Your Slimming Essentials – The Weekly Pinch of Shopping 23.10
In this week’s Weekly Pinch of Shopping, we’ve found a vegan chocolate milkshake (that actually tastes like a proper milkshake!), a wintery twist on coleslaw and some mini, flavoured bakewells to help you beat those sweet cravings.
There’s also some fresh, live mussels that you can pick up from your local supermarket which means you can enjoy fresh seafood no matter where you live.
Plus, slimming friendly chocolate and raspberry flapjacks which are perfect for enjoying with a cuppa in front of Bake Off!
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!**
Harvest Morn Low Sugar Granola – 209 calories per serving
Granola is often thought of as a healthy breakfast, but it is usually full of hidden sugar and isn’t worth the calories!
With this Harvest Morn Low Sugar Granola, Aldi have developed a lower sugar alternative that’s a fabulous, filling breakfast.
Still packed with nuts, seeds and wholegrain oats, this crunchy granola works wonderfully sprinkled over fat free yoghurt or simply served with semi-skimmed milk.
This lower in sugar granola is also full of fibre to keep you feeling satisfied all the way until lunchtime. This classic flavour variety has lovely coconutty notes but you can find an Apple and Blueberry flavour in some stores.
In true Aldi fashion, it’s also budget friendly so it’s a great choice for family breakfasts.
Serve with a Cinnamon Swirl or two for a weekend brunch you’ll want to enjoy again and again!
Aldi sells this Harvest Morn Low Sugar Granola for £1.65 for a 500g bag.
Holy Moly Chocolate Nut Shake – 104 calories per serving
Almond milk has exploded in popularity over recent years, and for good reason. It’s a low fat, dairy free alternative to milk that can be used in cooking, hot chocolate and so much more!
Now you can find a chocolatey version in this Holy Moly Chocolate Nut Shake, available in handy to-go bottles.
Made with banana puree and apple juice, it’s a fruity alternative to the typical high-calorie chocolate shakes available, giving you a chocolate hit, without the dairy.
You can also get them in Strawberry Nut and Banana Nut flavours – yum!
At only 104 calories per serving, you can get a sweet fix without compromising on your slimming plan. It’s also vegan and low fat, which means it fits our list of slimming essentials perfectly.
Enjoy as a mid-morning pick me up or topped with low fat squirty cream and a handful of mini marshmallows for an indulgent treat! Why not pop a Marshmallow Bar on the side?
You can grab a bottle of Holy Moly Chocolate Nut Shake at Sainsbury’s for £3 for a 750ml bottle.
Moorish Winter Slaw – 62 calories per serving
Now the nights are getting colder and darker, it’s likely that the BBQ has been packed away until next year.
Don’t worry, with this Moorish Winter Slaw, one of your favourite summer BBQ sides has been given a winter makeover!
Packed full of veggies including crunchy carrot, shredded cabbage and sweet red onion, this slaw is smothered in a warming citrus dressing which makes it perfect for lunch on chilly days.
You could try a dollop on a crispy baked potato or on the side of a Caramelised Onion Cheese Toastie for an indulgent, nutritious treat!
You can find Moorish Winter Slaw in Sainsbury’s for £2.50 for a 200g pack.
Eat Real Veggie Straws – 145 calories per portion
Paula Spencer shared these Eat Real Veggie Straws with us over on our Facebook Group and they’re the perfect, slimming friendly snack.
These potato based snacks are flavoured with kale, tomato and spinach and are gluten free and suitable for vegan diets.
They also have a reduced salt content and no added sugar which makes them ideal for a slimming friendly diet.
Each serving of these tasty snacks has just 145 calories and, in our opinion, they’re delicious when served with some of our Hummus for dipping.
These Eat Real Veggie Straws are available in most supermarkets for around £1.75 a pack.
