Your Slimming Essentials – The Weekly Pinch of Shopping 24.03.23
Pen and paper at the ready! The latest Weekly Pinch of Shopping has arrived, and we’ve spotted lots of bits and bobs that you’ll want to add to your shopping list this week.
If you’re looking for new snacks to try, we’ve got sweet and savoury covered. Who else is excited by the sound of melt-in-the-middle Itsu Salted Caramel Bao Buns? Get yourself to Tesco and pop them in your basket (they’re just 125 calories each)!
We’ve also spied some frozen veggies that’ll instantly make your midweek meal times more delicious. Whether you pick up the Parisian carrots with an orange and herb butter dressing, or go for the bacon, onion and parsley peas we’ve found, getting your 5-a-day has never been so tasty!
Our upcoming paperback cookbook, Pinch of Nom: Budget, is available to pre-order NOW! It’s filled with 75 recipes (50 brand-new dishes and 25 fan-favourites!) that cut down on costs, without compromising on the Nom flavours you know and love.
Split into two chapters, dinners and desserts, this book is all about turning budget-friendly ingredients and store cupboard staples into food that the whole family will love.
Pre-order your copy today and you won’t pay a penny until it’s dispatched. Pinch of Nom Budget is out on the 22nd of June…we’re counting down the days already!
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!**
Four Seasons Parisian Carrots With An Orange And Herb Butter Dressing – 51 calories per 1/4 pack
If you’re looking for a vegetable side dish with a zesty twist, nip into Aldi this week for a bag of these Four Seasons Parisian Carrots With An Orange And Herb Butter Dressing. The frozen, radish-shaped mini carrots have a lovely mild, sweet flavour.
Ready to be roasted straight from the freezer, you’ll find them mixed with orange chunks, orange juice and a herby butter. At 51 calories per serving, they’re an easy-peasy way to spruce up your Sunday dinner.
If you’ve got some fresh carrots that need using up instead, it’s just as easy to make your own sweet, sticky glaze. Our Carrots with Honey and Orange recipe takes just 25 minutes, and you’ll only need a handful of ingredients.
Don’t skip the fresh thyme – it adds a fragrant, flavoursome finish to your citrus-soaked veggies.
Four Seasons Parisian Carrots With An Orange And Herb Butter Dressing are available from Aldi, priced at £1.29 for a 400g pack.
Itsu Salted Caramel Bao Buns – 125 calories per bun
If you haven’t tried sweet bao buns before, there’s never been a better time. These Itsu Salted Caramel Bao Buns are a new addition at Tesco, and they’re every bit as delicious as they look.
The soft, fluffy baos are filled with a gooey, oozy salted caramel, paired with miso for added umami. Steam or microwave the buns until they’re piping hot, then bite into them to release the dreamy filling. Prefer chocolate to caramel? A melt-in-the-mouth chocolate-filled version of these is also available.
A drizzle of salted caramel is enough to make anyone’s mouth water, and it doesn’t have to be the calorie-laden, buttery kind. A few drops of salted caramel flavouring gives this Chocolate Cake with Salted Caramel Cream its unmissable flavour, while keeping the recipe nice and slimming friendly.
Itsu Salted Caramel Bao Buns are available from Tesco, priced at £3.50 for a pack of 4.
M&S Wholegrain 3 Seed Beetroot Crackers – 120 calories per serving
Crunchy and moreish, these Wholegrain 3 Seed Beetroot Crackers from M&S are a savoury snacker’s best friend. Perfect for dunking into dips, loading with your favourite toppings or simply munching on their own, the lightly salted crackers are just 120 calories per serving.
Gluten-free, high in fibre and vegan-friendly, these are so handy to have in the cupboard. Reach for them when you’re feeling peckish mid-afternoon and they’ll tide you over until it’s time for dinner.
Add some protein by scooping a spoonful of these Coronation Chickpeas on top. The creamy curry-flavoured dressing is far lighter than shop-bought versions, and you can even make it vegan by using a dairy-free yoghurt.
M&S Wholegrain 3 Seed Beetroot Crackers are available from M&S or Ocado, priced at £2.10.
