Your Slimming Essentials – The Weekly Pinch of Shopping 03.11.23
Can you believe it’s already time for the first Weekly Pinch of Shopping of NOVEMBER?!
The countdown is officially on…not for Christmas, but for December 7th when Pinch of Nom: Express FINALLY starts landing on your doorsteps! We absolutely cannot wait to see which fast-track recipes you all make first.
Don’t forget, there’s still time to pre-order your copy. We recently revealed 12 of the recipes you’ll find inside Express on our Instagram and Facebook pages – and the video’s down below too, just in case you missed it!
View this post on Instagram
Whether you’re planning a bonfire night buffet or thinking about getting ahead for the festive season, we’ve spotted lots of handy, freezer-friendly bites this week.
From melt-in-the-mouth steak to chocolate orange profiteroles, you’ll want to stock up on these frozen versions of your favourite restaurant-style meals. A fraction of the calories (and a fraction of the cost) of eating out, they’re ideal if you want to stay on track in the run-up to Christmas.
Plus, a British staple has been given an Indian-inspired twist, and we can’t wait to try it! Don’t miss the new limited edition Heinz Beanz on the list this week…
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!
Want to make sure you never miss a Weekly Pinch of Shopping? You can sign up to receive the Weekly Pinch of Shopping in your inbox here, so you’ll always be the first to read the new articles.
**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 Salt & Pepper Salmon Chunks – 58 calories per chunk
It’s never too soon to start the Christmas food shop! If you want to get prepared for party season, Tesco have already stocked the shelves with plenty of celebration-worthy snacks and nibbles.
These Salt and Pepper Salmon Chunks caught our eye this week – the freezer-friendly bites are just 58 calories each! Coated in a crisp salt and pepper crumb, they cook from frozen in just 15 minutes, and we guarantee they’ll go down a treat on your buffet table.
We’ll take any excuse to enjoy fiery salt and pepper flavours, so we’ll be adding these Air Fryer Salt and Pepper Chicken Burgers to our weekend menu. On the table in just over 20 minutes, they’re faster and far better for you than a trip to the takeaway!
Tesco Salt & Pepper Salmon Chunks are available from Tesco, priced at £3.50 for a pack of 10.
Tideford Organics Thai Green Vegetable Soup – 230 calories per pot
With 2 of your 5-a-day in each pot, this Tideford Organics Thai Green Vegetable Soup is just what you need on a chilly November day. The vegan-friendly broth is brimming with green vegetables, fragrant spices, lemon juice and a pinch of warming chilli.
At 230 calories for the full pot, this flavourful soup is ideal when you need an easy lunch on a busy day. Add a crusty wholemeal roll on the side to mop up every last drop!
Our Indian-inspired Mulligatawny Soup is another tasty winter warmer that you’ll want to add into your lunch rotation for the next few months. With basmati rice in the mix, it’s far more filling than you might expect (especially since it works out at just 188 calories per serving).
Tideford Organics Thai Green Vegetable Soup is available from Sainsbury’s, priced at £3.25 per pot.
Sainsbury’s Plant Pioneers Festive Chestnut Roast – 270 calories per 1/2 roast
This Sainsbury’s Plant Pioneers Festive Chestnut Roast is too good to save for your Christmas dinner. It’s made with chestnuts and mixed vegetables, and even includes a rich mushroom gravy to pour all over your next roast dinner.
Ideal if you’re hosting vegan or vegetarian guests this year, it takes less than an hour in the oven, and it’s just the ticket dished up with roasties and lots of fresh veggies.
Our Fondant Potatoes are an easy way to make any meal feel that little bit fancier (despite being effortless to make!). All you need are potatoes and stock, and when they’re ready they’ll be beautifully soft and golden.
Sainsbury’s Plant Pioneers Festive Chestnut Roast is available from Sainsbury’s, priced at £4.00.
Asda Extra Special Spiced Apple Crumble Cookies – 105 calories per cookie
Bonfire night is right around the corner, and the cosy flavour of these Extra Special Spiced Apple Crumble Cookies is exactly what the evening calls for. The perfect partner to a cup of tea (or a cheeky hot cider), each all-butter biscuit is chock-full of apple pieces, oats, raisins and cinnamon.
These seasonal biscuits will only be on the shelves until after Christmas, so you might want to stock up while you have the chance!
If you’re planning a bonfire night celebration, there’s no drink more fitting than our Firework Fizz cocktail. Made with fiery ginger beer and decorated with popping candy, each glass will warm you up for just 74 calories.
Asda Extra Special Spiced Apple Crumble Cookies are available from Asda, priced at £2.00 for a pack of 8.
J20 Mocktails Strawberry & Orange Blossom Mojito – 40 calories per can
For anyone who’d rather sip a mocktail than a cocktail, you won’t want to miss the new range from J2O. The fruity alcohol-free beverages include this Strawberry and Orange Blossom Mojito – and it’s only 40 calories per can.
We’ve also spied a Peach and Mango Daiquiri, as well as a Blackberry and Blueberry Martini. Who needs a real tipple when these sound so tasty?