Meridian Organic Low Sugar Cranberry Sauce – 34 calories per 28g
Christmas dinner just isn’t complete without some cranberry sauce and this Meridian Organic Low Sugar Cranberry Sauce is a definite slimming essential this festive season.
Sweetened naturally using only organic apple juice concentrate and no added sugar, this Cranberry Sauce is suitable for vegetarian and vegan diets.
At just 34 calories per 28g serving, it’s also not full of loads of unnecessary calories or added nasties which makes it the perfect addition to your Christmas turkey dinner.
It’s also delicious when paired with some soft cheeses. Try it in a sandwich made with our Fougasse Bread, alongside some cooked turkey, bacon and brie for a real festive treat.
We’ve seen this Meridian Organic Low Sugar Cranberry Sauce in Ocado for £2.49 a jar.
Sainsbury’s Harissa & Seed Salad Bowl – 100 calories per 100g
Sometimes when we’re busy, we just want to grab a quick, light lunch that tastes fantastic, but isn’t full of additional calories.
This Harissa & Seed Salad Bowl from Sainsbury’s is a mix of baby leaves, beetroot and carrot and comes with a sachet of pumpkin and sunflower seeds, as well as a red pepper, chilli and garlic dressing.
Simply sprinkle the seeds on top and then drizzle over the dressing for a really quick and flavourful lunch.
You could also serve it at dinner as an accompaniment alongside something like our Herb Crusted Cod or our Vegetable Tarts.
You can grab this Sainsbury’s Harissa & Seed Salad Bowl at Sainsbury’s for £1.75.
The Mussel Shack Fresh Live Mussels – 44 calories per 100g
Seafood is such a versatile, slimming friendly thing to cook with and nothing quite beats the taste of good, fresh fish.
If you don’t live near the coast then it can sometimes be a struggle to find fresh seafood, but these The Mussel Shack Fresh Live Mussels could just be the answer!
Yes, you read that right, fresh, LIVE mussels that you can buy from the supermarket and to make things even better, they’re just 44 calories per 100g.
Try them in our Seafood Paella and let yourself be transported back to your last summer holiday, or use them in our Admiral’s Fish Pie for a hearty, warming dinner.
It is worth noting that these mussels can’t be frozen however, so you’ll need to make sure you’re planning ahead as they come in 1kg packages!
You can find these The Mussel Shack Fresh Live Mussels in Sainsbury’s at £3.50 per 1kg.
Morrisons The Best Black Forest Mince Pie Crumbles – 184 calories per pie
We absolutely love the festive flavours of mince pies and these Morrisons The Best Black Forest Mince Pie Crumbles are the perfect combination of two of our favourite sweet treats.
A morello cherry mincemeat, cherry, and Kirsch filling encased in chocolate pastry and topped with a chocolate chip crumble – SO good! These pies do contain some alcohol which makes them taste like they contain way more than 184 calories each.
They’re suitable for vegetarian diets and were even taste approved by the Good Housekeeping Institute in 2018, so you know that they are packed full of flavour.
We love these Morrisons The Best Black Forest Mince Pie Crumbles served with some whipped double cream, or even some vanilla ice cream for dessert.
If you’re looking for more Black Forest flavours, then try our Black Forest Scan Bran Cupcakes – they’re sooo good!
You can find these Morrisons The Best Black Forest Mince Pie Crumbles in Morrisons for £2 a pack.
Mr Kipling Mini Bakewell Selection – 109 calories per cake
Cherry bakewells are one of the best sweet treats available, and they’re so popular in the UK for a reason!
At an average of nearly 200 calories per tart, they’re certainly an indulgence, and let’s be realistic: who has the willpower to cut one in half and put the other half away?!
Now there’s no need to, with this super cute, bite-sized Mr Kipling Mini Bakewell Selection! In a classic bakewell, lemon and caramel flavours, they’re the perfect size for your pastry hit alongside a cuppa.
With no hydrogenated fats or artificial flavours, these veggie-friendly sweet treats will hit the spot without the extra calories of a full-sized tart.
