Your Slimming Essentials – The Weekly Pinch of Shopping 14.07.23
Happy Friday everyone! It’s time to start planning next week’s meals, and the Weekly Pinch of Shopping is here to help. We’ve got breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks covered with this week’s slimming-friendly finds!
Good news if you’re the kind of person who wakes up dreaming about chocolate (just like we do…). We’ve found a new chocolate and marshmallow cereal, and it’s just 115 calories per serving!
Plus, if you’re trying to feed your family for less, we’ve spotted some pocket-friendly fish fingers at Tesco that’ll come in handy for quick meals during the summer holidays. Scroll down to see which recipe from our new cookbook Pinch of Nom: Budget we think they’re perfect for!
Psst…while we’re talking about Budget, has your copy arrived yet? We’re absolutely loving seeing everybody’s photos and posts. Don’t forget to tag us when you’re sharing them, we don’t want to miss a single one!
From Meatball Mash Bake to Veggie Quesadillas, there is something for everyone in our first-ever paperback cookbook (if you’ve not got yours yet, you can order here!).
You’ll get 50 brand-new recipes and 25 fan-favourites dishes that cut down on costs, without compromising on the Nom flavours you know and love.
Split into two chapters, dinners and desserts, ‘Budget’ is all about turning affordable ingredients and store cupboard staples into food that the whole family will love.
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!
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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!**
Dessert Menu Mini Pancakes – 165 calories per 6 pancake bites
Breakfast, dessert or snack? The fact is, there’s never a bad time to nibble on a handful of these Mini Pancakes from Aldi.
With only 165 calories per 6 fluffy pancake bites, you can eat them hot or cold, on their own or with fruit, cream or your favourite low-calorie syrup drizzled on top. To heat them up, simply pop them in the microwave for a few seconds before serving!
If you’re looking for a simple pancake recipe that you can rely on in the mornings, our slimming-friendly Oat Pancakes are exactly what you need in your life. Perfect with any toppings, they only need 5 ingredients and take just 15 minutes to whip up.
Dessert Menu Mini Pancakes are available from Aldi, priced at £1.99 for a 250g pack.
Whitby Seafoods Tempura Battered King Prawns – 228 calories per 100g
These Whitby Seafoods Tempura Battered King Prawns are great for an easy lunch that’s tasty and low in calories. Each juicy prawn is coated in a crispy-yet-light tempura batter, ready to be air-fried or oven-baked until they’re piping hot.
Perfect for a fakeaway night, you could even serve these as a small starter before the main event. Why not dish them up with some of our Sweet Chilli Sauce as a delicious dip?
For just 13 calories, it’s sweet, sticky and just the right amount of spicy. We think it’s always worth making a decent sized batch – it’ll keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for a week or so.
Whitby Seafoods Tempura Battered King Prawns are available from Sainsbury’s, priced at £3.25 (or £2.75 with a Nectar card).
Tesco Fire Pit Cola Ketchup – 17 calories per 15ml
If you like to have a well-stocked selection of condiments on offer, swing by Tesco this week and grab yourself some Fire Pit Cola Ketchup. A twist on the traditional tomato-based recipe, this cola-flavoured sauce is perfect for barbecues and buffets.
It might sound like an unusual combination, but cola and meats make for a tasty pairing. If you haven’t tried our Diet Coke/Pepsi Max Chicken yet, you’re in for a treat.
Pouring in a good glug of the fizzy drink transforms the sauce, thickening it until it tastes similar to a sweet and sour dish that you might order from the takeaway (but our version has far fewer calories!).
Tesco Fire Pit Cola Ketchup is available from Tesco, priced at £1.60.
Waitrose Summer Honey & Mustard Cocktail Sausages – 47 calories per sausage
You can’t have a picnic without a cocktail sausage, and these ones come with a taste bud-tingling honey and mustard seasoning. Part of Waitrose’s summer range, the ready-cooked sausages are made from British-bred pork, blended with blossom honey, wholegrain and English mustards.
For 47 calories each, they’re a delightful little nibble that you can enjoy hot or cold, whatever the weather.
Honey and mustard is a tried and tested flavour combination that never fails. We’ve paired them up to make sure our one-pot Honey and Mustard Chicken is both super tasty and easy to prepare.
Waitrose Summer Honey & Mustard Cocktail Sausages are available from Waitrose, priced at £3.50.
Higgidy Roasted Tomato & Basil Quiche – 253 calories per 1/4 quiche
When it gets to lunchtime and you’re not quite sure what you fancy, you can’t go wrong with quiche. Served with a side salad or a handful of chips, this Higgidy Roasted Tomato and Basil Quiche takes things up a notch or two.
We’re talking a seeded spelt shortcrust pastry case, with a basil and Cheddar cheese, free range egg filling and a topping of sweet roasted tomatoes. You can eat this cold, straight from the pack, although it tastes best after 18 minutes in the oven!
