Your Slimming Essentials – The Weekly Pinch of Shopping 24.01.25
Happy Friday, lovely people! Your brand-new Weekly Pinch of Shopping article is ready and brimming with goodies that’ll keep your January menu feeling fresh and delicious.
If you’re as obsessed with lemony desserts as we are, keep scrolling – we’ve got the scoop on where to find Carte D’Or’s newest tubs of LEMON MERINGUE PIE flavoured ice cream!
Plus, if you’ve been a part of our Nom community for a while now, you probably know we love an unusual flavour combo. We couldn’t resist adding Pineapple Cheddar Cheese to our basket, especially when we started to imagine how yummy those tangy, sweet flavours would be on a toastie…
Have you grabbed your January organisation companion? With the first-ever official Pinch of Nom calendar on your wall, you’ll be inspired and motivated to smash your slimming goals in 2025. The dishes we’ve hand-picked to go inside bring all the Nom flavours you know and love, month by month.
With the large date panels on each page, you’ve got plenty of space for jotting down notes, keeping on top of appointments and birthdays, and planning meals as you go.
Tap the image below to grab yours from Amazon, or order directly from Danilo by tapping here.
Spotted any tasty-looking, slimming-friendly new products at the supermarket lately? Share them with us – they might feature in our next article! You can also join the discussion in our Facebook group here.
Our Weekly Pinch of Shopping highlights budget-friendly, slimming-friendly products available in local supermarkets and online. We include calorie information and RRP, though prices may vary.
Each week, we also feature Aldi’s Super 6 deals – a fortnightly selection of discounted fruits and vegetables – along with recipe ideas to help you make the most of them. 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!
Never miss an update! Sign up here to receive the Weekly Pinch of Shopping directly in your inbox.
**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!**
Brooklea Milk Chocolate Cereal Balls Vanilla Protein Pot – 229 calories per pot
Cheap, cheerful and convenient, this Brooklea Milk Chocolate Cereal Balls Vanilla Protein Pot from Aldi is just the ticket for busy mornings.
The chocolate-coated cereal balls are stored separately inside the lid, guaranteeing that they’ll be nice and crunchy by the time you come to stir them into the velvety, vanilla-flavoured yoghurt.
You’re missing out big time if you’re a chocolate lover who hasn’t tried our Chocolate Waffles for breakfast yet!
Crispy on the outside and soft in the middle, they’re melt-in-the-mouth delicious in the morning, or you could even try them for dessert. We’ve rustled up our batter with oats, cocoa powder and other reduced-fat ingredients to keep things super sweet without ramping up the calories.
Brooklea Milk Chocolate Cereal Balls Vanilla Protein Pots are available from Aldi, priced at £1.39 per pot.
Soreen Lift Bars Apple & Mango – 128 calories per bar
These Apple and Mango Soreen Lift Bars have arrived just in time to give January snack breaks a fruity-sweet boost! Low in saturated fat, high in B12 and bursting with tropical freshness, every bite of this moist sponge is even better paired with a cuppa.
Really lunchbox friendly, there are 4 wrapped bars in a single pack to take on the go – that’s good news for those mid-afternoon sweet cravings!
Speaking of apple-flavoured treats, a batch of our Apple Pie Cookies will stay fresh, crunchy and full of flavour for days in an airtight container.
Ready in 10 minutes with a short list of budget-friendly ingredients, they’re well worth pencilling into the ‘snack’ slot of your weekly meal plan. You’ll know they’re baked when they’re golden brown and you can smell the cinnamon…
Soreen Lift Bars Apple & Mango are available from Sainsbury’s, priced at £2.25 for a pack of 4 bars.
M&S High Protein Chocolate Hazelnut Spread – 60 calories per 10g (approx.)
This M&S High Protein Chocolate Hazelnut Spread isn’t just lower in calories than Nutella, it’s higher in protein too. The silky smooth spread has crushed-up hazelnut chunks stirred in, so you’ll never be short of flavour or texture.
Try a portion spread over toast, add a dollop to your morning porridge or give chopped fruits a nutty, chocolatey makeover.
We’ll be using our jar to make a higher protein version of our Chocolate French Toast recipe. The sandwich soaks up a dreamy combination of egg, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla and sweetener before it’s fried until golden and crisp on both sides.
Serve with fresh strawberries and a squirt of low-fat aerosol cream (just remember to adjust the nutritional values, if you’re keeping track).
M&S High Protein Chocolate Hazelnut Spread is available from M&S and Ocado, priced at £4.00 per jar.
Bramwells Medium Peri-Peri Bag & Bake – 25 calories per serving
This Bramwells Medium Peri-Peri Bag and Bake makes preparing a Nando’s-inspired meal at home even easier, with shakeable bags that are ready-filled with Peri-Peri seasoning.
All that’s left for you to do is add your chicken breasts, shake and bake! Ideal for family mealtimes, you can cook up to 4 in a single bag.
It’s ready to serve over a portion of Nando’s Spicy Rice when your meat is succulent and bursting with lip-smacking Portuguese flavours.
This Peri-Peri Chicken Wrap from pages 52-53 of our Enjoy cookbook was inspired by one of our go-tos on the Nando’s restaurant menu.
Better for your budget and your calorie count, we’ve bundled seasoned chicken chunks in with fresh, leafy salad and a sweet-yet-spicy chilli jam.
Bramwells Medium Peri-peri Bag & Bake is available from Aldi, priced at 89p per sachet.
Specially Selected Barber’s Coastal Cheddar & Pineapple Cheese – 123 calories per 30g serving
If you love the tanginess of cheese paired with sweet, juicy fruit, you’ll adore this Specially Selected Barber’s Coastal Cheddar & Pineapple Cheese from Aldi. While the season of Christmas cheeseboards might be over, this tangy block is still worth a try.
