Your Slimming Essentials – The Weekly Pinch of Shopping 05.11
Remember, remember – it’s Friday the 5th of November! Our Bonfire Night edition of the Weekly Pinch of Shopping is here to bring you all the inspiration you need to put on a BANGING Bonfire Night buffet spread.
We’ve got spicy salt and pepper popsters and melty, Cathedral City cheese bites that’ll go down a treat. There’s even a tasty snack from Greggs that we think you’ll want to huddle around the bonfire with. Scroll to find out more…
We’ve also dropped in the details of the brand new Super 6. Every fortnight Aldi discounts a selection of fresh fruit and vegetables, so we’re giving you the rundown of this week’s selection.
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 new Quick & Easy 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!**
Stoats Apple & Cinnamon Porridge Bars – 219 calories per bar
Can you get more autumnal than apple and cinnamon flavours? Enjoy them as an on-the-go breakfast or a quick snack to tide you over throughout the day. At only 219 calories, these energy-boosting oat bars are also super filling – so they’ll stop you grazing on less healthy options.
Fancy a cinnamon-packed sweet treat with a warming cuppa? These Cinnamon Drizzle Squares are so easy to batch cook and serve at your pre-bonfire buffet. They’re a great way to curb cake cravings at only 67 calories per square. You can serve them as is or enjoy them as a cinnamon-drizzled dessert with a dollop of fat free yoghurt or ice cream.
Stoats Apple & Cinnamon Porridge Bars are available from Ocado, priced at £2.49 per pack.
HECK Spring Chicken Mince – 140 calories per serving
This high protein, low fat chicken mince from HECK will give you all the energy you need to stand in the cold with your sparkler. It’s a healthier alternative to fattier beef or pork in your favourite mince-based dishes, like burgers or meatballs.
The hints of spring onion, leek and ginger puree that come pre-mixed into the minced chicken will work really well in recipes like our Cheesy Fajita Orzotto.
This recipe is super popular over in our Facebook Group and it’s not hard to understand why. It’s quick, it’s creamy, and it’s packed with spicy fajita flavours that’ll warm you right up.
Dishing out portions of this on bonfire eve would be an easy, cheesy crowd-pleaser. Trust us!
HECK Spring Chicken Mince is available from Morrisons, priced at £2.00 per pack.
Tesco Chef’s Base – 46 calories per 1/4 pack
This Chef’s Base mixture from Tesco is a HUGE time-saver that will work with countless recipes. It’s got finely diced onion, carrots and celery ready to go – simply open up the bag and throw the pre-chopped veggies into the pan. Ideal! It freezes well too, so you don’t have to use up the whole bag in a hurry.
A lot of recipes come with an onion-y base by default; the carrots and celery in this mix will freshen up the flavours in your favourite saucy dishes.
You can save yourself some time prepping our Spaghetti Bolognese recipe by using pre-chopped veggies. We simmer the veg, herbs and mince together for roughly 30 minutes until it starts to look like the tomatoey, Italian-inspired pasta dish we all know and love. Don’t forget the cheese! Finish with a generous sprinkling of Parmesan.
Tesco Chef’s Base is available from Tesco, priced at £0.75 per pack.
Yeo Valley Organic Limited Edition Yoghurt – 97 calories per serving
It might not be Halloween anymore, but that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy toffee apple flavours. This special edition Apple & Caramel Yoghurt from Yeo Valley tastes like a tribute to seasonal flavours and cosy nights. The tart sweetness of apples pairs so nicely with the hints of sweet caramel. Why not enjoy a dollop with some fresh fruit, or spoon some onto the side of your favourite dessert?
You could even add an indulgent spoonful or two to our Toffee Apple Pies recipe. These are a warming sweet treat you can cuddle up to, so they’re ideal if you’ll be in your garden for a chilly bonfire celebration this weekend. They’re best served warm, while the caramel pastry topping is still crispy! If you don’t fancy pairing a warm dessert with cold yoghurt, try a warming glug of homemade Custard instead.
