked and frozen for freshness which means that all you need to do is defrost them and enjoy.
We always say that if it swims, it slims and as half a pack of this ASDA Seafood Cocktail contains only 103 calories, it’s a slimming essential.
This seafood would be the perfect addition to any number of our recipes including our Seafood Paella and our Admiral’s Fish Pie – remember that as this ASDA Seafood Cocktail is pre-cooked, it’ll just need to be defrosted and then added to your dish to heat through.
Pick up this ASDA Seafood Cocktail from Asda for £4.50 per bag.
Strong Roots Garlic Roasted Sweet Potato – 115 calories per 80g serving
We love a side dish that’s easy to prepare and full of flavour and this Strong Roots Garlic Roasted Sweet Potato is not only delicious, but suitable for vegan diets as well.
Coated in a light rice maize flour batter and seasoned with garlic and herbs, these sweet potato chunks are gluten free, low in saturated fat and are really crisp and crunchy.
This Strong Roots Garlic Roasted Sweet Potato can be cooked from frozen and are ready in less than 30 minutes which means that they’re a great option for a quick meal time.
They work really well when served alongside our Vegetable Tarts or our Vegan Campfire Stew, but they’re a fab alternative to roast potatoes and are a great accompaniment to pretty much any meal.
You can find this Strong Roots Garlic Roasted Sweet Potato in most supermarkets for approximately £3 a bag.
PG Tips Plus Caffeine Black Tea – 15 calories per serving
Need an extra nudge to wake up in the morning? PG Tips’ Plus Caffeine Black Tea has added caffeine and vitamin B6 to help reduce tiredness and fatigue.
Although it’s full of extra benefits, these tea bags taste just like your normal cuppa so you won’t even notice a difference in flavour.
As an added bonus, the tea bags are biodegradable too so they’re not only good for you, but good for the planet too!
If you like your cup of tea with a few added health benefits, then PG Tips’ Plus range of tea bags are also available in Metabolism and Immunity to help support your immune system and contribute to the normal function of your metabolism.
Enjoy this PG Tips Plus Caffeine Black Tea with a tasty Spiced Christmas Biscuit or one of our Apple Pie Cookies for the perfect afternoon snack.
You can find these PG Tips Plus Caffeine Black Tea tea bags in Asda, Ocado or Waitrose at around £2.50.
Sainsbury’s Mince Pie Wheats – 138 calories per serving
Michelle Jackson shared these Sainsbury’s Mince Pie Wheats with us on our Facebook Group and they’re perfect for those days when you just want to eat mince pies for breakfast!
These mini, shredded wholegrain wheat pillows have a mince pie flavour filling and are high in fibre with no added sugar.
A 45g serving without milk has 138 calories which is lower in calories than some of the other cereals out there, so great for enjoying if you’re following a diet plan or are counting calories.
Serve with our Eggnog Latte for a really festive start to your day.
If you love the flavour of these Mince Pie Wheats then why not try our Mince Pies too?
You can find these Mince Pie Wheats in Sainsbury’s for £2 per box.
Lotus Biscoff Ice Cream – 297 calories per 100g
This Lotus Biscoff Ice Cream is an absolute GAME CHANGER in our opinion!
Creamy ice cream swirled with smooth Biscoff Spread and crunchy bits of Lotus Biscoff Biscuits – what more could you want?
This Lotus Biscoff Ice Cream has 297 calories per 100g serving and is delicious when enjoyed on its own, or scooped on top of our Chocolate Waffles for a really tasty dessert.
You could also serve a scoop of this ice cream with our Oat Pancakes if you’re looking for something that tastes indulgent, but doesn’t have tons of extra calories.
If you’re not a big fan of ice cream, then you can also get Lotus Biscoff Spread which is available in smooth or with additional crunchy, biscuit bits (it’s delicious smeared on some toast).
You can get this Lotus Biscoff Ice Cream at Tesco, Morrisons and Waitrose for around £3.60 per tub.
**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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