Your Slimming Essentials – The Weekly Pinch of Shopping 22.01
We’ve got lots of slimming essentials for you in this week’s Weekly Pinch of Shopping including some delicious cookies and cream bars that are less than 100 calories each! Perfect for a mid-morning or late afternoon snack.
There’s also some chipotle mayo that not only tastes amazing, but is suitable for vegans too, and some ginger chocolate bars that might seem naughty, but are actually really low on calories and can be enjoyed on a slimming friendly diet.
Plus, some money saving products like wonky carrots, as well as some fantastic ideas for lunch at home and some snacks that will help to curb your sweet tooth.
Make sure that you make a note of your favourite products so that you can pick them up with your weekly shopping. Our second 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.
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.
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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!**
Naked Glory No Beef Strips – 121 calories per serving
If you’re looking for a really tasty, meat-free alternative to beef, then these Naked Glory No Beef Strips are just the thing.
Made from non-GMO soya beans, these strips are flavoured with a beef flavoured marinade and are high in fibre and protein.
They’re also suitable for vegans and we think they’d make a great alternative to halloumi in our Bang Bang Noodles – remember to check that all of your other ingredients are vegan if you’re cooking for vegan diets!
You could also use them in one of our most popular website recipes, Crispy Chilli Beef – it’s so popular that we included it in our third cookbook too!
These Naked Glory No Beef Strips are available in Sainsbury’s, Morrisons and Waitrose for £2.75.
Hellmann’s Vegan Chipotle Mayonnaise – 98 calories per portion
This Hellmann’s Vegan Chipotle Mayonnaise means that, even if you’re following a vegan diet, you can still enjoy a bit of mayo on your sandwich.
Chipotle mayo might sound a little bit strange, but we promise that once you’ve tried it you’ll never go back to normal mayonnaise ever again!
The chipotle flavouring adds a really spicy kick which combines perfectly with the creamy mayonnaise and is perfect for adding to pretty much any dish from sandwiches and wraps, to salads or even as a dip.
Why not serve it alongside some of our Homemade Oven Chips, or in place of the spicy mayo with our Baked Vegetable Tempura with Spicy Dip?
If spicy food isn’t your thing, then this Hellmann’s Vegan Mayonnaise also comes in Garlic and Baconnaise flavours.
You can find this Hellmann’s Vegan Chipotle Mayonnaise (and the other flavours!) in most supermarkets for around £2 – although it’s currently on offer for £1.50 in many of them.
Count On Us Sour Cream and Chilli Lentil Curls – 86 calories per bag
Paula Spencer posted on our Facebook Group to let us know about these Count On Us Sour Cream and Chili Lentil Curls and they’re such a tasty, low calorie snack.
As these potato and lentil curls are baked and not fried, they’re slimming friendly and come in at just 86 calories per bag.
You’d never guess that they were so low on calories however, as the sour cream and chilli flavouring is so good!
We think they’re perfect when served for lunch alongside something like our Courgette Ribbon, Lemon and Feta Salad, or our Jewelled Giant Couscous.
You could also serve them alongside your favourite dip instead of vegetable crudites or breadsticks!
These Count On Us Sour Cream and Chilli Lentil Curls are available from Ocado or Marks and Spencer for £2 for a multipack of 5 bags.
Nutritious Delicious Peach Coconut Yoghurt – 92 calories per pot
Finding creamy, delicious yoghurt that’s purely plant based isn’t easy when you’re looking to cut down calories. Thankfully, this Nutritious Delicious Peach Coconut Yoghurt is so tasty, you won’t miss the milk version!
Made with rich coconut milk and chunks of juicy peaches, this yoghurt is a touch of indulgence at only 3% fat. It’s also free from artificial flavourings and preservatives and a great source of calcium.
Simply dollop over fresh fruit for a refreshing fruity breakfast, or use as the accompaniment alongside Syrupy Cinnamon Figs with Greek Yoghurt.
You can find 4-packs of Nutritious Delicious Peach Coconut Yoghurt in Morrisons and Tesco for £2.
Tesco Perfectly Imperfect Carrots – 41 calories per 100g
There’s not much to say about the humble carrot, but these Tesco Perfectly Imperfect Carrots 1.5Kg not only give you a substantial amount of carrots, they help to reduce food waste too!
These carrots don’t necessarily meet the strict appearance standards of the supermarkets, but they still taste just as good and we always feel better knowing we’re saving perfectly good food from being thrown away.
These carrots make excellent Carrot Orange and Thyme Soup or Carrot Cake Baked Oats.
Tesco Perfectly Imperfect Carrots 1.5Kg are available for 53p per bag.
Light & Free Cottage Cheese Grilled Vegetable & Thyme – 160 calories per pot
Cottage cheese is a true slimming essential that’s popular among slimmers and non-slimmers alike, for good reason!
