Your Slimming Essentials – The Weekly Pinch of Shopping 20.05
Whether the sun’s shining or not, our Weekly Pinch of Shopping is here to brighten up your week – just wait until you see this list!
We’ve been keeping our eye out for BBQ-inspired goodies, and we found a couple of treats in the frozen aisles this week. Who else is dying to try out Pigs in Blankets Kebabs? It sounds like it shouldn’t work, but it’ll steal the show once the streaky bacon starts crisping up on your grill…
Plus, your favourite fruity drink now comes in a brand new ice lolly form! Who’s excited for seriously juicy, ice cream-filled J2O lollies? (We can all agree orange is the BEST flavour…right?).
Speaking of doing your weekly shopping, we’re so excited that our brand new food planner is out in just 1 MONTH’S TIME! 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 still be one of the first to grab one by pre-ordering a copy for the 23rd of June 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. 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!**
Crunchy & Fragrant Sweet Chilli Chicken Noodle Salad – 288 calories per pack
We’re kicking things off with a Crunchy & Fragrant Sweet Chilli Chicken Noodle Salad from Asda. There’s no faffing around at lunch time with this chilled noodle pot; simply peel back the lid and enjoy the mix of sweet chilli seasoned chicken, noodles and salad vegetables. It’s high in filling protein with a satisfying kick to it, so you’ll be less tempted to reach for the snack drawer as the afternoon goes on – just what you want from a midday boost!
If you can’t get enough of sweet chilli chicken flavours, you’ll have to rustle up a batch of our Sticky Chilli Chicken with Noodles for your next family Fakeaway night. Our homemade sweet chilli marinade is sweet, hot and sticky all at once, for far fewer calories than the version you get from the takeaway. This recipe is also jam-packed with veggies, but we bet even fussy eaters will still clear their plates!
Crunchy & Fragrant Sweet Chilli Chicken Noodle Salad is available from Asda, priced at £1.75.
Walkers Sensations Baked Cheese & Honey Sharing Crisps – 143 calories per 30g serving
In honour of The Queen’s upcoming Platinum Jubilee celebrations, Walkers have released a number of limited edition flavours to their Sensations range. We’ve added Baked Cheese & Honey to our shopping list, but you can also pick up Spit-roast Pork & Apple Sauce or Thai Sweet Chilli flavours. Where there’s crisps, we think there should be dips. Pop your crisps into a sharing bowl and let the whole family choose between sweet chilli or hummus (we’ve got slimming-friendly recipes for both!).
Next to your crisp selection, you’re going to need a sweet showstopper on your Jubilee party spread. We can’t think of a more impressive dessert-time winner than our low-calorie Raspberry and Blueberry Cheesecake. Ideal for special occasions year round, it’s especially appropriate for the Jubilee with a creamy white base, blueberries and raspberries – it will fit in so well with the colours on your Union Jack bunting!
Walkers Sensations Baked Cheese & Honey Sharing Crisps are available from Iceland, priced at £1.25 for a 150g sharing bag.
Kopparberg Cocktail Collection Expertly Mixed Strawberry Cosmo – 53 calories per 100ml
We’re raising a glass to this Expertly Mixed Strawberry Cosmo from Kopparberg’s Cocktail Collection. This refreshing, sparkling tipple comes bursting with sweet strawberry flavours, balanced out with tangy lime and cranberry gin. It’s perfect to take out and about with you for your next picnic in the sunshine with friends, or pour it straight into a martini glass and garnish with a lime wedge – Carrie Bradshaw, eat your heart out!
We can’t resist a fizzy gin cocktail when the sun’s shining. Our Elderflower Gin Fizz recipe is light, summery and only 84 calories per glassful! Why not prepare a jug (or two!) ready for your next family gathering in the garden? Any excuse to crack out the cocktail umbrellas…
Kopparberg Cocktail Collection Expertly Mixed Strawberry Cosmo is available from Asda, priced at £2.00 for a 250ml can.
ASDA Chipotle Flamebaked Folded Flatbreads – 203 calories per flatbread
These Chipotle Flamebaked Folded Flatbreads from ASDA come pre-seasoned with fiery chipotle flavours, so all you have to do is grill them and choose a tasty, satisfying filling. Each grilled flatbread comes in at 203 calories, leaving plenty of room in your calorie budget to experiment with what’s best in the middle. Cooked up a Chilli Con Carne this week? Give your leftovers a new lease of life as a flatbread filling – even better with a dollop of cooling sour cream!
