Your Slimming Essentials – The Weekly Pinch of Shopping 02.04
In this week’s Weekly Pinch of Shopping, we’ve got some delicious meat-free mince and meatballs that are plant-based and packed with protein. We think this would make a brilliant Bolognese!
If you’d prefer a beefy burger, we’ve found some 3% fat burgers that are seasoned to perfection and ideal to keep in the freezer for emergency speedy dinners!
If you’re looking for that extra oomph for salads and sandwiches, try the Nando’s Sweet Chilli Jam for a dollop of something sweet and spicy to set off your meal.
For those of us with a sweet tooth, we have mini ice cream cones, mini biscuits and a divine chocolate orange flavour custard to try. That’s not all, we have a chocolate spread with a very surprising ingredient, which we can’t wait to try!
Wash it all down with a fruity, refreshing glass of Vimto no added sugar squash for a tasty way of increasing your water intake.
We also have a reminder of the Aldi Super 6 week this week. Aldi discounts a selection of fresh fruit and vegetables every fortnight, so we give you the rundown and inspiration to make the most of these budget ingredients.
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.
Make sure that you make a note of your favourite products so that you can pick them up with your weekly shopping. Our second food planner is perfect for this as it will really help you to plan out your meals and keep track of exactly what you’re eating or need to buy.
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.
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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!**
Richmond Meat-Free Mince and Meatballs – 161 calories per serving
Richmond Meat-Free Mince and Meatballs are the ideal choice if you’re looking to cut down your meat consumption or want to create a meal that can be enjoyed by meat-eaters and vegetarians alike!
Packed with protein, these meat-free meatballs and mince are entirely plant based but contain plenty of seasoning for a delicious Lasagne or a simple meatballs and pasta dish.
We also love that they can be frozen and defrosted before cooking. They’re so handy to keep in the freezer for those days when you don’t have the motivation to start from scratch!
You can find Richmond Meat-Free Mince and Meatballs in Asda for around £2 per pack.
Belmont Jammy Wheels Minis – 87 calories per bag
You can’t beat a jammy biscuit with a hot cup of tea or coffee, but sometimes it’s hard to put the rest of the packet away. We’ve all been there!
These Belmont Jammy Wheels Minis are perfectly portioned into single serve bags full of bite-sized biscuits ready to eat. They have the perfect amount of chewy filling and crumbly biscuit so they could be just the afternoon pick-me-up you need.
Ideal for popping in the car or a lunchbox for a quick snack, we’ve also spotted these in mini chocolate chip cookies.
For a homemade version of a different classic teatime treat, try your hand at our slimming friendly Jaffa Cakes!
A 6-pack of Belmont Jammy Wheels Minis is available from Aldi.
Skinny Beef Burgers with Onion and Seasoning – 121 calories per burger
A succulent, juicy beef burger is a staple for garden BBQs everywhere as the summer begins. These Skinny Beef Burgers with Onion and Seasoning can be cooked from frozen, which is so useful when you can’t plan for the British weather!
They’re perfectly seasoned and only 3% fat, with each burger coming in at just over 120 calories each. That’s a significant calorie saving against a greasy, high fat takeaway and still just as tasty served in a wholemeal roll with a slice of cheese and some mixed salad leaves.
Serve with Greek Salad for a lighter dinner, or Homemade Oven Chips for a more substantial meal.
Sainsbury’s sell these Skinny Beef Burgers with Onion and Seasoning for £3 per box of 4.
Vimto No Added Sugar Squash – 2 calories per 100ml
We all know how important it is to drink plenty of water to stay hydrated and to keep our brains and bodies healthy, but it can be hard to get the recommended 8 glasses a day!
Vimto No Added Sugar Squash is a slimming essential for us because it can help you increase the amount of water you drink by adding a fruity flavour for only a handful of calories. It has no added sugar and extra vitamin C, so it’s definitely worth popping in your basket.
It’s sweetened without sugar and delicious, made to Vimto’s own secret recipe, and can be diluted to your liking. Why not add a couple of ice cubes and sparkling water for an easy mocktail?
If you’d prefer an alcoholic beverage, try our Elderflower Gin Fizz!
We’ve spotted Vimto No Added Sugar Squash at most supermarkets, but it’s currently on offer at Tesco for £1.
