Today’s Weekly Pinch of Shopping is full of NEW goodies to celebrate that spring has sprung and brighten up your meal plan.
The Iced Latte Lollies make for a lovely, refreshing alternative to a hot cup of tea or coffee in the afternoon – just don’t have them too late, or you could be up all night!
Plus, we’ve bagged some crispy-coated Katsu chicken fillets (with an aromatic curry sauce) that you can have air-fried and ready to enjoy in less than 15 minutes. They’re just as yummy as restaurant versions!
There’s no better way to start a new season than with a midweek menu refresh. Our Air Fryer book is packed with tasty midweek dinners, light bites and sweet treats that’ll keep you feeling inspired year-round!
Grab a copy for yourself, or ‘add to basket’ for any upcoming spring birthdays, Mother’s Day or Easter. It’s the perfect foodie gift for an occasion, or just to say ‘I appreciate you!’
Tap the image below to order a copy.
Spotted any yummy-looking, slimming-friendly 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!
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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!**
1. Lipton Kombucha Mango & Passionfruit – 26 calories per can
When you fancy sipping on a chilled pick-me-up, reach for a can of Lipton Kombucha. While we took home their Mango and Passionfruit flavour, there are Blueberry and Strawberry and Mint flavoured cans available from the same range.
Low in sugar and calories, the fermented tea drink contains live cultures that are good for the gut – so you’ll give yourself an energising mood boost!
Our Mango and Raspberry Ice Cream puts the ‘fresh’ in refreshing. Made with frozen mango chunks, raspberries, bananas and granulated sweetener, it’s beautifully simple to make and heaps of fun to eat.
Remember, the spottier your bananas are, the sweeter your ice cream will be!
Lipton Kombucha Mango & Passionfruit is available from Morrisons, priced at £3.49 for a pack of 4 cans.
2. ASDA Cracking Chocolate Spread – 85 calories per 15g spread
We’re loving seeing all the colourful Easter goodies on the shop shelves already. This ASDA Cracking Chocolate Spread stood out to us as a fun way to liven up breakfasts (or sweet tea breaks!) throughout spring.
The gooey-sweet mix is gorgeous spread over toast, bagels and crumpets.
If you’re loving that Creme Eggs are in season, this Chocolate Creme Egg Cakes recipe will be up your street. We’ve kept things down to just 41 calories per portion, even with real icing inside.
You’ll be obsessed with how fabulous they look as part of an Easter party spread – we can promise, they really stand out!
ASDA Cracking Chocolate Spread is available from Asda, priced at £1.98 per jar.
3. Kallo Strawberry Puffed Oat Cakes – 108 calories per 3 oat cakes
We’re always excited to discover a new flavour of Kallo Puffed Oat Cakes, this time in summery strawberry! When you’ve got a hankering for something sweet, you can nibble on 3 oat cakes for only 108 calories in total.
Top them with a dollop of fat-free yoghurt, nuts, fruits or a drizzle of honey, if you fancy sprucing things up.
Strawberries and oats make for a dream team in our Strawberry Oat Muffins recipe. We like to rustle up a big batch and then keep them handy in an airtight container to snack on throughout the week.
For even more slimming-friendly inspiration, take a scroll through our favourite things to make with oats.
Kallo Strawberry Puffed Oat Cakes are available from Morrisons, priced at £3.00 per pack.
4. Seabrook Trebles Cheddar & Onion Flavour Crunchy Snacks – 98 calories per 20g serving
You’ve probably heard about the new Seabrook Trebles! We picked up the Cheddar and Onion bag, and we already know we’ll be going back for Paprika and Sea Salt and Cider Vinegar from the same range.
The flavours and the crunch are tripled in this all-new snack, compared with standard Seabrook crisps. We’ll let you be the judge of that – tell us if you agree in our Facebook group!
There’s no denying that cheese and onion is a match made in heaven, that’s why we put together our Cheese and Onion Pasties. You’ll only need a handful of ingredients, including tortilla wraps that double as our slimming-friendly pastry.
Make sure to crimp the edges with a fork so your classic filling is firmly sealed in.
Seabrook Trebles Cheddar & Onion Flavour Crunchy Snacks are available at Asda, priced at £1.48 per bag.
5. Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Chicken Jalfrezi Samosas – 246 calories per 2 samosas
There’s something about sunshine that makes us want picky bits! These Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Chicken Jalfrezi Samosas are spot on for a buffet or a curry night spread.
The light, crispy pastry is bundled around spiced chicken and peppers, infused with coriander and chilies.