Looking for a more veggie-friendly filling? Try out our aromatic Coronation Chickpeas. Perfect to freshen up your BBQ spread, these protein-packed peas have all the fruity yet rich flavours you’d expect from a coronation dish. Serve them inside a flatbread, over crackers or put out a big bowlful guests can scoop onto their plate with salad.
ASDA 4 Chipotle Flamebaked Folded Flatbreads are available from Asda, priced at £1.10 for a pack of 4.
Morrisons Piri Piri Cauliflower Wings – 63 calories per serving
A treat that’ll keep any vegetarians in the family happy, these Piri Piri Cauliflower Wings are the perfect addition to your picnic table. Cook up the parsley and chilli seasoned florets in the oven for around 30 minutes, until they’re ready for a generous glaze of mildly-spiced Piri Piri dressing. The tangy Piri Piri spices would go so well with a zesty side salad like our Very Green Zingy Kale Salad.
It’s no secret that we love Cauliflower Hot Wings, that’s why we had to create our own slimming-friendly version (for air fryers and ovens!). A great veggie snack for when you’re feeling a bit peckish, we’ve made our crunchy, crispy florets with a cooling yoghurt dip to the side, so the heat is always just right!
Morrisons Piri Piri Cauliflower Wings are available from Morrisons, priced at £1.75.
Waitrose Summer Chicken Souvlaki Meatballs – 145 calories per 1/2 pack
Longing to get on a plane as soon as possible? These Chicken Souvlaki Meatballs from Waitrose are great company in the meantime, since they’re bursting with Mediterranean holiday flavours! Made with charred chicken blended with a fragrant mint, lemon and oregano seasoning, you can eat these satisfyingly crunchy bites after 14 minutes in the oven, or skip the waiting around and pop them in the microwave for 2 minutes. As soon as we hear the ‘ping!’, we’re bringing out the Tzatziki!
Whether you pop it on the BBQ grill or bake it in the oven, this juicy, Greek-inspired Chicken Souvlaki and Tzatziki recipe will always go down a treat. Make sure to coat your chicken breasts with the homemade Souvlaki seasoning up to an hour before you’re ready to cook – this will give the flavours plenty of time to mingle. All that’s left to do is serve your chicken skewered with a vibrant Greek-style side salad – yes, please!
Waitrose Summer Chicken Souvlaki Meatballs are available from Waitrose, priced at £2.50 for a pack of 8.
Heura Chorizo Burger – 162 calories per 100g
Why not change up your BBQ menu by swapping out beef burgers for Heura Chorizo Burgers? These 100% plant-based ‘chorizo’ patties give you all the chorizo taste in burger form, for just 162 calories per serving. High in protein, iron and vitamins, they’re also a source of fibre and completely gluten free. Whether you’re looking to eat a little less meat or just open to trying something new, we think these are well worth popping on the grill!
Our Turkey Burgers are another tasty, light alternative to beef if you fancy a change. We’ve put a unique spin on our recipe by using oven-baked aubergine to bind our meaty mixture. It might not sound like it works but, trust us, it’s divine!
Heura Chorizo Burger is available from Ocado, priced at £3.50 for a pack of 2.
Poppets® 10 Salted Caramel Milk Choc Coated Ice Cream Bites – 37 calories per bite
Who can say no to caramel-flavoured ice cream with a chocolate coating? Not us! We had to bag these Salted Caramel Milk Choc Coated Ice Cream Bites from Poppets that we spotted in Iceland. They’re great to have in the freezer as a quick and easy frozen nibble that’ll curb your sweet cravings. At 37 calories per bite, it’s almost impossible to not pop back to the kitchen for a second (or third) helping!
With a short list of ingredients, a 10 minute no-bake method, and crispy, low calorie results, our Salted Caramel Rice Krispie Bars are a salted caramel dream. It’s the perfect recipe to make as a family with the kids, since there’s no need to worry about keeping little hands away from a hot hob or oven. By using melted, sugar-free chewy caramels in place of caramel, they come in nice and light at just 115 calories per bar too!
Poppets 10 Salted Caramel Milk Choc Coated Ice Cream Bites are available from Iceland, priced at £2.00 for a pack of 10.
J2O Orange & Passion Fruit Iced Lollies – 102 calories per lolly
Is it even British spring/summertime without a J2O in sight? Everyone’s favourite soft drink option at the pub just became a frozen treat thanks to Iceland, with these J2O Orange & Passion Fruit Iced Lollies. For only 102 calories per lolly, you can enjoy J2O-inspired fruit-blended ice cream in an orange and passion fruit coating. How’s that for refreshment?
