Your Slimming Essentials – The Weekly Pinch of Shopping 19.08
We’ve got that Friday feeling and we’re back to brighten up your week with a shiny new Weekly Pinch of Shopping! That’s right, we’ve scanned the supermarket shelves for the best slimming-friendly bits, so you can add them straight onto your list.
This week we were excited to spot lots of new flavours of one of our favourite low-calorie snack bars in Asda. Who likes the sound of a rocky road treat that’s just 70 calories?
Plus, we’ve spied a cheat’s curry sauce that’ll save you a trip to the chippy!
Speaking of doing your weekly shopping, we’re so excited that our brand new food planner is OUT NOW! The Pinch of Nom Family Meal Planner is our most family-friendly food planner yet – it’s ideal for planning your meals and organising what you need to buy (plus there are 26 exclusive new recipes inside!). You can order your copy here.
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.
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!**
Tesco Reduced Fat & Salt Unsmoked Bacon Medallions – 55 calories per 2 medallions
With 50% less fat and 25% less salt than traditional bacon rashers, these Reduced Fat & Salt Unsmoked Bacon Medallions from Tesco are a slimming-friendly dream. Cutting down on salt and fat doesn’t mean missing out on flavour – they taste delicious and are only 55 calories for 2 medallions.
How you eat them is up to you! Pop them into a sandwich thin for your weekend bacon butty, make a good old fashioned English breakfast (why not try it in your air fryer?) or chop them up and use them in all kinds of recipes, from pasta to salads.
We recommend wrapping them up in a low-calorie tortilla wrap with plenty of cheese to make these Bacon and Cheese Turnovers. They’re so simple but completely irresistible.
Tesco Reduced Fat & Salt Unsmoked Bacon Medallions are available from Tesco, priced at £3.60 for a pack of 10 medallions.
Hellmann’s Sauce Avocado & Lime – 35 calories per 15g serving
If you love a Mexican-themed fakeaway, you’re going to love this Hellmann’s Avocado & Lime Sauce that we spotted at Asda this week. Vegan and vegetarian-friendly, it can be used as a sauce, served as a dip, or squeezed onto tacos, wraps or sandwiches.
The freshness of avocado meets the zingy burst of lime, creating a creamy sauce that’s bursting with flavour. You’ll want to bring this out at barbecues, buffets and burger night!
If you like the sound of this sauce, we just know you’re going to be obsessed with our avocado salsa. You’ll find the recipe in this Cheesy Avocado Salsa Wedges dish. It’s well worth trying the full recipe – we can’t get enough of the crispy potatoes, melted cheese and fresh, punchy salsa.
Hellmann’s Sauce Avocado & Lime is available from Asda, priced at £1.50 for 250ml.
Profusion Gluten Free Chickpea Fusilli – 359 calories per 100g
Naturally gluten free, this Profusion Chickpea Fusilli is high in fibre and plant protein. Whether you’re cooking for someone on a gluten-free diet, or simply trying to up your protein intake, it’s a tasty, grain-free option.
Completely organic, this fusilli cooks in just 6-8 minutes – so there’s less temptation to reach for a ready meal or the takeaway menu. You can use it in absolutely any recipe that you’d make with traditional pasta; it’s every bit as satisfying and filling.
We think this fusilli would work really well in our Creamy Tomato Vodka Pasta. If you want to make this recipe gluten free, just be sure to swap the stock cubes for a suitable alternative, and check the label of your Worcestershire sauce.
Profusion Gluten Free Chickpea Fusilli is available from Morrisons, priced at £2.70 for a 250g pack.
Morrisons Nourish Chilli Chicken High Protein Noodle Pot – 282 calories per pot
This Morrisons Nourish Chilli Chicken High Protein Noodle Pot really caught our eye this week! We love a handy cupboard-friendly option for a quick lunch, and this instant pot of noodles is a great slimming-friendly choice.
As well as being just 282 calories for the whole pot, there’s a decent amount of protein in there too (15.3g) which will help to keep you feeling full until dinnertime. Ready in minutes, all you have to do is add some boiling water and enjoy! This chilli chicken flavour is a fairly spicy option, but we spotted a mild katsu curry flavour on the shelves too (and that one is just 264 calories!).
Speaking of spicy chicken noodles, we’ll be adding this Sticky Chilli Chicken with Noodles to our meal plan this week. It’s inspired by one of our favourite takeaway dishes, and our version has all of the flavour, for a fraction of the calories.
Morrisons Nourish Chilli Chicken High Protein Noodle Pot is available from Morrisons, priced at £1.00 per pot.
M&S Salted Caramel Mini Bites Ice Cream – 109 calories per bite
You might have tried mochi balls, but have you tried bites of ice cream wrapped in cookie dough? Thanks to M&S, now you can! These M&S Salted Caramel Mini Bites Ice Cream are sweet, salty, frozen bites of heaven.