If you love bakewell flavours as much as we do, make sure you check out our Bakewell Baked Oats for that almondy, fruity flavour for breakfast!
You can pick up this Mr Kipling Mini Bakewell Selection at most supermarkets for around £2 for 9, but they’re on offer for £1.50 at Sainsbury’s this week.
Trek White Choc & Raspberry Flapjacks – 231 calories per flapjack
When you imagine a list of slimming essentials, you wouldn’t normally expect a buttery, fruity flapjack to feature as they’re usually high in fat and calories – especially the white chocolate and raspberry variety!
These Trek White Choc & Raspberry Flapjacks are wheat and gluten free, made with natural ingredients and designed to taste like sweet white chocolate and raspberry blondies.
Not only that, they’re packed with plant-based protein so will keep you fuller for longer too.
You could even chop them up into smaller bite-size pieces to snack on throughout the day alongside a Pumpkin Spice Latte if you didn’t fancy a full one in one sitting, they’re really substantial.
If you’re a fan of sweet treats for breakfast, our Lemon and Blueberry Baked Oats offer a similar oaty, fruity flavour.
These Trek White Choc & Raspberry Flapjacks in Sainsbury’s are currently on offer in Sainsbury’s for £2 for a pack of three 50g bars.
NEW 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 pennies. Here’s our roundup of this fortnight’s selection, alongside some meal inspiration to give you some ideas on how to make the most of the Super 6!
Baking potatoes – 63 calories per medium potato
Potatoes are a great choice on slimming plans as they’re cheap, filling and so versatile!
You can top a baked potato with pretty much anything, from Chilli Con Carne to Buffalo Coleslaw, or you could slice them up in one of our most popular recipes: Bacon, Onion and Potato Bake.
Garlic – 5 calories per clove
Garlic is a staple to so many of our dishes, and adds depth of flavour to anything it’s added to.
Often you find you can’t scrimp on flavourings when you’re following a low fat diet, as you need to replace the stronger flavours like butter and oil.
Usually it’s one of the first ingredients added as a base, but you can give garlic the centre stage with Cheesy Garlic Bread or a really quick and easy Lemon and Garlic Chicken Tray Bake!
Large flat mushrooms – 5 calories per mushroom
Believe it or not, large flat mushrooms can often be used in place of bread or jacket potatoes as a “base” for other fillings, like substituting the bread in our Cajun Chicken Burger to make it even lighter!
If you’d prefer something a little more traditional, they work wonderfully chopped up in our Breakfast Muffins, too.
Royal Gala Apples – 62 calories per apple
Biting into a ripe, juicy apple is a real pleasure and one of the reasons we’re delighted to see apples on this fortnight’s Super 6 list.
Whether they’re in a lunch box or with breakfast, they’re one of our staples and now even more budget friendly!
Apples are perfect for breakfast, sliced up alongside Banana and Chocolate Pancakes, or even as a snack with a cuppa and a Jaffa Cake or two.
Oh, and don’t forget our Apple Crumble!
Persimmons – around 127 calories per fruit (approx 100g)
An underrated fruit, persimmons are a wonderfully bright orange colour and can be eaten raw like an apple, or sliced and used in baking!
They have a hint of mango and a smooth texture, so work really well alongside apples in our Apple Strudels.
For another fruity dessert option that makes the most of the unique flavour of persimmons, try adding a simple crumble such as the one in our Apple and Blackberry Crumble.
Squash – 34 calories per serving (100g)
How cute are these little winter squashes?! With the unmistakable ‘squash’ taste of the likes of pumpkin and butternut squash, these little beauties are so versatile and in season right now.
You can substitute one or two of these squashes for butternut squash in our Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Mash, or get into the spooky spirit ready for halloween with a sweet Pumpkin Pie!
What are your tips and tricks for making the most of this fortnight’s Super 6?
**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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