For grown-ups only, our Pimms Lolly Ice recipe is another freezer-friendly wonder that makes the most of an iconic summer tipple. With fresh cucumber, strawberries, lemon, mint and tangy ginger ale in the mix, the flavours alone are enough of an excuse to fold out the deck chairs. You’ll definitely want to have a stash ready to go in the freezer for when the sun makes a surprise appearance – lucky our recipe keeps in an airtight container for up to 3 months!
J2O Orange & Passion Fruit Iced Lollies are available from Iceland, priced at £2.50 for a pack of 3.
Ultimate Pigs in Blankets Kebab – 241 calories per 1/3 pack
How epic is this Ultimate Pigs in Blankets Kebab from Iceland? We can just imagine this one being a showstopper at any BBQ spread! The skewered pork chipolatas come wrapped in a smoked streaky bacon that crisps up nicely on the grill – just make sure you keep turning them for the best results! While you might be used to Pigs in Blankets and gravy on a roast dinner, we think these ones definitely call for a generous drizzle of barbecue sauce.
Love kebabs? We’ve got a full list of slimming-friendly kebab recipes you can feast your eyes on here.
Everyone loves a gooey, cheesy middle, so we think our Halloumi in Blankets recipe is just as good as any meat version. We’ve wrapped our savoury halloumi fingers up nice and tight in a light courgette blanket with a sprinkling of smoked paprika, so they’re bursting with melty, fiery flavour as soon as they’re roasted. We’ll take two, please!
Ultimate Pigs in Blankets Kebab is available from Iceland, priced at £3.85.
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:
Jazz Apples – 56 calories per 100g
Jazz Apples are a crunchier alternative to sweet varieties like Gala or Pink Lady. The sweet-sharp flavours are just the ticket for when you’re in need of a satisfying, crunchy treat, or they’ll break down nicely baked up in a sweet pie or crumble.
If you love apple pie and porridge, you need to give our Apple Pie Porridge a whirl! Don’t be fooled by the autumnal nutmeg and cinnamon flavours, this recipe’s just as tasty no matter what time of year it is.
Loose Mango – 60 calories per 100g
Mango is full of good stuff that helps your body day-to-day. Packed with high levels of magnesium and potassium, they also regulate digestion too. We wouldn’t recommend eating the skin, but you can do if you want to absorb every last nutrient!
As soon as we pick up a mango, we know we have to make our Turkey and Mango Curry recipe. The perfect choice for a tropical Friday night Fakeaway, the chopped mango chunks add an exotic twist to this punchy, yet creamy, dish…
Avocado – 160 calories per 100g
There’s a good reason avocado is considered a superfood; their fleshy green fillings are packed with nutrients, vitamins and minerals. With a creamy, mashed texture and mild flavour, they make a tasty toast spread that beats butter by a landslide!
Avocado is a key ingredient for our zesty, Mexican-inspired Burrito Burger salsa. We’ve piled our burgers high to make sure they’re bursting with cheesy, fiery flavour – they’re messy, but they’re so worth it!
Bananas – 89 calories per 100g
Low in calories and packed with potassium, bananas are one of the healthiest snacks out there – not to mention one of the easiest, just peel and you’re away! Enjoy this versatile fruit in a sweet pudding, or sliced to top your morning porridge.
If time is short in the morning, why not whip up a batch of these Banana and Peanut Muffins on a weekend? They’re perfect for popping in your bag on your way out the door and each one is just 53 calories!
Satsumas – 41 calories per 100g
Bright, orange and flavourful, it’s hard to miss satsumas in the fruit aisle. Rich in vitamin C and low in calories, they’re good to have on hand for a sweet, citrusy boost.
We love zesty orange flavours, so Chocolate Orange Baked Oats is always a winner in our house. Don’t worry if you don’t have a sweet tooth in the morning! This warming oat dish is just as fluffy, filling and satisfying if you save it for dessert.
Sweet Pears – 58 calories per 100g
Sweet, juicy and good for you, there’s really no reason not to snack on a pear when you’ve got a mid-afternoon hankering. If you end up with a few too many, you can always chop and freeze them for a snack you can grab in a flash on another day.
It wouldn’t be right to talk about pears without mentioning Pear and Ginger Crumble. We can’t say no to a warm, fruity filling with a crumbly sweet topping – especially when it’s topped with a glug of Custard…
**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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