Yeo Valley Organic Limited Edition Yoghurt is available from Waitrose, priced at £1.55 per pot.
Cathedral City Mature Cheddar Cheese Bites – 86 calories per cheese bite
We can’t say no to cheese coated in breadcrumbs. These melt-in-the-middle cheese bites from Cathedral City are bound to be a popular addition to your buffet table. We love that there’s no fussing about. Bake them in the oven for 12 minutes until the filling is gooey and piping hot.
We love how well cheese complements fiery flavours, so we’d serve them up with a delicious dip like our Sweet Chilli Sauce. It’s probably quicker to prep our homemade condiment than it is to nip out for a shop bought version (yes, really!). When it’s ready and cooled, pour the sauce into an airtight jar and keep it in the fridge until you’re ready to dip!
Cathedral City Mature Cheddar Cheese Bites are available from Iceland, priced at £3.00 per pack.
Nescafe Gold Chocolate Caramelised Hazelnut Latte – 144 calories per serving
Is it even Bonfire Night if you’re not nursing a hot cuppa? These Nescafe Gold sachets are a quick and easy chocolatey, caramelised hazelnut fix to give you a mid-bonfire boost. They taste like you’re drinking a barista-prepared fresh coffee without spending coffee shop prices.
For an added 40 calories, you can enjoy a hot cup of creamy latte with one of our Double Choc Chip Cookies. They’re made from a well-balanced mixture of eggs, flour and low fat sweet ingredients (and plenty of chocolate chips!). These are so simple to make – why not prepare them in advance of your bonfire plans and store them in the freezer?
Nescafe Gold Chocolate Caramelised Hazelnut Latte 8 Pack is available at Tesco, priced at £1.69 per pack.
Salt and Pepper Chicken Popsters – 170 calories per 8 popsters
Who doesn’t love salt and pepper? It’s a much-loved Chinese-inspired flavour duo that makes an appearance on pretty much every takeaway order. You can have those flavours in small, chicken-y bites with these Salt and Pepper Chicken Popsters from Iceland. Bake them in the oven for 17 minutes and serve them up when they’re crispy and good to go.
If you want to bring even more salt and pepper inspired fiery flavours to your night, why not serve alongside our slimming friendly Salt and Pepper Chips? We created this Fakeaway side dish so we could enjoy ALL the flavour without the calories. We’re never shy with the chilli flakes in our spice mix, but you can hold back if you’re catering for fussy taste buds.
Salt and Pepper Chicken Popsters are available from Iceland, priced at £2.00 per pack.
Free’ist Sugar Free Marshmallows – 214 calories per serving
Hot chocolate, anyone? These tiny, sugar free marshmallows from Free’ist are a handy hot choc topping. Add a sprinkling on top of your cream for added ‘yum!’. Marshmallows are an iconic ‘enjoy by the fire’ treat, although these ones are a little too small to roast.
You could use them in our Marshmallow Bars recipe to make the stick, molten marshmallow sauce that binds the Cheerios together. When the cooled mixture is set and ready to be pulled from the fridge, use a knife to carefully cut the Cheerio-marshmallow bake into bite-sized bars. The kids will love them!
Free’ist Sugar Free Marshmallows are available from Ocado, priced at £1.40 per pack.
Let’s Party 12 Caramel Churros – 53 calories per churro
You really can’t go wrong with a warm churro and a sweet, indulgent dip. These churros from Aldi are incredibly moreish, with a sweet, caramel filling inside each one. Bake them in the oven and coat them using the sachet of cinnamon sugar to finish.
Our Churros recipe takes a more traditional, fluffy-on-the-inside, cinnamon coated form. They can be tricky to get right, so keep an eye on them in the oven until they’re risen and golden brown. Enjoy them all on their own or with a delicious chocolatey dip. They’re SO good!
Let’s Party Caramel Churros are available from Aldi, priced at £1.79 per pack.
