Your Slimming Essentials – The Weekly Pinch of Shopping 01.12.23
Ho-ho-how did that happen? It’s the FIRST Weekly Pinch of Shopping of December! We can’t tell you how this year is going by so fast, but we can promise a brand-new selection of sweet and savoury goodies.
‘Tis the season for nibbly buffet bites, and this week we’ve got plenty to choose from, including some crispy-coated Naughty and Nice Chicken Chunks that’ll keep your party guests on their toes.
You can wash it all down with a glass of the gingerbread-infused mulled wine we’ve spotted – it’s far lower in calories than you’d expect.
Plus, if you’re a chocolate lover, you’ll be pleased to hear there’s a brand-new Mr Kipling treat in town: Christmassy Winter Whirls. That’s your cue to pop the kettle on…
We’re absolutely BUZZING with excitement that Pinch of Nom: Express will be out in less than ONE week!
There’s still time to pre-order so that you’re one of the first to get your hands on a copy on December 7th.
In case you missed it on our Instagram or Facebook page, we shared a video of superstars from our amazing community talking about what PON means to them (it makes us tear up!). Express wouldn’t be happening without all of your support – all we can say is THANK YOU!
There’s still time to pre-order your copy here.
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You can share your recipes and photos by posting over in our Facebook group, where you’ll also find our members having 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!**
M&S Mixed Bean Chipotle Chilli with Spiced Rice – 282 calories per pack
When you’re caught out without a plan for lunch or dinner, M&S’ Mixed Bean Chipotle Chilli with Spiced Rice has you covered.
This vegan-friendly microwave meal is packed with oodles of Mexican-inspired flavours, with beans, sweet potatoes and red peppers in a mildly fiery chipotle-style sauce.
Served on a bed of fluffy spicy rice, it’s sure to leave you full and satisfied for the day ahead.
If you’re after a warming bowl of comfort, add the ingredients for our Vegan Campfire Stew to your slow cooker pot when you wake up, and leave it while you go about your day.
It takes around 6 hours for the jackfruit ‘pork’ to tenderise until juicy-sweet. You’ll know it’s ready to enjoy with some Creamy Mashed Potatoes when it’s easy to shred with a fork.
M&S Mixed Bean Chipotle Chilli with Spiced Rice is available from Ocado, priced at £2.65 for a pack that serves 1.
Asda Creamy Cauliflower Cheese Soup – 175 calories per 1/2 pot (microwaved)
If you can’t say no to cauliflower cheese, it’s worth popping Asda’s Creamy Cauliflower Cheese Soup in your shopping basket. A creamy blend of cauliflower and tangy Cheddar cheese, it’s nice and light at 175 calories per serving.
Don’t forget to mop up every last drop with a crusty bread roll, if you’re feeling extra hungry!
We recently discovered that cauliflower cheese makes for the perfect slimming-friendly topping, thanks to our brand-new Cauliflower Cheese Fish Pie recipe. Even with the best of two classic comfort foods in one dish, it’s light enough to add to your midweek menu at just 307 calories per cheesy portion.
For more floret-based dishes, take a scroll through our favourite things to make with cauliflower.
ASDA Creamy Cauliflower Cheese Soup is available from Asda, priced at £1.75 for a pack with 2 servings.
Morrisons The Best Tuscan Style Chicken Breast Fillets – 237 calories per 1/2 pack
Morrisons has done the hard work for you with its The Best Tuscan Style Chicken Breast Fillets. Each chicken breast comes ready-topped with tomatoey, parsley-infused breadcrumbs and melty mozzarella, so all you need to worry about is popping them in the oven.
Why not serve them with a Parmesan-topped handful of our Crispy Green Beans? Bake them in the oven, or in the air fryer if you’re in a hurry.
We can’t talk about Tuscan-style flavours without mentioning our Tuscan Chicken Macaroni. Cheesy, easy-to-make comfort food, it’s no wonder it’s been hugely-popular with our amazing community from the moment we hit ‘publish’ on our website.
It’s batch-cook friendly too…and between us, it tastes even better the next day!
Morrisons The Best Tuscan Style Chicken Breast Fillets are available from Morrisons, priced at £5.00 for a pack of 2.
VFC Vegan Chicken Style Mince – 228 calories per 100g
We’re always on the lookout for low-calorie mince alternatives, and this VFC Vegan Chicken Style Mince is perfect for a Meat-free Monday meal. Ditching meat doesn’t have to mean ditching protein, with a whopping 31g of protein in every serving.
Use it as you would any normal minced meat to make go-to favourites like Spaghetti Bolognese or Chilli con Carne.
The beauty of rustling up a midweek chilli is that you can always do something different with leftover portions. On a cold, dark evening, nothing beats our indulgent Chilli Stuffed Sweet Potato Skins.
To make sure it’s totally veggie-friendly, swap out the mince and use Henderson’s Relish instead of Worcestershire sauce.
VFC Vegan Chicken Style Mince is available from Morrisons, priced at £2.49.
The Bakehouse Minis Chocolate Chip Cookies – 54 calories per cookie
The Bakehouse Minis Chocolate Chip Cookies are the perfect excuse to pop the kettle on, especially at just 54 calories each. They’re also cracking value at 90p for a family-sized pack (that’s roughly 50p cheaper than Maryland) – thank you, Asda!
