As bolognese is a very handy dish to batch cook and freeze I thought I would share various ways you can use it for lunch and dinner. There are many recipes and ways to make Bolognese so feel free to use your own. I have included my syn-free Bolognese recipe below that can be doubled or tripled for batch cooking if you would like to try it.

Ingredients:

• Tinned Tomatoes (500g)
• Passata (500g)
• Lean mince (500g)
• 1 red pepper
• 1 or 2 onions
• 2 or 3 garlic cloves (depending on size ect)
• Pinch of Italian Seasoning
• Pinch of Salt

Method:

1. Chop up red pepper, onion and crush the garlic cloves
2. Spray frying pan with fry light and put on medium heat, put in mince and toss around until
3. all mince is brown
4. Put the red pepper, onion and garlic into frying pan and mix with mince for 3-5minutes
5. Place above mix into a pot and pour in pasata and tinned tomatoes.
6. Put pot on medium heat
7. Add salt and seasoning and mix together and cook for 10 minutes

Now that the recipe and method is taken care of, here are some of the fun ways you can have bolognese!

1. Spaghetti Bolognese

2. Pasta Bolognese

3. Lasagne

4. Bolognese on rice

5. Bolognese Baked Potato

6. Bolognese on a bed of lettuce

7. Bolognese stuffed pepper

8. Bolognese and Lettuce Wrap

9. Bolognese Pizza

10. Bolognese Potato Bake

I recently went down the wrong aisle in a local supermarket and found myself buying this tagine. I knew it looked cool, but wasn't really sure where to start with ideas for slow cooking. Slow cooking is popular with slimming world followers - Tagines not so much. However they are cheaper at about €25/£20 - and are similar to slow cookers in that there is little fuss, you don't need to use a ton of pots and pans. you can cook your meal over a number of hours and with the lid on, the moisture is retained, the flavours are teased out and the meat is delectably tender. 

The below recipe was inspired by a jamie oliver version, with a slimming world twist. Perfect to try out on a lazy sunday :)

Ingredients

• 1lb diced lamb (beef or chicken can also be used)
• Small tin of chickpeas
• 1/2 small butternut squash, diced
• 1 onion
• Frylight Spray
• Tin of chopped tomatoes
• 1 cup of vegetable stock
• Fresh coriander

For the spice Mix:

• 1 tablespoon chopped ginger
• 1 tablespoon ras al hanout spice mix
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
• Sea Salt and Black Pepper

Method:

1. In a bowl, mix the spice mix ingredients.
2. Add the lamb to the spice mix and massage using your hands - ensure the meat is well coated.
3. Cover with cling film and pop it in the fridge for a few hours (or overnight if you have the time to spare.)
4. Spray a pan with frylight and brown the lamb on a medium heat for 5 minutes.
5. Add the onions and fresh coriander and cook for a further 5 minutes.
6. Tip in the chickpeas, chopped tomato and half the stock
7. Bring to the boil and then take off the pan. At this point, transfer from the pan to the slow cooker or tagine. If using the slow cooker, cook on low for 90 mins. If using a tagine, cook in the oven for 90 mins on 160 degrees. 
8. After 90 minutes, add the butternut squash and cook for a further 90 minutes. 

Garnish with flaked almonds if desired (25g for healthy B). This is a hearty dish, but goes well with crusty brown bread, slimming world wedges or couscous. 

Happy Monday! Time to go shopping? I've been doing some scouring and below are some of the best deals in some of the top supermarkets. Grab them while you can! 

TESCO

Free Foods / Healthy Extra

• Philadelphia light (Healthy A) was £1.85 now £1
• Jacket Potatoes - 69p
• Napolina Tomato Passata - 50p per carton
• Napolina Chopped Tomatoes - 50p per tin
• East End Chickpeas 400g tin - 4 for £1
• John West No drain Tuna Steak - From £2 to £1.33
• Tesco Healthy Living Ginger, Lime & Chilli Chicken Breast Fillets - 2 for £6.50
• Muller Light All Flavours 12 for £3
• Activia 0% 4 pack yoghurts from £2 to £1
• Ryvita Multigrain Crisp Bread 250G from £1.29 to £1
• Ryvita Fruit Crunch Crisp Bread from £1.59 to £1
• Philadelphia Light Soft Cheese (Plain or G&H) was £1.85 now £1
• Kelloggs Special K Nourish Cereal with Cranberry, Red Apple & Pumpkin Seeds - 2 for £4 (40g for Healthy B)
• Robinsons No added sugar Squash, Many Flavours 2 for £2

Low Syn

• Tesco Chorizo & Chicken Kebabs, chilled 4 pack, 2 for £7 (1.5 syns each)
• Tesco Slow-Cooked Beef Brisket with Gravy - 2 for £6.50 (2 syns per pack)
• Liberté 0% Blueberry Yoghurt, 4 pack from £2.20 to £1.10 (1 syn each)
• Healthy Living Ready Meals, were £2.50 now £2 each (Various syn levels)
• Merchant Gourmet Puy Lentils ready to eat - £1.50 (2 syns per pouch)
• Fibre One Bars,, All Flavours - Was £2.89 Now £1.44 (4 syns each bar)

Full Slimming World-Friendly Tesco Shopping List here

ASDA

Free Foods / Healthy Extra

• ASDA Cook from Frozen Salmon Fillets - 2 for £5
• ASDA Cook from Frozen Chicken Breast Diced - 2 for £5
• Heinz Beanz Barbecue - was 95p now 50p
• ASDA Good & Balanced Broccoli Rice
• ASDA Grower's Selection Organic Potatoes was £1.50 now £1.20
• ASDA Chunky Mediterranean Vegetables was £1.40 now £1.25
• Quaker Oat So Simple Original Porridge 2 for £4 (45g as Healthy B)
• Mug Shot Tomato & Herb Pasta, was 80p now 50p

