Your Slimming Essentials – The Weekly Pinch of Shopping 12.11
November is flying by! Can you believe there’s less than a month to go until our NEW cookbook is finally here?
In today’s Weekly Pinch of Shopping, we’ve rounded up some of the latest slimming friendly products that you can find on your supermarket shelves.
There’s no getting away from it…Christmas is getting closer, and this week we’ve found some sweet and savoury bits that are just the right amount of festive (considering it’s still November!).
Along with a seriously chocolatey treat that the chocoholics out there will adore, we’ve also found a flavour of popcorn that might just be Santa’s favourite! Are you ready to start stocking the cupboards for the festive season? Scroll down for inspiration…
We’ve also dropped in a reminder of this fortnight’s Super 6. Every fortnight Aldi discounts a selection of fresh fruit and vegetables, so we’re giving you the rundown of last 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!**
Love Your Veg! Thai Pea & Mint Soup – 169 calories per 1/2 pot
Soup season is fully underway and we’re extremely happy about it! Nothing warms us up faster than a bowlful of tasty, soupy goodness.
We love to make our own soups, but when time isn’t on your side, a pot of supermarket soup like this Love Your Veg! Thai Pea and Mint Soup from Sainsbury’s does the job nicely.
Half of the pot includes 2 of your 5 a day for just 169 calories. Winner! Made with peas, courgette, lemongrass and mint, this blend of green veggies delivers a punchy Thai-inspired flavour that makes a nice change to your usual vegetable broths.
You can heat it in the microwave or on the hob for a speedy, healthy and delicious lunch!
If you have enough time to make some soup from scratch, you can’t go wrong with a batch of this velvety White Onion Soup. It’s seriously creamy and comforting – just what you need in this chilly weather.
You can freeze it too, so you’ve always got a portion handy on busier days.
Love Your Veg! Thai Pea & Mint Soup is available from Sainsbury’s, priced at £2.00.
ASDA 30 Pigs In Blankets Flavour Battered Chicken Nuggets – 172 calories per 5 nuggets
If you’re ready for a little bit of festive flavour (without going full on Christmas) we’ve found a treat for you this week. These Pigs in Blankets Flavour Battered Chicken Nuggets will add a little bit of seasonal fun to your midweek meals.
Made with 100% chicken breast, these yummy nuggs are coated in a batter that’s flavoured to taste just like pigs in blankets! Crunchy on the outside, with juicy chicken in the centre, these little bites are just Christmassy enough to get you feeling that little bit festive.
And, at just 172 calories per 5 nuggets, you can enjoy a few cheeky nuggets without going off plan.
We’re big fans of nuggets over here, but if you fancy giving them a more grown up spin, how about trying these Chicken Goujons? Serve them with Coleslaw and some Homemade Oven Chips for a dinner the whole family will gobble up.
ASDA 30 Pigs In Blankets Flavour Battered Chicken Nuggets are available from the frozen section in Asda, priced at £2.00.
Tesco Asian Style Rice & Greens – 185 calories per bag
On busy days, being able to grab something from the freezer for dinner can be the difference between eating a healthy, home cooked meal and reaching for the takeaway menu.
These Tesco Asian Style Rice and Greens are super convenient, while still being tasty and nutritious.
You get long grain white rice and quinoa with mixed vegetables including edamame and broccoli, all in a punchy garlic, ginger and chilli seasoning.
Each individually packed serving cooks from frozen in less than 4 minutes, making it the perfect side dish or light lunch for days when time isn’t on your side.
Full of flavour and under 200 calories per serving, this is a time-saving freezer essential!
We think it’d be a delicious accompaniment to our Kung Po Pork recipe for a Fakeaway feast. It’s sweet, spicy and so much lighter than the version you’d get from the takeaway.
Tesco Asian Style Rice & Greens is available from the frozen section in Tesco, priced at £1.50 for a pack of 2 steam bags.
Let’s Party 12 Tempura King Prawns – 34 calories per prawn
If you’re already looking forward to Christmas parties and (more importantly) Christmas party food, why not kick off the festivities a little early with these Let’s Party Tempura King Prawns from Aldi?
At just 34 calories each, they’re a light snack to serve as a starter or at a buffet. Best of all, they cook from frozen in 15 minutes, so there’s no faffing and hardly any waiting around.
The tempura batter is crispy yet light, making these prawns perfect for dipping in a Sweet Chilli Sauce – who could resist?
Why not go all out with the tempura and add some of these Baked Vegetable Tempura with Spicy Dip to the spread? You can use pretty much any veggies that you like, and the spicy mayo dip is so irresistible!
These are a crowd-pleasing snack that’s sure to get your party started!
Let’s Party 12 Tempura King Prawns are available from the frozen section in Aldi, priced at £1.79 for a pack of 12.
Olly’s Pretzel Thins White Chocolate – 121 calories per 30g serving
Sweet and just that little bit salty, snacks don’t come much better than a crunchy pretzel. These Olly’s Pretzel Thins are covered in white chocolate, making them the ultimate sweet pretzel.
They’re super thin, giving them a snap that’s hard to beat and keeping them lower in calories than other similar snacks.
When your sweet tooth is calling out for something sugary, a handful of these are sure to take the edge off the craving. A 30g serving is just 121 calories, so they fit in perfectly whether you’re calorie counting or following one of the popular diet plans like Weight Watchers.
