Your Slimming Essentials – The Weekly Pinch of Shopping 11.02
Who’s ready for a brand new Weekly Pinch of Shopping? We’ve found plenty of slimming friendly bits and bobs to pop in your trolley this week, including a few items that will come in handy if you’re planning a romantic Valentine’s meal at home.
From a handy frozen pina colada cocktail mix to some indulgent-tasting chocolate pancakes, we’ve got date night covered!
Plus, if you’re looking for a sweet treat that’ll put a smile on your face, you’re going to want to head to Asda…BN biscuits are back! Scroll down to find out more…
Don’t forget to let us know if you’ve tried any of the recipes from Pinch of Nom Comfort Food! We’d LOVE to know which dishes are your favourites! If you haven’t picked up a copy yet, you can order yours right here.
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.
Speaking of doing your weekly shopping, did you know our Quick & Easy food planner includes handy pull-out shopping list pages? It’s ideal for planning your meals and organising what you need to buy (plus there are 26 exclusive recipes inside!).
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. There’s a fresh selection this week, so scroll down to find out what’s included, along with some ideas on how to make the most of the ingredients.
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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!**
Morrisons Plant Revolution Little Smokies Vegan Sausages – 58 calories per 2 sausages
Eating a plant-based diet doesn’t have to mean tucking into a plateful of plain veggies. These Morrisons Plant Revolution Little Smokies Vegan Sausages look just like any other cocktail sausage – but there’s no meat in sight!
Made with mushrooms, pinto beans and red peppers, these bite size sausages are spiced with chipotle, adding a mild kick of heat. Sizzle them in a pan or pop them under the grill and enjoy as a slimming friendly snack.
Fancy making your own meat free nibbles? Try these Vegan Sausage Rolls! You can use your favourite plant based sausages and a surprising ingredient that helps to make them slimming friendly – low calorie tortilla wraps.
Morrisons Plant Revolution Little Smokies Vegan Sausages are available from Morrisons, priced at £3.00.
Albert Bartlett Sweet Potato Mash – 110 calories per 1/2 pack
Planning a date night dinner for two? This Albert Bartlett Sweet Potato Mash is a tasty yet slimming friendly microwavable side dish that’s ready in minutes. Think how much time you’ll save with no peeling, chopping, boiling or mashing to do!
A romantic twist on standard mash, adding a spoonful of sweet potatoes onto the side of your dinner is a surefire way to step it up for a special occasion.
If you fancy squeezing even more goodness into your meal, how about adding extra veggies into your mash? Our Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Mash is a tasty twist, with a hint of garlic and a tempting rustic finish. This goes with everything!
Albert Bartlett Sweet Potato Mash is available from Asda, priced at £1.25.
Creative Cook Dirty Fries Seasoning – 37 calories per serving
We can’t talk about ways to spice up your potatoes without mentioning dirty fries! This Creative Cook Dirty Fries Seasoning is a handy pre-mixed blend of herbs and spices that adds instant flavour to your spuds.
Chop up some chips and sprinkle them with the seasoning before roasting them in the oven or tossing them in your air fryer. You can even switch it up by using sweet potatoes, or adding it to wedges or jacket potatoes.
If you want your fries even dirtier (in the best possible way!) then our Dirty Fries recipe is the one for you. Along with punchy Cajun seasoning, we’ve loaded our chips with bacon and cheese – we promise these are the best fries you’ll ever try!
Creative Cook Dirty Fries Seasoning is available from Sainsbury’s, priced at £1.00 per sachet.
ASDA Simply Cook from Frozen Battered Chip Shop Curry Flavour Fish Strips – 239 calories per 1/3 pack
Skip the chippy queue and grab these ASDA Simply Cook from Frozen Battered Chip Shop Curry Flavour Fish Strips from the freezer. They go straight into the oven and, in just 20 minutes, you’ll be tucking into flaky fish inside a crispy, chip shop curry flavoured coating.
