Your Slimming Essentials – The Weekly Pinch of Shopping 28.08

This week’s Weekly Pinch of Shopping is full of tasty treats – they might taste naughty, but they’re sooo nice – as well as some time saving products and substitutes for higher calorie items!

This week we’re showcasing some slimming essentials for cooking including reduced fat curry sauce, lightly spiced chicken mince and even ketchup made from a surprising ingredient.

This list wouldn’t be complete without some sweet treats too, so look out for guilt-free cookies, soft marshmallow snacks and a refreshing bit of fizz to wash it all down with!

Some of these products have been mentioned over on our Facebook Group, so if you’re not already a member then click the link here to join as there are always loads of exciting, new products being mentioned.

We’ve tried to show you items 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 do remember that all prices are correct at the time of us writing this article and should be used as a guide only.

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Iceland 100% Fish Fillet Strips Tandoori – 271 calories per 100g

These fish fillets have taken the internet by storm recently and for good reason – they’re absolutely delicious and so quick and easy to cook!

Iceland’s Tandoori 100% Fish Fillet Strips are made from 100% basa fillets which is a tasty alternative to cod or haddock.

These tandoori strips are coated in a spicy batter which we absolutely LOVE, but if you’re not a fan of spice then you can also get these fillets in a pakora or salt and vinegar flavoured batter.

The Iceland Tandoori 100% Fish Fillets are £3 per bag and are a perfect slimming essential to have on hand in the freezer.

LEON Beetroot Ketchup – 26 calories per tbsp

We love using beetroot in cooking for its rich colour and earthy flavour, like our Spiralized Apple and Beetroot Salad, but we’d never considered it as a key ingredient in ketchup.

LEON Beetroot Ketchup brings one of the restaurant chain’s most popular sauces to the supermarket, and it makes a rich table sauce that uses natural sugars.

Try a dollop with our Pizza Twists with Pizza Dip.

Sainsbury’s are currently selling LEON Beetroot Ketchup at £2.50 for a 290ml bottle.

Heck Simply Chicken Seasoned Chicken Mince – 142 calories per ¼ pack serving\

You might have heard of Heck because of their sausages, but this new product is a little bit different.

Heck Simply Chicken Seasoned Chicken Mince is super low in fat – just 3%! – and is also high in protein and gluten free.

At just 142 calories per serving, it’s a great, low calorie alternative to meats like beef.

This mince comes in three different flavours, Simply Chicken, Spring Chicken and Chicken Italia and would be a really good way to add a twist to some of our classic recipes like our Lasagne.

You can find this Heck Simply Chicken Seasoned Chicken Mince in Sainsburys for £3.50 a pack.

Bottlegreen Pomegranate & Elderflower Sparkling Presse Drink – 20 calories per 100ml

The perfect choice for when you fancy something fizzy and sweet without tons of unnecessary calories and artificial nasties.

This Bottlegreen Pomegranate & Elderflower Sparkling Presse Drink is not only free from artificial colours, preservatives and flavours, but it’s also suitable for vegan diets – result!

A non-alcoholic alternative to rose, this refreshing sparkling presse is a delicious combo of two of our favourite flavours – and it’s super tasty with a splash of vodka too.

You can grab this from Sainsburys where it’s currently on offer at £1.50 for a 750ml bottle (usually £2.50 a bottle).

Waitrose Vegan Spanish Style Whirls – 117 calories per whirl

Sweet and smoky Spanish sausages are a real treat but usually laden with oil and pretty high in fat.

We’ve spotted these alternatives made from mushroom and onion, spiced with garlic and chilli, and they’re suitable for vegans too.

You could serve these Waitrose Vegan Spanish Style Whirls with Creamy Mash or as part of a simple tapas buffet (Patatas Bravas, anyone?).

They even come in Italian Style!

These are priced at £2.24 for a pack of 3 at Waitrose.

Sharwood’s Tikka Masala Reduced Fat Curry Sauce – 88 calories per ¼ jar serving

Nothing beats a homemade curry sauce, but for those days when life gets busy, Emily Brightman over on our Facebook Group let us know about Sharwood’s Tikka Masala Reduced Fat Curry Sauce.

Store bought curry sauces are often packed full of fat and extra calories, but Sharwood’s Tikka Masala Reduced Fat Curry Sauce has 30% less fat than your usual jar sauce and no artificial flavours or colours.

They also make a Korma flavour and both are suitable for veggies.

They’re really tasty, but in our humble opinion, still not quite as good as our Chicken Tikka Masala Curry or our Chicken Korma Curry (sorry Sharwoods!).

You can find this Sharwood’s Tikka Masala Reduced Fat Curry Sauce in most supermarkets for around £1 a jar.

ASDA Butcher’s Selection Honey & Sriracha Turkey Breast Steaks – 127 calories per steak

It’s no secret that we love spicy food and we were SO excited when we found these turkey steaks!

ASDA Butcher’s Selection Honey & Sriracha Turkey Breast Steaks are gluten free, low in fat, high in protein and – at 127 calories per steak – which is great for anyone following a diet plan or counting calories.

Perfect when paired with our Homemade Oven Chips, Coleslaw or a fresh, mixed salad for a delicious quick dinner when you’re pushed for time.

You can find these in Asda at £3 for a pack of three steaks.

Mallow & Marsh range – ranging between around 79 and 134 calories per serving 

No list of slimming essentials would be complete without a chocolatey treat, right?

Fluffy flavoured marshmallow, coated in a rich 70% dark chocolate coating, the Mallow & Marsh range contains marshmallows with a twist.

It includes delicious salted caramel, vanilla, and raspberry flavoured marshmallows and makes a great afternoon pick-me-up.

You can get individual squares in larger packs, or handy bars for a treat on the go. 

We’ve found Mallow & Marsh at most major supermarkets for around £2.50 for a 100g bag, or £1.35 for a single serving bar.

Maryland Chocolate Chip Cookies Sugar Free – 47 calories per cookie

We love settling down with a cuppa and a biscuit, but usually chocolate chip cookies are packed full of additional sugar.

Maryland Sugar Free Chocolate Chip Cookies are only 47 calories per cookie, and really hit the spot when you’re craving a sweet biscuit without sabotaging your slimming plan.

They’re also free of artificial colours, preservatives and suitable for veggies which makes them a winner in our book.

We’ve spotted these at Waitrose, Sainsbury’s and Tesco for around £1.50 per pack.

Lindahls Pro Kvarg Lemon Cheesecake – 92 calories per pot

We usually think of quark as a creamy cheese used in many savoury dishes like a Crustless Quiche Lorraine, but don’t be surprised that it also makes a deliciously rich base for a sweet dessert!

Each Lindahls Pro Kvarg Lemon Cheesecake is fat free and contains a whopping 18g of protein to keep you fuller for longer.

At only 90 calories with a sweet lemony cheesecake flavour, these pots are an ideal after-dinner dessert.

Try one in our Summer Berry Dessert for a refreshing twist.

You can pick these up at Morrison’s where they’re currently on offer at 4 for £3 or 95p each.

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