This Light & Free Cottage Cheese Grilled Vegetable & Thyme contains a whopping 25g of protein in the pot and contains 30% fewer calories than typical cottage cheese.
It’s low in fat, filling and budget friendly, whether it’s for picnics or for keeping in the fridge when the snack cravings hit.
The subtle taste of grilled veggies gives this cottage cheese a Mediterranean feel, which is just what’s needed when it’s chilly outside!
Perfect for a speedy sandwich at lunchtime, or to top a handful of Mini Potato Bites.
We especially like cottage cheese blitzed up in a Quiche Lorraine: it adds a wonderful hint of cheese and this one would work well with leftover veggies thrown in too.
You can grab a pot of Light & Free Cottage Cheese Grilled Vegetable & Thyme from Morrisons and Tesco for around £1.50.
Border Dark Chocolate Ginger Chocolate Bars – 113 calories per bar
These Border Dark Chocolate Ginger Chocolate Bars are the perfect choice for a mid afternoon snack with a cuppa.
Suitable for vegetarians, these bars are a delicious combination of ginger and dark chocolate and are sure to take care of any sugar cravings without being packed full of loads of extra calories.
Although they’re the perfect snack, they’re also ideal for sprinkling on top of desserts like our Blackcurrant Mousse or Winter Berry Ice Cream.
And, if you love the flavour of ginger biscuits as much as we do then make sure that you give our Gingerbread Bites a go as well.
Why not try drizzling some dark chocolate across the top to make them super indulgent? (Just remember to adjust the calories accordingly!)
You can grab these Border Dark Chocolate Ginger Chocolate Bars from Sainsbury’s, Asda, Morrisons and Ocado for around £1.60 for a pack of 6.
Jellysqueeze Apple & Blackcurrant Flavour Jelly – 58 calories per pouch
We love the fruity flavour of this Jellysqueeze Apple & Blackcurrant Flavour Jelly, and at only 58 calories per pouch it’s a great choice for on-the-go snacking!
Made with real fruit juice and containing no added sugar, artificial sweeteners, preservatives or colours.
These portable pouches don’t need to be refrigerated, so you can keep one in your handbag or your desk drawer at work for those days when you can’t access fresh fruit easily!
They’re also suitable for vegetarians, vegans and those following a gluten free diet, so they’re handy to have available if you’re catering for different diets.
Serve as part of a fruity Trifle for an easy pud in a pinch!
Morrisons sell these Jellysqueeze Apple & Blackcurrant Flavour Jelly pouches for 60p each.
Mockingbird Raw Press Tropics & Oat Milk Virgin Smoothie – 77 calories per serving
Looking for a smoothie that’s low on calories and full of tons of good stuff? This Mockingbird Raw Press Tropics & Oat Milk Virgin Smoothie is cold pressed for taste and nutrition and only 77 calories per serving.
With no added sugar, each smoothie is part of a small batch and made with nothing more than fresh fruit, water and oats so you know exactly what you’re drinking.
This Mockingbird Raw Press Tropics & Oat Milk Virgin Smoothie is the perfect thing to enjoy at breakfast, or even as a quick pick-me-up mid-afternoon.
Try a glass with our Marmite Mushrooms on Toast or alongside a couple of our Coconut and Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies.
These Mockingbird Smoothies are also available in a few other flavours: Boost, Greens and Defence, so there really is something to suit every diet.
They’re currently available at the introductory price of £3 at Sainsbury’s for a limited time.
Fibre One 90 Calorie Cookies & Cream Drizzle Squares – 85 calories per bar
This isn’t the first time we’ve featured Fibre One on our list of slimming essentials, and these delicious, low calorie treats are another smash hit!
Fibre One 90 Calorie Cookies & Cream Drizzle Squares join chocolate brownies, lemon drizzle squares and more as the latest Fibre One cakes on the shelves.
With the unmistakable flavours of cookies and cream, these little sponge squares are so rich and indulgent, it’s hard to believe they’re only 85 calories each!
Deliciously satisfying, these squares are high in fibre to help keep your digestive system healthy. Try serving with a dollop of Custard for an extra touch of indulgence.
If you have a little more time, our Chocolate Brownies are SO easy to make with only a handful of ingredients!
We’ve spotted Fibre One 90 Calorie Cookies & Cream Drizzle Squares for sale at most supermarkets for around £2.89 per box of 3.
Aldi Super 6 Fruit and Veg Selection
We love Aldi’s selection of fresh fruit and veggies, and each fortnight they choose six of them for a special offer where you can pick them up for much less than the normal price.
Here’s a reminder of this week’s selection:
- Oranges – 47 calories per 100g
- Conference Pears – 64 calories per fruit
- Salad Potatoes – 87 calories per 100g
- Sweet Pointed Peppers – 44 calories per 100g
- Radish – 16 calories per 100g
- Lychees – 81 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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