The Gym Kitchen Salmon Linguine – 372 calories per pack
On the days when you don’t have time to cook from scratch, it’s so helpful to have a few slimming-friendly meals stashed in the freezer. Add this Salmon Linguine from The Gym Kitchen onto your shopping list next week and you’ll have a low-calorie option, with 23g of protein.
The salmon pieces, edamame beans, peppers and whole wheat linguine pasta come in a creamy tomato sauce. Microwave or oven-cook from frozen next time you need a meal with no prep and no fuss!
Don’t forget that you can batch cook once and stock your freezer for the weeks ahead. We have loads of pasta recipes that are perfect for batch cooking, including this Creamy Roasted Red Pepper and Chicken Pasta. We’ve hidden lots of vegetables in the sauce, so you can sneak it past even the fussiest of eaters.
The Gym Kitchen Salmon Linguine is available from Tesco, priced at £2.50.
Sainsbury’s Lentil Triangles Prawn Cocktail – 96 calories per 1/4 bag
Lighter than a bag of crisps, these Prawn Cocktail Lentil Triangles from Sainsbury’s bring a satisfying crunch to your day. You can nibble your way through a quarter of the pack for just 96 calories, making them ideal for adding into your packed lunch.
Tangy and sweet, the prawn cocktail flavour seasoning is guaranteed to be a hit with the whole family.
Did you know you can save money and reduce waste by turning your potato peelings into a crispy, crunchy snack? The recipe for these Potato Peel Crisps can be found in Pinch of Nom: Enjoy – and we’ve even included a choice of 3 different flavour seasonings. If you don’t have a copy of Enjoy just yet, you can order one here.
Sainsbury’s Lentil Triangles Prawn Cocktail are available from Sainsbury’s, priced at £1.25 for an 85g pack.
ASDA Crispy Tempura Battered Haddock Goujons – 209 calories per 1/2 pack
The light golden, crispy tempura batter on these Haddock Goujons from Asda makes a nice change from heavy breadcrumbs or oily chip shop batter. At 209 calories for half of the pack, these light fish bites are perfect for a Friday night fakeaway.
Skip the queue for the chippy and serve them at home with your own Homemade Oven Chips and a scoop of mushy peas. We bet they’d be cracking in a sandwich too – a bit like a fancy fish finger sarnie!
Talking of fancy fish fingers, you need to add these Salmon Fish Fingers into your meal plan next week. We make our breadcrumbs out of wholemeal bread and crisp them up in the oven until they’re golden and gorgeous.
ASDA Crispy Tempura Battered Haddock Goujons are available from Asda, priced at £2.50.
Fry’s Plant-Based Original Hot Dogs – 104 calories per serving
Nobody should have to miss out on a delicious hot dog every now and then. At 104 calories per serving, these Fry’s Plant-Based Original Hot Dogs put them back on the menu for everyone – vegans and slimmers included!
Packed with plant protein and infused with a smoky, hickory flavour, you won’t miss the meat one bit. Pop one into a hot dog bun and load it up with caramelised onions: the only tough decision is ketchup, mustard, or both!
These Sweet Potato Fries are the ultimate slimming-friendly side dish for your hot dogs. They couldn’t be easier to cook, and they make a welcome change to regular chunky chips.
Fry’s Plant-Based Original Hot Dogs are available from Asda, priced at £2.75 for a pack of 8.
Four Seasons Peas, Bacon & Onion With Parsley Butter – 141 calories per 1/4 pack
Why have the same old garden peas when you could have these Four Seasons Peas, Bacon and Onion With Parsley Butter? Mixed in with smoked bacon pieces and a rich parsley butter, the peas come loaded up with plenty of flavour.
Microwave them straight from frozen for a fuss-free side dish in minutes. Perfect for serving with your midweek meals, each tasty serving helps you on your way to 5-a-day.
Double up on bacon-y tastiness and serve these peas on the side of this Hunter’s Chicken. Our slimming-friendly take on the pub grub classic is just as cheesy as you could hope for – with plenty of tomatoey, barbecue sauce.
Four Seasons Peas, Bacon & Onion With Parsley Butter is available from Aldi, priced at £1.29 for a 400g bag.
Propercorn Sweet Cinnamon Popcorn – 125 calories per 25g serving
Time to plan a film night…we’ve spotted a brand-new flavour of Propercorn on the shelves this week. This Propercorn Sweet Cinnamon Popcorn promises a taste of warm cinnamon, with a hit of smooth caramel. Buttery, biscuity and mildly spiced, this one’s sure to make those taste buds happy!