If you fancy something to snack on while you’re sipping, these Fruit Swirl Cheesecake Squares are just the thing. Rippled with a juicy orange and raspberry puree, the fruity flavours are a match made in heaven.
J20 Mocktails Strawberry & Orange Blossom Mojito is available from Tesco, priced at £1.29 per can.
Iceland Luxury Slow Cooked Steak with Peppercorn Sauce – 288 calories per 1/2 pack
You don’t need to go out and pay a fortune for melt-in-the-mouth steak when you have this next item in your freezer. New at Iceland, this Luxury Slow Cooked Steak with Peppercorn Sauce will feel like eating restaurant food at home.
The feather blade beef steak is flavoured with red wine and rosemary, slow-cooked and ready to be reheated in the oven until it’s fall-off-the-fork tender. Pour over the creamy peppercorn sauce that’s included for the perfect finishing touch.
A spoonful of Creamy Mashed Potatoes and these Garlic Green Beans are all you need to turn this into a hearty dinner that rivals the fanciest menu. You’d never know you can use frozen green beans and have them ready in a matter of minutes!
Iceland Luxury Slow Cooked Steak with Peppercorn Sauce is available from Iceland, priced at £7.50.
Richmond Frozen Vegan Caramelised Onion Sausages – 112 calories per 2 sausages
Nothing gets the whole family around the table faster than the words ‘sausages for dinner’! Vegans, vegetarians and meat-eaters alike will enjoy the sweet and savoury taste of these new Richmond Frozen Vegan Caramelised Onion Sausages.
High in protein and low in calories, they’re a great swap if you’re trying to make your mealtimes more slimming friendly. Meat-free sausages can be used in almost any of our recipes instead of pork or chicken versions.
Why not give our popular Sausage Traybake recipe a vegetarian makeover? It’ll work just as well with these vegan sausages (but remember that if you want the recipe to be vegan-friendly you’ll need to switch out the honey too).
Richmond Frozen Vegan Caramelised Onion Sausages are available from Sainsbury’s, priced at £2.15 for a pack of 8 (or £1.75 with a Nectar card).
Mccoy’s Epic Eat Chip Shop Curry Sauce Crisps – 132 calories per pack
If you saw our recent blog article, you’ll already know we’re obsessed with recreating the flavours of our favourite fish and chip shop orders. If you also love a chippy tea, run (don’t walk) to Tesco for a bag of these Mccoy’s Epic Eat Chip Shop Curry Sauce Crisps.
As a snack they’re not too indulgent, at just 132 calories per pack. With a proper crunch and plenty of curry sauce flavouring, they’re definitely deserving of a spot in your next packed lunch.
If you fancy a taste of the real deal, pop our Chips and Curry Sauce on your meal plan. We guarantee no one would ever guess the creamy, mild curry sauce is an easy-to-make blend of affordable veggies!
Mccoy’s Epic Eat Chip Shop Curry Sauce Crisps are available from Tesco, priced at £2.25 for a bag containing 6 individual packs.
Asda Choc Orange Profiteroles – 73 calories per profiterole
Stop what you’re doing – we’ve found these Choc Orange Profiteroles at Asda and you need to go and grab a pack! The soft choux pastry balls are filled with cream, covered in zesty orange-infused chocolate and sprinkled with crunchy hazelnut pieces.
They taste as good as they look, and they’re not as decadent as you might expect. At 73 calories each, you could pop two or three into a bowl and add a scoop of your favourite low-calorie ice cream.
If you’d rather roll up your sleeves and have a go at your own version, our Chocolate Orange Profiteroles come in at an impressively slimming-friendly 54 calories a pop. They’re a little bit trickier to make, but practice makes perfect!
Asda Choc Orange Profiteroles are available from Asda, priced at £2.50 for a pack that serves 16.
Heinz Limited Edition Beanz Tikka Creamy – 197 calories per 1/2 can
A British favourite just got a limited edition Indian-inspired makeover! These Creamy Tikka Heinz Beanz are also available in Jalfrezi and Vindaloo flavours, so you can pick your preferred spice level.
Mashing together everyone’s favourite toast-topper with the fiery flavours of popular curries, these new baked beans won’t be around for long! Pop a couple of tins in the trolley next time you do the big shop, and save them to warm you up on a chilly day (we’re betting they’re gorgeous in a piping hot jacket spud!).
On the subject of tikka-inspired food, did you see the Tikka Masala Style Meatballs we added to our website the other day? A mouthwatering mash-up of different cuisines, you’ll want to spoon them over a bed of fluffy basmati rice.
Heinz Limited Edition Beanz Tikka Creamy are available from Asda, priced at £1.80 per tin.
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
- Unwaxed Lemons – 17 calories per 100g
- Garlic – 5 calories per clove
- Large Flat Mushrooms – 16 calories per 100g
- Mini Apples – 53 calories per 100g
- Leeks – 61 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!**
Love our Weekly Pinch of Shopping articles? Remember to sign up to our newsletter to get first access to the next one.
And if you’re not already part of our Facebook Group then make sure you join as we love seeing all of the new products that you share – not to mention all of the amazing support and motivation!