As anyone who has tried our Cheese and Apple Toastie recipe will know, cheese and fruit makes for a heavenly combination at any time of year.
From grill to plate in 5 minutes, it’s just the ticket when you’re thinking ‘I have no idea what to make for lunch’. We like to use tart Granny Smith apple slices because they’re punchier than other varieties, but there’s nothing to stop you using whatever you have at home.
Specially Selected Barber’s Coastal Cheddar & Pineapple Cheese is available from Aldi, priced at 65p per pack.
We Love Cake Free From Chocolate Orange Slices – 138 calories per slice
These We Love Cake Free From Chocolate Orange Slices are a great buy for anyone on a gluten-free diet – as well as anyone who isn’t! The light, fluffy cake slices are layered with a tangy orange jam centre and a thick topping of chocolate ganache.
If you’re not a fan of chocolate orange, take home Raspberry Ripple or Apple Crumble flavours from the same range instead.
Don’t be fooled by how squidgy and chocolatey our Chocolate Orange Brownies are; every square is far lighter than you’d think at just 72 calories each.
Our secret to perfect brownies every time? Undercook them a tiny bit. When you leave them to cool in the tin, they’ll continue to bake, and you’ll be left with an irresistible gooey centre.
To change the flavours up, simply swap the chocolate orange low-calorie syrup for whatever you’d prefer!
We Love Cake Free From Chocolate Orange Slices are available from Tesco, priced at £2.30 per pack.
The No Meat Company Shape & Sizzle Mince – 200 calories per 120g serving
Eating less meat has never been easier thanks to delicious alternatives like this The No Meat Company Shape and Sizzle Mince. A vegan-friendly blend of soya protein and seasonings, you’d never taste the difference in lasagne, bolognese, cottage pie, chilli con carne or other midweek staples.
It’s also even speedier to cook with since there’s no need to worry about defrosting!
If you’re following Veganuary, our Vegan Spaghetti and Meatballs recipe shows you just how easy it is to get creative with staples you’re likely to have in your store cupboard already.
Forget about beef or chicken, you’ll find blended beans, mushrooms and oats in our no-meatballs.
To make things extra special, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil really helps to boost the flavours of this dish.
The No Meat Company Shape & Sizzle Mince is available from Iceland, priced at £2.50 per bag.
Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Potato Wedges with Za Atar Aioli – 276 calories per 1/2 pack
If you’ve never tried za’atar before, these Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Potato Wedges with Za Atar Aioli are a great place to start. It’s the thick, garlicky, sumac-spiced condiment that takes each of these fluffy-in-the-middle potato wedges to the next level.
You can always try the same famous Middle Eastern flavours at home with the help of our Za’atar Fries recipe. Sumac is an underrated, underused spice in our opinion (we actually wrote a whole blog about what it is and how you can use it!), and it adds a citrusy kick to all kinds of ingredients.
That’s why, if you love the homemade spice mix on these fries, it can serve you again! Save some to sprinkle over chicken, lamb or vegetables and it’ll be just as aromatic.
Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Potato Wedges with Za Atar Aioli are available from Sainsbury’s, priced at £3.50 per pack (or £3.00 with a Nectar card).
Kitchen Joy Thai Red Chicken Aromatic Coconut Curry with Jasmine Rice – 474 calories per pack
There’s been lots of buzz around these brand-new ready meals at Tesco! While we picked up the Kitchen Joy Thai Red Chicken Aromatic Coconut Curry with Jasmine Rice, there are Chicken Panang and Tom Yum Chicken options to choose from too.
With a compact takeaway box design, you’ll have no trouble finding space in your freezer for this ready-to-heat combination of jasmine rice and coconutty curry.
If we’ve put you in the mood for a Thai-style fakeaway, nothing beats our Thai-Style Red Curry. By using Alpro Coconut Drink instead of coconut milk, we’ve lowered the calories without compromising on all-important silkiness.
Kitchen Joy Thai Red Chicken Aromatic Coconut Curry with Jasmine Rice is available from Tesco, priced at £2.75 per pack (or £2.00 with a Clubcard).
Carte D’Or Mini Indulgence Ice Cream Dessert Lemon Meringue Pie – 100 calories per serving
We love finding new frozen treats! This tub of Carte D’Or Mini Indulgence Ice Cream Dessert Lemon Meringue Pie sounded far too delicious to ignore.
We’re not just talking about a cookie and lemon flavoured ice cream, you’ve also got crumbled crunchy meringue pieces and a sticky lemon sauce swirled through. Run, don’t walk to Morrisons!
For a lemony hit right now, turn to pages 176-179 in our paperback Budget book. That’s where you’ll find our delightful Lemon Meringue Pots for only 268 calories each!
Layered on top of a reduced-fat digestive biscuit base, the oh-so-indulgent sweetened lemon centres taste far higher in calories than they actually are.
Carte D’Or Mini Indulgence Ice Cream Dessert Lemon Meringue Pie flavour is available from Morrisons, priced at £1.50 for a family-sized tub.
REMINDER Aldi Super 6 Fruit and Veg Selection
We love Aldi’s fortnightly selection of fresh fruit and veggies! They choose 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 selection (a ‘Super 7’ doesn’t happen very often!):
- Swede – 38 calories per 100g
- Ginger – 44 calories per 100g
- Lychees – 81 calories per 100g
- Oranges – 47 calories per 100g
- Spring Onions – 32 calories per 100g
- Carrots – 41 calories per 100g
- Red Cabbage – 31 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!**
Love our Weekly Pinch of Shopping articles? Remember to sign up to our newsletter to get first access to the next one.
And if you’re not already part of our Facebook Group then make sure you join as we love seeing all of the new products that you share – not to mention all of the amazing support and motivation!