Heat up a tin of mushy peas, add a few chips and you’ll have a dinner that rivals your favourite takeaway. You could even pop a few of the fish strips into a sandwich for an easy lunch that tastes more indulgent than it really is.
For an even lighter treat, why not make your own Fish Fingers? Deliciously simple, these come in at just 165 calories per serving. Crack out the ketchup and enjoy!
ASDA Simply Cook from Frozen Battered Chip Shop Curry Flavour Fish Strips are available from Asda, priced at £3.00 for a 450g bag.
Morrisons Nourish 2 Of Your 5 A Day Smoky Red Pepper Dip – 30 calories per 1/4 pot
When you fancy a light lunch or something healthy to nibble on, it’s hard to beat crunchy veggies dipped in a flavour-packed hummus. This Morrisons Nourish 2 Of Your 5 A Day Smoky Red Pepper Dip isn’t a traditional chickpea hummus, instead it’s a tasty blend of cannellini beans, roasted red peppers and smoky red chillies.
Fresh, fiery and full of goodness, this is a slimming friendly choice for a picky lunch or dinner. Try serving it with breadsticks, carrot sticks or pitta bread for dipping!
How about a hummus style dip that’s packed with flavour and chickpea protein? Our Chickpea Tikka Dip is ready in no time, and you can make it as spicy as you like! Ramp up the heat by adding some extra chilli flakes.
Morrisons Nourish 2 Of Your 5 A Day Smoky Red Pepper Dip is available from Morrisons, priced at £1.
Morrisons Pina Colada Mix – 93 calories per portion
Do you like pina coladas? Why not add a fruity twist to your Valentine’s (or Galentine’s) plans and whip up some coconutty cocktails? This Morrisons Pina Colada Mix makes it super easy to blend up an ice cold, creamy cocktail.
The frozen mixture includes coconut milk, pineapple and banana, so you can choose whether to add alcohol or not. Each serving comes in at 93 calories, which means you can pour in 150ml of low sugar pineapple juice and a shot of white rum to create a fruity drink for less than 200 calories.
For an even lighter tipple, this Elderflower Gin Fizz will add a little sparkle to the occasion. It’s just 84 calories per serving, so it’s perfect if you’re counting calories or following a diet plan like Weight Watchers.
Morrisons Pina Colada Mix is available from Morrisons, priced at £1.50 for a 350g bag.
ASDA Extra Special Mini Chocolate Cupcakes – 128 calories per cupcake
We can never say no to cake, which is why we were so excited to spot these ASDA Extra Special Mini Chocolate Cupcakes on the shelves this week. Perfect for portion control, each bite sized sponge cake is just 128 calories of chocolatey heaven!
You get a decadent chocolate filling inside a rich chocolate sponge, with even more chocolate on top – what’s not to love?
We can’t think of a better treat for chocolate lovers than our Chocolate Lava Mug Cakes. You’ll adore the irresistible gooey middles – we love ours topped with fresh raspberries!
ASDA Extra Special Mini Chocolate Cupcakes are available from Asda, priced at £2.00 for a pack of 9.
Sainsbury’s Taste The Difference Lamb & Mint Gravy Granules – 16 calories per 50ml (prepared)
Whether you’re cooking a romantic meal for two or treating the whole family to a lovely lamb roast this weekend, these Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Lamb & Mint Gravy Granules are a great addition to your shopping list.
Infused with mint, this gravy is the perfect partner for lamb – and it’s ready in an instant. Just add some boiling water for a rich, minty sauce that’s only 16 calories per serving.
Lamb and mint were made to go together, and we can’t get enough of this delicious flavour combo. This Minted Lamb Kebabs recipe is one of our midweek favourites, served with some fluffy boiled rice and a green salad.
Sainsbury’s Taste The Difference Lamb & Mint Gravy Granules are available from Sainsbury’s, priced at £1.45.
Kingsmill Double Chocolate Pancakes – 75 calories per pancake
Breakfast in bed? Treat yourself to a chocolate-packed start to the day with these Kingsmill Double Chocolate Pancakes. If you don’t want to make your own batter from scratch, these are a quick, convenient option that you can heat up under the grill or even in the toaster!
