Your Slimming Essentials – The Weekly Pinch of Shopping 24.02.23
Happy Friday, everyone! Another week, another brand-new Weekly Pinch of Shopping to inspire you while you’re at the shops!
Ever feel like you always have the same few things for lunch? Well, we’ve spied a few new bits and pieces on the shelves this week to help you switch up your menu. This veggie-packed frittata, that’s just 195 calories for the whole thing, is going straight in our trolley.
And, if you’re trying to eat a little less meat, you’ll love the Flexitarian Meat And Vegetable Beef Mince we spotted in Morrisons. They’ve replaced 30% of the meat with veggies – and you’ll barely be able to tell. Keep scrolling to find out which Pinch of Nom recipe we recommend trying it out with!
Our NEW cookbook, Pinch of Nom: Enjoy, is out NOW! Enjoy is all about turning mealtimes into memories, and it’s brimming with 100 brand-new recipes that you’ll be excited to make, share and eat with family and friends, time and time again.
From fakeaway favourites to midweek wonders, every dish comes big on flavour without taking you off track. Put the food you love back on the menu by ordering your copy 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!**
Morrisons Butternut Squash Gnocchi – 225 calories per 1/4 pack
A lighter take on an Italian-style classic, this Butternut Squash Gnocchi from Morrisons makes for a nice change. Made with 40% butternut squash (and 35% potato), it cooks in just 5 minutes, for a super speedy midweek meal idea.
Why not use it instead of traditional gnocchi as an easy way to get more veggies into your day? We’re betting it’d taste amazing served with a simple pesto or tomato-based sauce.
If you love the sweet flavour of butternut squash, ditch the spuds and serve these Butternut Squash Roasties on your next Sunday dinner. At 91 calories per serving, the golden, garlicky veggies will be the best bit on your plate.
Morrisons Butternut Squash Gnocchi is available from Morrisons, priced at £1.85.
Knorr Pastaria Pasta Parmesana – 332 calories per pack
Imagine tucking into a bowl of creamy pasta that took just 10 minutes to make. Good news everyone: we’ve spotted this Knorr Pastaria Pasta Parmesana on the supermarket shelves this week, and it’s as easy and cheesy as you could wish for.
At just 332 calories for the pack, it’s handy to have in the cupboard for busy midweek lunchtimes. As well as this Parmesan cheese one, we noticed a Bolognese flavour and a Carbonara option in the same range (and these ones are even lower in calories!).
We’ll take any excuse to eat more pasta, so we mixed some into one of our favourite salads to make this Greek Pasta Salad. It bulks out the leafy, crunchy vegetables to create a hearty lunch that’s still well under 400 calories.
Knorr Pastaria Pasta Parmesana is available from Asda, priced at £1.40 per pack.
Sainsbury’s Flourish Garden Vegetable Frittata – 195 calories per frittata
There’s something so refreshing about this Garden Vegetable Frittata from Sainsbury’s Nourish range. Despite being just 195 calories, it manages to cram in 10g of protein.
Made with free range British eggs, potato, courgette, mature Cheddar cheese, red pepper and spinach, it’s instant goodness that you can eat cold, straight out of the packet, or warmed in the oven before serving.
If you’d rather crack your own eggs, we reckon we’ve come up with the ultimate frittata recipe. One of the most popular breakfasts from our latest cookbook, Pinch of Nom Enjoy, this Fry-Up Frittata is a thing of beauty. If you don’t already have a copy, order Enjoy here and then flick straight to page 32!
Sainsbury’s Flourish Garden Vegetable Frittata is available from Sainsbury’s, priced at £1.60.
Genius Gluten Free Soft White Toastie Loaf – 176 calories per 2 slices
Finding decent gluten-free bread can feel like a mission at times, so this Genius Gluten Free Soft White Toastie Loaf should be welcome news to anyone who doesn’t eat gluten! Squidgy-soft and high in fibre, it’s fortified with vitamins and minerals that are good for your gut.
Delicious whether you toast it or not, each 88 calorie slice can be nibbled on with some soup, turned into a sandwich or blitzed up into gluten-free breadcrumbs.
Pop a slice in the food processor and make some breadcrumbs for this Lemon and Pepper Crusted Chicken. Zesty and crisp without any need for deep frying, just remember to work out any additional calories from switching to this gluten-free bread.
Genius Gluten Free Soft White Toastie Loaf is available from Tesco, priced at £2.75.
Starburst Fruit Squares Tropical Mix – 76 calories per pack
These Starburst Fruit Squares Tropical Mix are not your average sweets. Chewy cubes flavoured with lemon, mango, pineapple and passion fruit, the juicy treats are just 76 calories per pack.
Vegan-friendly, high in fibre and made with real fruit juices, these could be just what you need for an evening snack or a mid-afternoon pick-me-up.
If it’s tropical flavours you’re after, you’ll want to add our Tropical Crumble to your meal plan this week. It’s a comforting bowl of sweet mango and pineapple, topped with a golden, oaty crumble. All that’s missing is a good glug of slimming-friendly Custard…
Starburst Fruit Squares Tropical Mix is available from Morrisons, priced at £1 per pack.
Iceland Hash Brown Quarter Pounders – 196 calories per quarter pounder
Whether you’re looking to level up your weekend breakfast, or try something different on burger night, you’ll want to snap up these Hash Brown Quarter Pounders from Iceland. The frozen patties of shredded potato and onion come ready to be browned in the oven or air fryer.
At 196 calories each, they’re not as indulgent as you might think. Top with a fried egg and squish inside a wholemeal bread roll – so much easier and cheaper than a trip to the drive-through!