Mini Ice Cream Cones – 54 calories per cone
For an after-dinner treat, these Mini Ice Cream Cones are the perfect size to satisfy your sweet tooth!
With a thick, crunchy cone and a choice of strawberry or chocolate flavour, it’s hard to believe these cones are only 54 calories each! They’re topped with either chocolate curls or a sweet strawberry sauce, and they are suitable for vegetarians with no added flavours or colours.
If you’re a fan of strawberry flavours, our Strawberry Pancake Traybake is a warming, comforting tray bake that can feed many hungry mouths.
These Mini Ice Cream Cones are Morrison’s branded and cost £2 for a box of 12.
Nando’s Sweet Chilli Jam – 21 calories per serving
Nando’s Sweet Chilli Jam is ‘jam-packed’ with tangy tomatoes and the recognisable taste of peri-peri spice.
It’s warm and sweet with just the right level of heat to add flavour and texture to just about anything: try it in a sandwich or in Low Carb Chicken and Ham Wraps, add a dollop alongside a cheesy baked potato, or even serve as a dip for Veggie Filo Crackers!
It’s vegan friendly with no artificial flavours, colours or preservatives and a spice rating of ‘medium’. It’s so versatile that we will always have a bottle of this slimming essential in the cupboard.
Nando’s Sweet Chilli Jam is available exclusively in Tesco for £2.25 per bottle.
Ambrosia Chocolate Orange Flavour Devon Custard – 130 calories per portion
Custard is one of our favourite accompaniments to so many desserts, and this Ambrosia Chocolate Orange Flavour Devon Custard takes it to a whole new level! Smooth chocolate and zest orange combine to make this custard as delicious on its own as well as drizzled over your favourite pud.
We’ve also seen this custard in a chocolate flavour, but if you fancy trying the chocolate orange version you need to be quick – it’s limited edition just for Easter.
We think the chocolate orange flavour of this custard complements a slice of Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips perfectly! If you’d prefer a traditional light vanilla flavour, try our slimming friendly creamy Custard.
Ambrosia Chocolate Orange Flavour Devon Custard is available in Tesco and Asda for around 75p per can.
Moorish Chocolate Spread Dessert Humous – 157 calories per serving
Humous, but not as you know it! Moorish Chocolate Spread Dessert Humous is a blend of chickpeas and coconut milk with cocoa powder, pomegranate molasses and golden syrup.
It’s full of natural sweetness, but contains 70% less sugar than other traditional chocolate spreads. It’s also palm oil free and fully recyclable, which is a huge tick for us!
It can be used as a spread, for dolloping on top of Banana and Chocolate Pancakes or even to dip in freshly chopped fruit.
Sainsbury’s stock this Moorish Chocolate Spread Dessert Humous, and it’s currently on sale for £1.50.
REMINDER Aldi Super 6 Fruit and Veg Selection
We love Aldi’s selection of fresh fruit and veggies, and each fortnight they choose six of them for a special offer where you can pick them up for much less than the normal price.
Here’s our reminder of this fortnight’s selection and some meal inspiration to give you some ideas on how to make the most of the Super 6!
Carrots – 41 calories per 100g
Sweet and moreish, try carrots cooked in a number of ways. You can grate into Carrot Cake Baked Oats, or simply roasted with sweet maple syrup alongside a roast dinner with our Maple Glazed Carrots
Parsnips – 75 calories per 100g
Parsnips are a delicious root vegetable, ideal for a roast dinner or for blitzing into a warming Curried Parsnip Soup.
White Potatoes – 92 calories per 100g
Baked, mashed or turned into chips, white potatoes are filling and satisfying whatever you enjoy them with. Try in Chilli Cheesy Nachos!
Swede – 38 calories per 100g
Nutritious and packed with fibre, swede is in season right now and makes a great addition to casseroles, stews and pies. Try in our Layered Potato and Swede Gratin!
Cucumber – 45 calories per 100g
We love cooling and refreshing cucumber, whether it’s sliced and tossed in a salad or chopped into sticks to be dipped in Hummus for a light lunch.
Romaine Lettuce Hearts – 17 calories per 100g
Enjoy them chopped into salads or on the side of a main dish, or you can use in place of wraps in sandwiches. Top with Pork Carnitas with Pineapple and Mango Salsa for a tasty way to use this low calorie lettuce.
**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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