Your Slimming Essentials – The Weekly Pinch of Shopping 22.04
Woop! It’s Friday and we’ve got a whole new Weekly Pinch of Shopping to celebrate. The Easter Bunny might have hopped away for another year, but that didn’t stop us from popping a NEW chocolate treat from Aero in the basket. The bubbles are tastier than ever…
Cinnamon buns aren’t your typical slimming breakfast, but Sainsbury’s have brought out a crunchy cereal that brings all those flavours to the table, without the calories of the pastry version. Just add milk!
Since the weather’s brightening up, we’ve shopped for some slimming-friendly tipple inspiration too. Strawberry daiquiri, anyone?
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.
Speaking of doing your weekly shopping, did you know we’ve got a brand new food planner coming soon? 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 pre-order a copy here.
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!**
FitBites Berries + Almonds Energy Protein Snack Ball – 99 calories per snack ball
We’re starting out this week’s list with a burst of berry flavours! FitBites Protein Snack Balls come in a variety of flavours, including orange and blueberry, but this berry and almond edition caught our eye! We love that the packaging takes ‘snacking on the go’ to a whole new level; whether you’re at the gym or out on a run, each snack ball is easily opened with a ‘pop’ so you can consume nutrients without stopping (literally!). Full of fruity flavour, you can enjoy with or without taking a break, these vegan-friendly, gluten-free snacks are 99 calories a pop.
After a snack that you can rustle up at home and take out and about with you? Our Banana and Peanut Muffins are the perfect pick-me-up for any time of day, but we think they’re especially good at breakfast time.
You can always take a batch to the office, so you’ve got a nutty treat to start your day off right – with a cuppa, of course!
FitBites Berries + Almonds Energy Protein Snack Ball is available from Ocado, priced at £1.09.
Graze Cocoa & Vanilla Bar – 130 calories per oat boost
Get an energy-boosting fix of protein and fibre with these Cocoa and Vanilla Bars from Graze. Their range of Oat Boosts comes in ‘Honey and Oat’ and ‘Lemon and Blueberry’ too, but we fancied treating ourselves to the chocolatey option! The perfect size to pop in your tupperware, these cereal bars aren’t just for mornings – keep them on hand for something to munch on that’ll give you a boost.
If you love vanilla flavours as much as we do, you should definitely try our Strawberry and Vanilla Waffles. We’ve combined vanilla extract with fat-free natural yoghurt (among other tasty, sweet ingredients) to make this one a fruity brunch-time favourite. Don’t worry if you don’t have a heart-shaped waffle mould – it’s the flavours that matter!
Graze Cocoa & Vanilla Bars are available from Tesco, priced at £2.50 for a pack of 4.
Fever Tree Passionfruit & Lime Tonic Water – 18 calories per 100ml
Just in time for spring, Fever Tree’s special edition Passionfruit & Lime Tonic Water is a refreshing, carbonated treat! We love that this vibrant, zesty tonic is low on calories, at only 18 per 100ml – perfect for enjoying as a soft refreshment, or mixing with your favourite alcoholic beverage. The fun, orange colouring brightens up your glass too!
Fancy flexing your mixology skills? You could always borrow the bubbles from this Fever Tree tonic to put a passionfruit and lime spin on our Elderflower Gin Fizz. Simply swap out the syrup and soda water for a glug or two of tonic. We’d recommend serving it up with a side of sunshine in the garden!
Fever Tree Limited Edition Passionfruit & Lime Tonic Water is available from Sainsbury’s, priced at £1.95 per 500ml bottle.
Strawberry Daiquiri Mix – 37 calories per 1/3 pack
Speaking of sunshine tipples, who fancies another fruity cocktail? This premixed Strawberry Daiquiri mix bag from Morrisons does a lot of the work for you. All that’s left to do is add cloudy lemonade, a measure of white rum and a (completely necessary) cocktail umbrella.
Martini glasses at the ready! As soon as you have a sip of our Strawberry Daiquiri, you’ll want this rum, lime and strawberry slush ready and waiting in the freezer to cool you down throughout summer. You can even enjoy them in lollipop form, just make sure to label your tupperware so tiny hands don’t accidentally grab them.