It’s the 1st of December which means we’re firmly into Christmas film season. Who else is ready to curl up under a fluffy blanket with cookies and a Christmas Hot Chocolate?
Unlike pricier coffee shop versions, our recipe feels like a special treat and comes in at just 185 calories per mug.
We’ve brought the festive cheer with a topping of mini marshmallows, sugar sprinkles and a velvety swirl of low-fat aerosol cream.
The Bakehouse Minis Chocolate Chip Cookies are available from Asda, priced at 90p per pack.
Tesco Finest Fish and Pea Rosti Basket – 71 calories per fish finger rosti
Something a bit different for party season, we couldn’t resist this Tesco Finest Fish and Pea Rosti Basket. Making the most of chip-shop inspired flavours, each crispy rosti serves up basa chunks wrapped in salt and vinegar batter with a layer of mushy peas and potato.
Our top tip? Treat yourself to the first one…we have a feeling they won’t last long on your buffet table!
Our Fish and Chip Pie might sound unusual, but it really works! We’ve topped our pie with a golden layer of oven-baked chips, seasoned with salt and vinegar for a chippy-style taste.
For the crispiest chips possible, rinse away any excess starch and bake them coated in a spritz of low-calorie cooking spray.
Tesco Finest Fish and Pea Rosti Basket is available from Tesco, priced at £4.50 for a pack of 8 rostis.
Vegan No Cheese Macaroni Bites – 45 calories per bite (ovenbaked)
If you’re looking to eat more plant-based foods over the party season, try adding Iceland’s Vegan No Cheese Macaroni Bites to your buffet spread. Rather than dairy cheese, each bite comes filled with macaroni pasta and a coconut oil based cheese alternative.
At 45 calories per breadcrumb-coated bite, we’d say they’re well worth trying with your favourite saucy dip!
Our Air Fryer Veggie Dippers are just the ticket when you fancy a crispy, savoury snack in a flash. They’ll go from air fryer basket to plate in just 20 minutes (you can also make them in the oven, if you’d prefer).
To make sure they’re totally vegan, you’ll want to swap the honey on our ingredients list for a suitable alternative.
Vegan No Cheese Macaroni Bites are available from Iceland, priced at £2.50 for a pack of 12.
Sainsbury’s Naughty and Nice Chicken Chunks, Taste the Difference – 95 calories per chicken chunk with sauce
If you’re feeling brave, Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Naughty and Nice Chicken Chunks will add some festive fun to your next family gathering.
A tasty, crispy-coated roulette, you’ll find two different types of goujon in each pack: one is cooked Southern-fried style, while the other is in a salt and chilli charcoal crumb.
Don’t forget to drizzle over the sachet of spiced honey sauce right before serving!
A selection of savoury bites isn’t complete without our Salt and Pepper Chicken Nuggets. Our recipe takes inspiration from the Chinese takeaway, coated in a homemade salt and pepper flavouring that’s far better for you and your budget.
The best part is you can stash them away in the freezer until it’s party time!
Naughty and Nice Chicken Chunks, Taste the Difference are available from Sainsbury’s, priced at £5.25 per pack.
Mr Kipling Christmas Chocolate Fudge Winter Whirls – 145 calories per whirl
We’re always excited to see yet another ‘exceedingly good cake’ from Mr Kipling. These Christmas Chocolate Fudge Winter Whirls come stuffed with a chocolate fudge filling and sticky toffee sauce, making them the ideal companion for a mid-afternoon cuppa.
There’s no need to pop to the shops for your chocolate fix, when you only need 2 ingredients to make our scrummy Chocolate Swirls. You’ll use ready-rolled light puff pastry to wrap up the low-sugar chocolate syrup filling, and bake them to crispy perfection in the oven.
Don’t worry if you’re not in the mood for chocolate; our blog has a whole selection of sweet and savoury slimming-friendly swirl recipes you can choose from.
Mr Kipling Christmas Chocolate Fudge Winter Whirls are available from Tesco, priced at £1.50 for a pack of 6.
Aldi Gingerbread Mulled Wine – 56 calories per 100ml
This one’s for anyone who can’t get enough of all things gingerbread flavoured! Aldi’s Gingerbread Mulled Wine is a sweeter twist on classic Mulled Wine.
Infused with zingy gingerbread aromas, you can bring the joy of the Christmas markets home for only 56 calories per 100ml serving.
Nothing beats a Christmas dinner, but you can pay tribute to the most wonderful meal of the year in the run-up with jolly recipes like our Turkey Cranberry Burgers.
They’re stuffed with cheese and layered with lettuce, mayo and juicy cranberry sauce. What’s not to love?
Aldi Gingerbread Mulled Wine is available from Aldi, priced at £2.49 per bottle.
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:
- Baking Potatoes – 63 calories per 100g
- Closed Cup Mushrooms – 17 calories per 100g
- Limes – 30 calories per 100g
- Baby Corn – 26 calories per 100g
- Asparagus Tips – 25 calories per 100g
- Oranges – 47 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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