It’s a tough call, but we reckon our Ploughman’s Quiche just might be the ultimate lunch recipe. It’s all the best bits of a Ploughman’s lunch, served up in a sliceable, crustless, easy-to-make quiche that’s just 195 calories per portion.
Higgidy Roasted Tomato & Basil Quiche is available from Ocado, priced at £4.85.
Beyond Meat Chilli & Coriander Rice – 433 calories per pack
For those days when you need something fuss-free and meat-free, you’ll always be pleased to find this Beyond Meat ready meal stashed in your freezer. The plant-based Chilli and Coriander Rice is a tasty, balanced, vegan meal that you can have on the table faster than you can order a delivery on your phone.
It can be cooked in the oven or microwave, and it’s perfectly portioned for one person. The whole meal comes in at a slimming-friendly 433 calories too – so it won’t take you off track if you’re watching what you eat.
Next time you plan a meat-free Monday, why not try these Mini Tofu Kievs? Trust us, you don’t want to miss the melty garlic and parsley filling that’s hidden away in the middle of each golden, breadcrumbed parcel.
Beyond Meat Chilli & Coriander Rice is available from Tesco, priced at £3.00 per pack.
Skinny Crunch Choco Hoops & Mallows – 115 calories per 30g serving
Sometimes you want chocolate for breakfast, and that’s totally okay! Thanks to this new Skinny Crunch Choco Hoops and Mallows cereal, you can start your day with all the chocolatey flavour you’re craving, and still stay within your slimming plan.
Each vitamin and calcium-fortified serving works out at just 115 calories – so you can add your milk of choice and start crunching on the mixture of chocolate hoops and fluffy marshmallows (don’t forget to slurp up the chocolate milk when you’re done!).
If that’s not enough to satisfy your sweet tooth, we guarantee our Chocolate French Toast will do the trick. Nothing compares to the melted, gooey, nutty chocolate centre…
Skinny Crunch Choco Hoops & Mallows is available from Asda, priced at £2.50 for a 320g pack.
Plant Menu Salt & Chilli No Chicken Skewers – 87 calories per 40g serving
Anytime we see a new salt and pepper-flavoured product, it goes straight in our basket! It’s no wonder these Plant Menu Salt and Chilli No Chicken Skewers caught our eye this week – each plant-based skewer is coated in fresh red chilli, with a salt and pepper seasoning.
High in protein and completely meat-free, these are ideal for easy summer dinners. Super versatile, serve them with rice, chips, salad, in a wrap or on a flatbread.
Are you salt and pepper obsessed like us? You need to give our Salt and Pepper Chips a go. They honestly couldn’t be easier (or more delicious), and they’re cheaper and lower in calories than the ones you’d get from the chippy.
Plant Menu Salt & Chilli No Chicken Skewers are available from Aldi, priced at £1.99 for a pack of 6.
Hearty Food Co Fish Fingers – 160 calories per 3 fish fingers
There’s no escaping the ever-rising supermarket prices at the moment, but we’ve always got an eye out for any handy bits that might help you save a few pennies on your next big shop. These Hearty Food Co Fish Fingers from Tesco come in at a pocket-friendly 80p for a pack of 10, which is a whole £2.20 cheaper than the branded version (and 50p cheaper than Tesco’s own range).
There’s nothing fancy about the white fish and crunchy breadcrumbs, but we’re betting they’ll taste just as good inside a fish finger sandwich or our budget-friendly Fish Finger Pie. One of our thriftiest recipes, we’ve included it in our brand-new cookbook Pinch of Nom: Budget. It’s out now, and full to the brim with tasty low-cost recipes. Grab a copy here if you haven’t already!
Hearty Food Co Fish Fingers are available from Tesco, priced at 80p for a pack of 10.
LiQ Malibu Ice Pralines – 49 calories per praline
An after-dinner treat that’s only for the grown-ups, make some room in your freezer for these LiQ Malibu Ice Pralines. They’re a piña colada lover’s dream, with a Malibu-infused coconut ice cream and pineapple rum centre, encased in a white chocolate shell.
Each boozy bite is only 49 calories, so we wouldn’t blame you if you nipped back to the freezer for a sneaky second helping! If Malibu isn’t your cup of tea, keep an eye out for the Bailey’s version in the same range.
If you like Piña Coladas (and saving a few calories) don’t miss our slimming-friendly recipe. The slushy-like drink is made for sunny days – and you can even turn it into ice lollies if you prefer!
LiQ Malibu Ice Pralines are available from Ocado, priced at £4.50 for a pack of 7 pralines.
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. As an added extra this week, Aldi have included Little Gem lettuce in the Super 6, making it a Super 7! In partnership with the Teenage Cancer Trust, they’re donating 7p from every Little Gem purchase to the charity.
Here’s our reminder of this week’s Super 7 selection:
- Little Gem Lettuce – 16 calories per 100g
- Mango – 60 calories per 100g
- Baby Cucumbers – 14 calories per 100g
- Bananas – 89 calories per 100g
- Blueberries – 57 calories per 100g
- Vine Tomatoes – 17 calories per 100g
- Pink Lady Apples – 52 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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