Strawberry Daiquiri Mix is available from Morrisons, priced at £2.00.
Potts’ Enchilada Cooking Sauce – 61 calories per 100g
With chipotle chillies, hints of orange and oregano seasoning, this full-flavoured Potts’ Enchilada Cooking Sauce makes an easy, rich base for your next Mexican-inspired Fakeaway night. Inspired by traditional Mexican mole sauce, this one’s meant to be poured straight over a serving of turkey or chicken in a gravy-like way. Don’t knock it till you’ve tried it!
If you’ve got a special occasion coming up, you can guarantee a roomful of happy dinner guests with an Enchilada Lasagne at the heart of the table. We love that you get to serve up all the crowd-pleasing enchilada flavours, without the faff of rolling up wraps!
It might be a little higher in calories than most of our recipes (at 662 calories per serving), but trust us – every layer is worth it.
Potts’ Enchilada Cooking Sauce is available from Tesco, priced at £3.00.
Iceland Chicken Fajita Sizzle Steaks – 81 calories per steak (oven-baked)
These Chicken Fajita Sizzle Steaks from Iceland are a pre-seasoned dream; the boneless chicken pieces come bathed in a fiery fajita-style marinade that only gets better in the oven. Serve them up with veggies or rice for an easy midweek dinner you can have ready in a flash. For only 81 calories per steak, it’s well worth getting your sizzle on!
We can’t talk about fajita flavours without mentioning our Cheesy Fajita Orzotto. This easy one pot dish makes a risotto-like bowl of fajita deliciousness. By using turkey mince and a few clever swaps, we’ve kept the calories nice and low – even if the final result tastes super creamy and indulgent. You HAVE to try it!
Iceland Chicken Fajita Sizzle Steaks are available from Iceland, priced at £3.85 for a pack of 6.
Squeaky Bean Beef Doner Style Kebab – 248 calories per 100g
This Doner Style Kebab Beef from Squeaky Bean is a tasty plant-based alternative that’ll curb your urge to nip to the kebab shop, and deliver that familiar flavour, for far fewer calories. High in pea protein, this tasty kebab-style ‘beef’ will leave you satisfied – why not try it wrapped in a low-calorie tortilla with a fresh, crispy salad? You could even squeeze some chips on the side if you’re feeling fancy.
Looking for a kebab recipe you can rustle up at home? Our Minty Halloumi and Vegetable Kebabs can be made vegan-style too, simply swap the halloumi and yoghurt for non-dairy versions.
We’ve combined salty halloumi with crispy veg on skewers and coated them in a refreshing, minty marinade. You need to get these on the barbecue!
Squeaky Bean Beef Doner Style Kebab is available from Morrisons, priced at £2.50.
Sainsbury’s Mini Cinnamon Buns Cereal – 114 calories per 30g serving (without milk)
While a cinnamon roll for breakfast might be your typical go to on a slimming-friendly diet, this Mini Cinnamon Buns Cereal from Sainsbury’s brings you pretty close for only 114 calories per bowlful (just bear in mind that that’s the calories before you add milk!). Great for now and again when you’re feeling a sweet treat first thing, these adorable cinnamon swirl oats aren’t just great to look at – they’re fortified with vitamins and iron too!
If you love the idea of waking up to a cinnamon roll themed breakfast, you need to get your spoon into a freshly-baked portion of our Cinnamon Roll Baked Oats. We’ve made this hearty brekkie with plenty of oats, yoghurt and cinnamon to warm you right up, so you’ll have all the fuel you need to start your day on the right track. Don’t forget the drizzle of syrup!
Sainsbury’s Mini Cinnamon Buns Cereal (Limited Edition) is available from Sainsbury’s, priced at £1.50.
Aero Dark & Milk Peppermint Chocolate Sharing Bar – 78 calories per 4 pieces
Calling mint chocolate lovers! Are you ready to try this melt-on-the-tongue flavour from Aero? This time the bubbles from Nestle come in a Dark & Milk Peppermint Chocolate sharing bar. Even darker and richer than the signature peppermint flavour, you can always break off a piece or two for an afternoon pick-me-up. At 78 calories per melty, bubbly serving, don’t mind if we do!