We’ve kept our version of a Chicken Jalfrezi at a medium-hot level of spice, meaning the whole family can tuck in. Chop in extra chillies or sprinkle in more chilli powder, if you’re feeling brave.
A garnish of coriander is a must to take the flavours up a notch! We love using a fluffy naan to wipe our bowl clean.
Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Chicken Jalfrezi Samosas are available from Sainsbury’s, priced at £3.00 per pack.
6. Plant Menu Thai Vegetable Croquettes – 216 calories per 2 croquettes
Crack out your air fryer! These Plant Menu Thai Vegetable Croquettes are ready without a fuss in 20 minutes. Keep them handy in the freezer for when you fancy a breadcrumb-coated side dish – they’ll pair really nicely with a dip like our Sweet Chilli Sauce.
Our Chicken Pad Thai is delicious all on its own, or as part of a spread of Thai-inspired fakeaway dishes. We’ve used a surprising ingredient to get the best balance of flavours into our noodle bowl…Hellmann’s Tomato Ketchup sweetened with honey!
It’s also a delicious chance to cut down on food waste, since you can chop in any stray veggies looking lonely in your fridge.
Plant Menu Thai Vegetable Croquettes are available from Aldi, priced at £1.29.
7. Tilda Easy Meals Chickpea Korma – 363 calories per bag
When you’ve not got time to make lunch, this Tilda Easy Meals Chickpea Korma is a life-saver! You can serve up a creamy, aromatic combination of chickpeas and sweet potatoes in a coconutty sauce at a moment’s notice.
Simply pop the pouch in the microwave and wait 2 minutes for the ‘ping!’. You can also grab Vegetable Paella or Sundried Tomato and Beans to have on standby too.
The only thing better than how amazing our Indian-Style Fried Rice tastes, is how easy it is to stash away for a rainy day. You can keep portions in the freezer for up to 3 months, ready to spice up your dinner plate in a flash.
We drizzle every portion with a gentle squeeze of lime before serving.
Tilda Easy Meals Chickpea Korma is available from Sainsbury’s, priced at £2.50.
8. YO! Chicken Katsu – 251 calories per serving
It’s hard to miss the bright and colourful packaging for this Chicken Katsu from YO! Sushi. You can pop both fillets straight in your air fryer, and they’ll crisp up until golden within XX minutes.
You’ll also get an aromatic Katsu curry sauce in a separate pouch, ready to drizzle on top.
Speaking of fakeaways, this Loaded Fries with Katsu Curry Sauce is one of our go-tos when we’re in the mood for rich, sweet yet spicy Katsu goodness.
We’ve added an irresistible crunch with oven-baked fries and a scattering of crushed tortilla chips on top. Tap here to look for more Katsu inspiration.
YO! Chicken Katsu is available from Tesco, priced at £3.50 for a pack that serves 2.
9. Morrisons Iced Latte Lollies – 123 calories per lolly
Spring marks the start of iced coffee season! These Iced Latte Lollies offer something deliciously different from the drinks at your local coffee shop. The ice lollies are swirled with a creamy, satisfying, coffee-flavoured ice cream for only 123 calories per stick.
Head to Morrisons to stash them in your freezer!
If you’re a coffee lover, these Espresso Martini Trifles are the perfect pudding for you. With layers of boozy coffee jelly, chocolatey yoghurt, brownie pieces and cream, it’s the ultimate cocktail-inspired dessert.
Morrisons Iced Latte Lollies are available from Morrisons, priced at £2.50 for a pack of 4 lollies.
10. English Cheesecake Company Mint Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Bites – 137 calories per bite
English Cheesecake Company are back with yet another flavour we couldn’t resist: Mint Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Bites. These ones are stacked with luxuriously sweet ganache and a velvety layer of peppermint-infused cheesecake, over a chocolate biscuit base.
Indulgent and low in effort, just take them out of the freezer and leave them to thaw for a moment before you tuck in.
We never get bored of minty treats! Our light and airy Mint Chocolate Mousse pots take just 10 minutes to prepare, and they’re only 148 calories per ramekin.
Turn to page 216 in our Express book to whip them up without a pot of cream in sight!
English Cheesecake Company Mint Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Bites are available from Tesco, priced at £3.25 for a pack of 6 bites.
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 Super 6 selection:
- Red Grapes – 69 calories per 100g
- Limes – 30 calories per 100g
- Conference Pears – 64 calories per 100g
- White Mushrooms – 22 calories per 100g
- Leeks – 61 calories per 100g
- Chantenay Carrots – 35 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!**
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