Best of all, at 125 calories for a 25g serving, you can snack on the crunchy nibble without going off plan.
If cinnamon is your idea of a dreamy flavour, you couldn’t wish for an easier sweet treat than these flaky Cinnamon Swirls. Delicious with a cup of tea, you only need 4 ingredients and a spare half an hour to rustle up a batch (and they’re just 34 calories each!).
Propercorn Sweet Cinnamon Popcorn is available from Asda. priced at £1.80 for a 90g pack.
Magnum Collection Pistachio – 250 calories each
Who can say no to a new flavour of Magnum? The popular chocolate-covered ice cream is now available in this Magnum Collection Pistachio flavour, just in time for spring. The moreish nutty ice cream and smooth milk chocolate make for a winning combo that you can enjoy for only 250 calories.
With pistachio pieces set into the chocolate layer, this one is definitely for anyone who loves a nutty crunch. If you like the sound of these Magnums, we’re betting you’d probably also enjoy our Biscoff Swirl Ice Cream.
Made from just 3 ingredients, it’s dairy-free, vegan and completely irresistible. Biscoff and banana work so well together – you’ll want to stash some of this in the freezer for the next time you need a dessert in a hurry.
Magnum Collection Pistachio is available from Sainsbury’s, priced at £3.50 for a pack of 3.
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.
Royal Gala Apples – 52 calories per 100g
An apple a day helps you on your way to your 5-a-day! Crunchy and sweet, biting into a crisp apple can stop you rooting around in the snack cupboard in the middle of the day.
Munch on one as part of your lunch, or slice an apple and serve it with your breakfast. Such a versatile fruit, you can cook it into desserts or even use it in your dinner recipes.
Put this bag of bargain apples to good use and make our Apple Pie Porridge for breakfast next week!
Closed Cup Mushrooms – 17 calories per 100g
Getting plenty of nutrition isn’t tricky with mushrooms on the menu. Filled with vitamins and easy to cook, they’re a versatile veggie you can always count on. From risottos to pasta dishes to stews, they’ll add a deeper, satisfying flavour to so many dishes.
With mushrooms in the mix, our Mushroom Carbonara doesn’t leave you missing bacon or ham at all.
Seedless Red Grapes – 69 calories per 100g
When the craving for something sweet kicks in, we love to snack on grapes. They’re naturally sweet and so much better for you than processed snack bars. Pop some into a tupperware container and pack them up to keep those afternoon sugar cravings at bay!
Did you know you can also use grapes in salads? It might seem strange but it works so well! This fruity Chicken Waldorf Salad uses apples and grapes to create a light and refreshing dish that’s perfect for lunch.
Pineapple – 50 calories per 100g
Bursting with vitamin C, pineapple is perfect for adding extra goodness into your meals and snacks. Whether you slice it up to munch on throughout the day or add it to salads and other recipes, it’ll bring freshness and intense sweetness to your plate (we won’t even judge you if you like it on pizza!).
Trust us, you haven’t lived until you’ve tried the refreshing pineapple salsa that’s an essential part of this Pork Carnitas with Pineapple and Mango Salsa.
Red Onions – 41 calories per 100g
With more antioxidants than their white and brown counterparts, red onions are a super versatile veggie that you can enjoy raw or cooked. Sliced up in salads or chopped up and sautéed as the base of a Mediterranean-inspired sauce, it’s always handy to have a few in your kitchen.
While we love chunks of roasted red onion, it also tastes amazing when it’s simmered in a pan until it takes on a caramelised flavour, just like in our Caramelised Onion Quiche recipe. There’s never been a better time to give it a try!
Tenderstem Broccoli – 40 calories per 100g
With a more delicate flavour than regular broccoli, it’s easy to see why tenderstem broccoli is so popular and so versatile. It’s got a lovely, slightly nutty taste and a perfect crunch. You can cook and eat the whole stalk, meaning far less food waste. Almost any meal can be made a bit greener with a serving of this yummy veggie on the side!
It pairs perfectly with fish, so we’ll be adding a few stems onto the side of our Chilli and Lime Baked Salmon this week…
**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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