Greggs 12 Mini Steak Rolls – 75 calories per roll
How about having your pre-bonfire buffet part-catered by Greggs? Yes, really! These Mini Steak Rolls from Iceland use the classic Greggs recipe for the meat-filled pastry treat we all know and love. Served in miniature form at 75 calories per roll, you can have them baked and on the table in 20 minutes.
Speaking of Greggs-at-home style party food classics, we have to mention everybody’s favourite – Sausage Rolls. Our version is a little different, using tortilla wraps instead of pastry for the crunchy exterior. We’ve kept them nice and light with an onion-y, herby, low fat pork filling. Your guests can enjoy them warm or cold, and dipped in ketchup!
Greggs 12 Mini Steak Rolls are available from Iceland, priced at £2.50 per pack.
NEW Aldi Super 6 Fruit and Veg Selection
We love Aldi’s Super 6 selection of fresh fruit and veggies. Each fortnight they choose six different items for a special offer where you can pick them up for much less than the normal price.
Here’s our rundown of this fortnight’s selection, plus a little inspiration for how you could use each ingredient:
Easy Peelers – 35 calories per 100g
Easy peelers are a great purchase because they’re packed with the immune system boosting, vitamin C goodness we all need at this time of year. We love fruit at breakfast time, and tangy citrus flavours are the perfect morning pick me up in our Chocolate Orange Waffles recipe. We’ve used a low sugar Chocolate Orange Choc Shot to get those zesty flavours into the waffle batter. When the waffles are fluffy and crisp, serve them up with a sprinkling of orange zest and some fresh orange segments.
Lemons – 29 calories per 100g
Another fruit that’s super high in vitamin C, lemons and their distinctive tangy flavour are especially delicious on colder days. They’re also the go-to fruit if you’re feeling a little under the weather. Why not use them to make yourself a weekend treat? Our Lemon Chicken recipe is a hot, comforting recipe that’s deliciously sweet with a bit of a kick. We use tangy sliced lemon, sweet, juicy pineapple and chilli flakes for the zesty sauce. It’s mouth-wateringly good.
Vine Tomatoes – 17 calories per 100g
Vine tomatoes are especially fresh as they’ve had a chance to ripen on the vine before being harvested. They’re perfect to use as a rich base for hearty soups and sauces. Why not use them to make a homemade, heart-warming classic? You can’t beat a bowl of Cream of Tomato Soup and Croutons on a chilly lunch break. Aside from nutritious tomatoes, our recipe uses lots of filling veggies including onion, celery and carrot. Don’t forget the crunchy, garlic croutons!
Green Beans – 31 calories per 100g
High in calcium and vitamin K, green beans are full of nutrients that help your bones stay strong and healthy. On cold, chilly evenings, you need something stodgy and tasty to keep you going. Why not use these tasty beans to add some green goodness to our Spicy Sausage Pasta recipe? With a combination of hot chilli flakes and tomatoey passata, this saucy dish is warming, filling and totally slimming friendly. Be sure to treat yourself with a cheesy sprinkling of Parmesan to finish!
Leeks – 61 calories per 100g
Leeks are onion-like root vegetables you might not often cook with. They’re really tasty in soups or broths because they can cook low and slow without losing their flavour or consistency. How about oven baked chicken, bacon and leeks in a creamy sauce topped with fluffy mashed potatoes? Yes, please! We’ve made this Chicken, Bacon and Leek Cottage Pie to be a little different from ordinary chicken pies by including bits of salty bacon. The leek bubbles away nicely in the rich, creamy sauce – it smells SO good!
Brussel Sprouts – 43 calories per 100g
The veg everyone loves to hate! Brussel sprouts might not be the most popular choice, but there’s no denying that they’re a source of green goodness. Packed with fibre, vitamins and minerals, they’ve got lots of good stuff to help fuel you through the wintery weather.
Even if you aren’t a huge fan of sprouts, you might appreciate them more when combined with sweet, smoky flavours like in our Balsamic Roasted Sprouts recipe. Bake them in the oven until they’re glossy and dark with a few crispy bits from the balsamic glaze – they’re the perfect accompaniment to your next roast dinner!
**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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