The luxurious creamy centre is surrounded by a layer of cookie dough and finished with a dusting of oat-based cookie crumble. These taste like such a decadent little treat. Psst…did we mention they’re only 109 calories each?
Salted caramel is up there with our all-time favourite ice cream flavours, so we couldn’t resist using it in this Biscoff Cookie Milkshake. If you’re looking for a dreamy dessert that you can drink, look no further!
M&S Salted Caramel Mini Bites Ice Cream is available from Ocado, priced at £4.50 for a pack of 6.
McDonnells Curry Sauce – 89 calories per 100ml prepared
If It’s been a long week and the thought of a chippy tea is calling out to you, this McDonnells Curry Sauce is going to be a welcome addition to your shopping list. For those days when you’d rather make a healthier version at home, you can use this instant mix to give you the chip shop taste, without the calories.
Add some water and simmer it on the hob (or pop it in the microwave) until you’ve got a thick, smooth sauce that you can pour all over your chips, chicken or whatever else you fancy! At 89 calories for 100ml, you can’t go wrong.
You might not think a tin of mushy peas could be the key to chip shop curry flavour, but you need to trust us on this one. Give our Mushy Pea Curry a try and we promise you won’t regret it.
McDonnells Curry Sauce is available from Sainsbury’s, priced at £3.00 for a 250g tub.
Morrisons 50% Reduced Fat Black Pepper Soft Cheese – 45 calories per 30g serving
If you fancy a change from the usual, this 50% Reduced Fat Soft Cheese from Morrisons has a twist of Black Pepper. Whether you smear it onto a bagel thin, add it into a sandwich or use it in a recipe, it’ll add a lovely peppery flavour.
We love using light cream cheese to give lots of different dishes a creamy texture, without adding too many extra calories. At just 45 calories per 30g, this one is ideal if you’re counting calories or following a diet plan like Weight Watchers.
For anyone who enjoys that kick of black pepper, we created this Fakeaway Chicken in Black Pepper Sauce. It’s packed with veggies to help you get to your 5-a-day, and it’s delicious whether you serve it with noodles or a side of fluffy rice.
Morrisons 50% Reduced Fat Black Pepper Soft Cheese is available from Morrisons, priced at 99p for 200g.
Sharwood’s Stir Fry Hoisin Sauce – 49 calories per 1/2 pouch
It’s so much easier to stick to your meal plan when you can make a fakeaway at home in less time than the takeaway can deliver. As well as saving calories, you’ll save money too, thanks to this Sharwood’s Stir Fry Hoisin Sauce.
It has 30% less sugar than most other hoisin sauces, so you can make a lighter take on your favourite takeaway dish. Stir-fry whichever vegetables and meat you fancy, and mix in the sticky, rich, Chinese-inspired sauce.
If you’d rather know exactly what’s gone into your meal, you can make your own sauce by following the instructions in our Hoisin Chicken recipe. It’s super tasty and only 249 calories per serving!
Sharwood’s Stir Fry Hoisin Sauce is available from Morrisons, priced at 90p per sachet.
Skinny Dream Rocky Road Bars – 70 calories per bar
We get so excited when we find a new flavour of an old favourite snack! Who else has spotted all the new flavours of these Skinny Dream Bars? We’re putting these Rocky Road ones at the top of our shopping list, but there’s also new salted caramel, strawberries and cream, raspberry and white chocolate and chocolate fudge bars on the shelves at Asda.
For 70 calories per bar, we can’t think of a better way to satisfy your sweet tooth! The perfect mid-afternoon pick-me-up, all you have to do is pop the kettle on and get comfy with a cuppa.
Did you know that our popular Chocolate Brownies are just 59 calories each? One batch makes 16 fudgy squares of chocolate heaven – so that’s your snacks sorted for the week!
Skinny Dream Rocky Road Bars are available from Asda, priced at £1.00 for a pack of 5.
M&S Reduced Fat Salt & Vinegar Potato Squares – 86 calories per pack
Calling all savoury snackers! If you find yourself craving something crunchy and salty mid-afternoon, M&S have got you covered with these Reduced Fat Salt & Vinegar Potato Squares.
They’re a tasty way to indulge, without the calories! At 86 calories per bag, they’re lighter than a lot of similar crisps, and they’ll stop you feeling peckish until your next meal. We think they’re perfect for picnics and packed lunches!
Looking for the ultimate savoury snack? We’ve got 2 words for you: Pizza Swirls. They’re just as special as they sound, with a cheesy ham and tomato filling, rolled up in crisp puff pastry.
M&S Reduced Fat Salt & Vinegar Potato Squares are available from Ocado, priced at £1.50 for a pack of 6 individual bags.
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 week’s Super 6 selection:
- Green Beans – 31 calories per 100g
- Sweetcorn – 86 calories per 100g
- Courgettes – 17 calories per 100g
- Salad Tomatoes – 20 calories per 100g
- Mini Apples – 53 calories per 100g
- Plums – 46 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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