Next time you’ve got a hankering to nibble on something chocolatey, make sure you’ve got some Chocolate Brownies on hand. You could even make an Aero-inspired batch by adding mint flavouring to the mix. Slimming-friendly chocolate syrups like Sweet Freedom Choc Shot can ramp up the mintiness for an additional 13 calories!
Aero Dark & Milk Peppermint Chocolate Sharing Bar is available from Sainsbury’s, priced at £1.00.
Vimto® Twists – 72 calories per lolly
We couldn’t resist adding a burst of nostalgic, blackcurrant flavour to the basket when we spotted these Vimto Twists from Iceland. For only 72 calories per ice-flavoured twist, we bet having these lollies on-hand will be just the ticket when the whole family needs cooling down. Work your way into the ice cream centre for a really refreshing, fruity treat!
Did someone say ‘fruity’? Our Vegan Blackberry and Apple Crumble more than delivers on that front. We’ve used a topping of rolling porridge oats to seal the flavours into our sweet, fruity bake without serving up loads of calories. We’ll take ours with a yummy swirl of non-dairy aerosol cream, please!
Vimto Twists are available from Iceland, priced at £2.00 for a pack of 4.
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:
Salad Potatoes – 75 calories per 100g
You can’t beat the versatility of potatoes! These mineral and vitamin packed spuds are always a reliable source of healthy deliciousness. While they might look similar to baby potatoes, these ones are a little more dense and hold their shape nicely even after being cooked. We have a quick guide on different types of potatoes and how to cook them here.
Why not pop a few in your basket to make a refreshing side portion of our Potato Salad recipe? We’ve used a satisfying mixture of quark, spring onions and chives to make this creamy salad as tasty as it is slimming friendly.
Oranges – 47 calories per 100g
Whether you’re on-the-go or just after a picky treat you can enjoy straight from the fridge, oranges are an energy-boosting snack you can count on. High in fibre and immune-boosting vitamin C, they’ll leave you feeling full and satisfy your sweet tooth with a burst of juicy citrus.
If it’s satisfying fruitiness you’re after, you need to try our Pork Carnitas with Pineapple and Mango Salsa. We’ve combined the zesty potential of pineapple, orange and mango into lettuce leaf parcels – perfect for a sunny day!
Baby Cucumbers – 14 calories per 100g
Cucumbers and baby cucumbers alike hold plenty of vitamins and potassium. They’re also ideal to nibble on to fight any pesky junk food cravings, as they’ll leave you feeling fuller and refreshed. They’re also the perfect size and shape for a quick, crunchy snack. Why not try them with a bowlful of our Spinach and Pesto Dip? They’ll take snacktime to the next level with hardly any effort at all (you don’t even need to chop or peel!).
Baby Plum Tomatoes – 18 calories per 100g
Sweet and oh-so-juicy, baby plum tomatoes are always good to have on hand. Chop them and use them to give your dishes a refreshing lift. They work so well in our Indian Fried Rice recipe because they add a sweet bite amongst the spice. By using ready-cooked rice, you can prepare and serve this recipe in less than 20 minutes. That’s so much quicker than ordering the takeaway version!
Mini Apples – 53 calories per 100g
Don’t be fooled by how small they are! Mini apples might look little, but they’re big on flavour and super high in fibre, so they’ll leave your taste buds happy and your snack cravings curbed. They’re also a sweet, juicy excuse to get your bake on. At only 95 calories per biscuit, why not rustle up a batch of Apple Pie Cookies? You’ll be the envy of everyone at the office with these in your tupperware…
Sweet Pears – 58 calories per 100g
These sweet pears are the perfect answer to your mid-afternoon sugar cravings. Juicy and soft, bite into them as a snack or slice them up to use as a porridge bowl topping or refreshing salad accompaniment. Seeing pears just makes us want to crack out the custard and pour a glug over our crunchy-topped Pear and Ginger Crumble. Ready in only 30 minutes, pears have never tasted so good with so little fuss!
**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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