If you can’t resist white chocolate, our White Chocolate Mousse with Raspberry Coulis is a delicious slimming friendly dessert. With sharp, fruity raspberry to cut through the super sweetness of the white chocolate, the flavours are perfectly balanced!
Olly’s Pretzel Thins White Chocolate are available from Ocado, priced at £2.50 for a 90g bag.
Sainsbury’s Microground Gingerbread Latte Instant Coffee – 85 calories per serving
If you’ve popped into your favourite coffee shop this week you might have noticed that all the Christmas drinks are finally on the menu! While we love to treat ourselves to a festive frothy drink from time to time, they can be a little high in calories, with cream and sugary syrups added.
This Sainsbury’s Microground Gingerbread Latte Instant Coffee is a great way to get your Christmas-inspired hit of caffeine at home, saving on calories and pennies too!
It’s delicately spiced and so easy to make – simply add hot water and give it a good stir. The perfect mid-afternoon pick-me-up!
It’s no secret that we love a Pumpkin Spiced Latte at this time of year, so of course we had to come up with a slimming friendly version! Our recipe uses real pumpkin puree for an unbeatable flavour.
We can’t imagine a better drink to see us through to Christmas!
Sainsbury’s Microground Gingerbread Latte Instant Coffee is available from Sainsbury’s, priced at £2.00.
Quality Street Cool Mint Matchmakers Minis – 97 calories per serving
Cracking open the minty Matchmakers is a surefire way to get yourself into the festive spirit. They’re too good to save for Christmas though, and these Quality Street Cool Mint Matchmakers Minis are the perfect size to make for a slimming friendly sweet treat.
Just like the full size versions, these have little crunchy mint pieces inside a blend of milk and dark chocolate. These teeny versions are ideal if you’re watching what you eat – you can have a 20g serving for less than 100 calories.
Smooth chocolate and fresh mint…what more could you want for a cosy evening snack on a chilly night?
How about a grown-up drink to wash them down? This Firework Fizz cocktail is the perfect way to relax on the weekend. It’s made with rum, and a choice of ginger beer or ginger ale depending on how much heat you can handle!
Quality Street Cool Mint Matchmakers Minis are available from Iceland, priced at £1.00 for a 120g bag.
M&S Mushroom Pyramids – 138 calories per 4 pyramids
Whether for a light lunch or a flavour-packed starter, these M&S Mushroom Pyramids are a vegan-friendly choice. The delicate handmade wheat flour parcels have a shiitake and oyster mushroom filling, with hoisin, ginger and soy sauce.
They come frozen, and can be cooked in the microwave in less than 2 minutes – handy if you need a savoury snack in a hurry.
The Asian-inspired flavours are perfect for pairing with stir-fries, or serving as an appetiser before a Chinese-style main course.
Why not nibble on a few of these while you cook this Hoisin Chicken? It’s full of fresh ingredients and tastes just as nice as the takeaway, without all the calories.
You can throw it together in just half an hour – faster than having it delivered!
M&S Mushroom Pyramids are available from Ocado, priced at £5.00 for a 240g bag.
Morrisons Mince Pie Popcorn – 90 calories per 20g serving
If it still feels too soon to pick up that pack of mince pies that’ve been catching your eye, we’ve got the next best thing for you. This Morrisons Mince Pie Popcorn is just the right amount of festive – and it’s lighter than a real mince pie too!
Think crunchy popped corn, coated in a mince pie flavoured seasoning, all for 90 calories per serving.
Pop a film on this weekend, grab your bowl of popcorn and snack away! The flavour might be unusual but it’s perfect for the run up to the festive season.
Speaking of unusual combinations, how about a Mince Pie Cheese Toastie? Putting sweet, sticky mincemeat into your toastie might seem a bit weird, but we promise it’s delicious!
It’s really similar to putting a chutney with your cheese and it’s perfect for trying now, while the supermarket shelves are stocked with jars of mincemeat.
Morrisons Mince Pie Popcorn is available from Morrisons, priced at 90p for a 100g bag.
Doughlicious Dough Chi Chocolate Truffle – 99 calories per truffle
Mochi balls were all the rage this summer for anyone after a little frozen treat – and now we’ve found these Doughlicious Dough Chi Chocolate Truffles. Each little ball of chocolatey heaven is made up from a coating of dark chocolate cookie crumbs, a layer of cookie dough and a rich, frozen chocolate dessert centre.
The whole bitesize truffle is completely vegan and dairy free, but it’s so luxurious you’d never know. Chocoholics are going to be obsessed with these! You get an intense chocolate treat for just 99 calories per truffle.
Best of all, because they’re frozen, you can grab one at a time and make sure there’s always a few tucked away for chocolate emergencies.
If you’re looking for a seriously chocolatey treat you can make yourself, how about our Chocolate Mud Pie? It tastes incredibly indulgent, but there’s only 125 calories in each slice…really!
REMINDER 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 reminder of this fortnight’s Super 6 selection:
- Easy Peelers – 35 calories per 100g
- Lemons – 29 calories per 100g
- Vine Tomatoes – 17 calories per 100g
- Green Beans – 31 calories per 100g
- Leeks – 61 calories per 100g
- Brussel Sprouts – 43 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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