Perfect for special occasions, each pancake is just 75 calories – we’d serve them topped with fresh strawberries and a swirl of low calorie aerosol cream.
If you’re making a slimming friendly breakfast for someone special, these Chocolate Waffles always have the ‘wow’ factor! They turn out crispy on the outside and so soft in the middle, and they taste far more indulgent than they really are!
Kingsmill Double Chocolate Pancakes are available from Tesco, priced at 90p for a pack of 6.
McVitie’s BN Chocolate Biscuits – 84 calories per biscuit
These McVitie’s BN Chocolate Biscuits are a blast from the past! Who else can remember the catchy BN BN song? We’re happy to see these light, crispy biscuits back on the shelves – you can pick up the chocolate flavour as well as the strawberry version in Asda right now.
Perfect with a cuppa, each smiley-faced biscuit is only 84 calories, so they’re a tasty yet slimming friendly mid-afternoon pick-me-up.
If you fancy testing out your baking skills and making your own chocolatey biscuits, why not give these Double Choc Chip Cookies a try? It’s so quick and easy to whip up a batch when that chocolate craving kicks in!
McVitie’s BN Chocolate Biscuits are available from Asda, priced at £1.00 for a pack of 16.
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 week’s NEW Super 6 selection:
Chestnut Mushrooms – 17 calories per 100g
An easy way to squeeze more veggies into your meal, a handful of mushrooms is perfect for adding extra flavour to your dishes. They’re super versatile and perfect for everything from stir-fries to pasta recipes.
We love mushrooms as a side dish! They take on other flavours really well, and they taste delicious mixed into garlicky or cheesy sauces. Try dishing up this Cheesy Mushroom Bake alongside your favourite chicken recipe.
Baking Potatoes – 63 calories per 100g
A jacket potato is a go-to lunch option when you’re trying to eat a little healthier. As long as you choose a slimming friendly filling like tuna or a homemade Coleslaw, these baking potatoes will keep you on track.
Pop one in the oven to get crispy on the outside and fluffy in the middle and then load it up with these Coronation Chickpeas for a satisfying, nutritious and healthy meal.
Cherry Tomatoes – 18 calories per 100g
Juicy and sweet, cherry tomatoes are delicious served hot or cold. Perfect for snacking, you can munch on them throughout the day, or slice them up and throw them into a crunchy, fresh salad.
We love them roasted in the oven – they get a lovely, deep flavour that tastes delicious with meat, fish, pasta and cheese. This Baked Feta and Tomatoes recipe is a celebration of rich flavours; sweet from the cherry tomatoes and salty from the Feta cheese.
White Grapes – 69 calories per 100g
When the craving for something sweet kicks in, we love to snack on grapes. They’re naturally sweet and so much better for you than processed snack bars. Pop some into a tupperware container and pack them up to keep those afternoon sugar cravings at bay!
Did you know you can also use grapes in salads? It might seem strange but it works so well! This fruity Chicken Waldorf Salad uses apples and grapes to create a light and refreshing dish that’s perfect for lunch.
Asparagus Tips – 25 calories per 100g
Low in calories and full of nutrients, asparagus is a super versatile veggie that adds flavour and crunch to your meals. It has a subtle taste and can be cooked in a variety of ways – steam it, grill it or roast it to bring out the nutty flavour.
We love it in this Cajun Baked Cod with Asparagus and Cherry Tomatoes recipe. You bake the ingredients together in a foil parcel so all the flavours mix and mingle. It’s typically a light lunch or dinner, but we like to enjoy it with a jacket potato when it’s chilly outside.
Mango – 60 calories per 100g
Juicy and exotic, mangoes are more versatile than you might think. They’re great sliced and packed up for an on-the-go healthy snack, but you can also use them to make everything from salads to desserts.
You’ve probably never tried cooking mango, but it’s so delicious cooked into this Tropical Crumble. Serve with a scoop of ice cream or a good glug of custard for a truly irresistible pudding.
**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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