Hash browns make everything better, even pizza. We’ve skipped the dough and used a combination of grated potatoes and onions as the base for this slimming-friendly Hash Brown Pizza. Whatever toppings you choose, it’s always a winner.
Iceland Hash Brown Quarter Pounders are available from Iceland, priced at £2.00 for a pack of 4.
Sainsbury’s Flourish Thai Inspired Rainbow Grains – 189 calories per 1/2 pack
With a Thai-inspired ginger and lime dressing, these Rainbow Grains from the Flourish range at Sainsbury’s are an instant way to liven up your lunch. You get a hearty mixture of quinoa, bulgar wheat and red rice, mixed with edamame, soya beans, red onion, spinach and red peppers.
Ready to eat after just a couple of minutes in the microwave, this could be served on the side of meat or fish, or enjoyed on its own – the whole pack is only 378 calories.
We can’t get enough of Thai-style food, and this Creamy Red Thai Curry is perfect for your next fakeaway night. The family-friendly dish has a much milder kick than you might expect, thanks to the cooling cream cheese we’ve melted into the sauce.
Sainsbury’s Flourish Thai Inspired Rainbow Grains are available from Sainsbury’s, priced at £2.00.
Ocado Frozen Fajita Mix – 114 calories per serving
Swapping fresh vegetables for frozen is one of our top tips for saving a few pennies and reducing food waste. With just as much goodness as their fresh counterpart, it’s always handy to have some frozen veggies stocked in the freezer.
This Ocado Frozen Fajita Mix goes a step further: it’s peeled, chopped onions and peppers, pre-seasoned in a tasty fajita spice mix. Cook from frozen, add chicken or a meat-free protein, and serve with some low-calorie tortilla wraps.
Why not take inspiration from these Fajita Bombs and parcel up your filling, top it with cheese and bake it in the oven? Far less messy than traditional fajitas, you get such a lovely crunch from the golden baked wraps.
Ocado Frozen Fajita Mix is available from Ocado, priced at £2.50 for a 500g bag.
Morrisons Flexitarian Meat And Vegetable Beef Mince – 203 calories per 100g
This Flexitarian Meat And Vegetable Beef Mince from Morrisons makes it so easy to eat a little less meat. You’ll hardly even notice that 30% of the beef has been replaced with butternut squash, carrot and onion.
Whether you turn it into a bolognese, lasagne or a chilli, it’ll boost your veggie intake, while still providing the rich, meaty flavours.
We’d coat it in our homemade taco seasoning and whip up these Mexican Style Crunch Wraps for a really easy, delicious dinner. The clever way of folding them up makes sure you get a bit of the mince, cheese and guacamole in every bite.
Morrisons Flexitarian Meat And Vegetable Beef Mince is available from Morrisons, priced at £2.89 for 500g.
Waitrose Richly Fruited Mini Hot Cross Buns – 82 calories per bun
Easter might be a way off yet, but there’s no need to save these Waitrose Richly Fruited Mini Hot Cross Buns for Good Friday. Each little bun is loaded up with soaked sultanas, Chilean flame raisins and citrus peel, making it a fruity, 82-calorie snack.
Pop one in the toaster while you make yourself a cuppa and serve with a little bit of reduced-fat spread: there’s no better teatime treat.
Why not add one of these Carrot Cakes with Cream Cheese Frosting to your plate? At just 57 calories, they’re the tastiest little bites of lightly spiced cake, with a creamy, moreish topping. Easy peasy to make, you can even freeze the unfrosted cakes for a rainy day.
Waitrose Richly Fruited Mini Hot Cross Buns are available from Waitrose, priced at £1.85 for a pack of 9.
NEW 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 the rundown of this week’s Super 6 offering, along with some recipe ideas for you.
Chestnut Mushrooms – 17 calories per 100g
We love to see mushrooms in the Super 6! One of the most versatile ingredients out there, you can add them to your breakfast, sneak some into lunch or use them to add some extra vitamins into your dinner.
If you’re a big fan, we’d recommend putting these chestnut mushrooms in the spotlight by making this Mushroom Carbonara. It’s a veggie-friendly version that brings all the creamy, cheesy flavour you could wish for.
Baby Corn – 26 calories per 100g
Crunchy and fresh, baby corn is always a handy veggie to have in the fridge. You can eat it raw in salads or dunked into a tasty dip, but our favourite way to serve it is cooked in a stir-fry.
It adds a perfect bite to our ever-popular Diet Coke/Pepsi Max Chicken recipe. We never get bored of the sticky, sweet and sour sauce!
Brussels Sprouts – 43 calories per 100g
No one said sprouts can only be enjoyed at Christmas! Grab yourself a bag while they’re in the Super 6 offer, and add them onto your Sunday dinner this weekend.
These Balsamic Roasted Sprouts have so much flavour, with a delicious tang from the balsamic vinegar. They go with just about anything, so they’re ideal when your plate needs an extra green vegetable on the side.
Limes – 30 calories per 100g
When you’re cooking, it’s always helpful to have a few citrus fruits on standby. Lemons and limes are used in so many recipes to add a burst of zesty flavour from their zingy juices.
You’ll need 3 limes to make this Chilli and Lime Baked Salmon. Squeeze out the juice to make the marinade for the fish: paired with garlic and chilli, it packs a powerful flavour punch!
Chantenay Carrots – 35 calories per 100g
These little carrots taste just like the bigger version, but there’s no need to peel or trim them. The perfect size for snacking, these baby carrots are popular for dunking and dipping into hummus, and they taste incredible cooked too.
We use them for our Lemon and Garlic Chicken Traybake recipe. It’s a one-pot-wonder that makes for a dreamy midweek meal – ready in under an hour and barely any washing up? Yes please!
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…
**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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