Low Syn

• Mcvities digestive thins (milk/ dark choc) was £1.69 now £1 (1.5 syns each)
• Mug Shot Macaroni Cheese Pasta, dried was 80p now 50p (2 syns per pack)
• Mug Shot Roast Chicken Pasta, was 80p now 50p (1 syn per pack)
• Fibre one all flavours, £1.50 (4 syns each)

Full Slimming World-Friendly Asda List Here

ICELAND

Free Foods / Healthy Extra

• Iceland Class 'A' 10 Large Fresh Eggs £1 / 2 for £1.60
• Deli Co Crumbed Lean Ham 14 Slices 300g - £1
• The Butcher's Market British Lean Beef Steak Mince Typically 5% Fat - 2 for £5
• Muller Light many flavours 3 for £1
• Activia 0% Fat No Added Sugar Peach Yogurt 4pk - 2 for £3
• Graham's Quark Naturally Fat Free 250g - was £1 now 90p
• Cathedral City Mature Lighter Cheese, 2 for £4.50
• Pepsi Max 3Litre - £1
• Iceland Ready Cooked Flame Grilled Chicken Breast Mini Fillets - 2 for £3
• Oxo 8pack Stock Pots - 2 for £3
• 24 Oxo Beef Stock Cubes - 2 for £3
• Uncle Bens Wholegrain/ Basmatic boil in the bag rice - 2 for £2
• Birds Eye Steam Fresh Super Sunshine Mix - 2 for £3
  Batchelors Original Mushy Peas - 3 for £1
• Weetabix Crispy Minis, Chocolate Chip (40g for Healthy B) - Was £2 now £1.50
• Iceland 2 Unsmoked Gammon Steaks - 2 for £4

Low Syn

• Flora Light Spread, was £3 now £2 - 1/2 syn per tsp
• Walkers Quavers Cheese Snacks 6x16g - £1 (4.5 syns per pack)
• Batchelors Super Rice Golden Vegetable / Chicken - 2 for £1 (1.5 syns per pack)
• McVitie's Rich Tea Classic - 2 for £1 (2 syns each)

Full Slimming World-Friendly Iceland List here

Ingredients:

• 3 eggs, separated
• 1 muller light yoghurt (strawberry adds a lovely sweetness)
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 20g "Chocolate Jazzies" (Lidl)
• 50g plain flour
• 2 tbsp sweetener

For the icing:
• 100g Quark
• 1 teaspoon Salted Caramel Essence
• 1 tbsp granulated sweetener

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 180 C.
2. Separate eggs and leave the whites aside. Mix the egg yolks, vanilla essence, muller light and sweetener.
3. Sieve the flour and cocoa into the egg mixture and mix well
4. Whisk the egg whites until they are fluffy and form soft peaks. Fold into the mixture gradually, aiming to keep the volume
5. Pop some cupcake liners into a cupcake tray
6. Pour the mixture gently into the liners and pop in the oven for about 20-25 minutes.
7. Meanwhile, mix the icing ingredients together and add to a piping bag
8. Take out the cupcakes and allow them to cool
9. Decorate the cupcakes. Garnish with chocolate jazzies.

When I started slimming world and as I became more educated about the choices I was making, Granola was one of those foods that I found out was typically much higher in sugar and fat than originally believed. So, I put it on the ol' "block list" and skimmed past it when I saw it in supermarkets.

Nutri-Brex reached out to see if I'd like to try their granola and to come up with some fun ways to use it. They had two varieties: ‘HONEY, ALMONDS AND SEEDS’ and ‘HAZELNUT, COCONUT AND QUINOA’.

 This granola has 50% less sugar than typical granola, is high in fibre and is packed with superfoods (almonds & grains), it sounded appealing - but step one was to check it on the slimming world app. It was more than reasonable at just 5 syns per 25g, so I got the thinking cap on, and came up with 5 ways to use it with slimming world.

1. Breakfast Bowl with toasted granola - 4 syns

This is a comforting breakfast as we get into the colder months. Not to mention, your house will smell delicious with the toasty cinnamon filling the air.

Ingredients:

• Fruit of choice (I used banana, pears, blueberries and clementines)
• Fat Free greek-style natural Yoghurt
• Pinch of cinnamon powder
• 20g Nutri-brex, honey, almonds and seeds.

Method:

1. Spray a small frying pan with frylight
2. Add the granola and the pinch of cinnamon
3. Toast for 3/4 minutes until the granola is golden
4. Slice fruit as desired and pop into a bowl
5. Add a dollop of fat free greek toghurt
6. Sprinkle the toasted granola on top and enjoy! 

2. Banana, Choc Shot and Granola Pops - 1.5 syns each

These are fun to make, ideal for a late night sweet treat. A decent substitute for an almond magnum :) if you have kids they will love these too.

Ingredients:

Serves 4 | 1.5 syns per Pop

• 2 Bananas
• 25g Nutri-brex almond, honey and seeds granola (5 syns)
• 4 tbsp Sweet Freedom Choc Shot (2 syns)

Method

1. Peel the bananas and cut in half. 
2. Spread the choc shot onto a bowl or plate
3. Gently roll the top of the banana into the choc shot, until evenly covered.
4. Sprinkle the granola over the chocolate covered area.
5. Place on a container, cover with cling film and put in the freezer for 3-4 hours.

3. Oaty Cinnamon Flapjacks - 1.5 syns each

For this recipe, regular oats make up the bulk of the recipe, with the granola acting as a crunchy topping. Enjoy these with a coffee as a breakfast, or an on the go snack.

Ingredients

• 80g Porridge Oats (2 x Healthy Extra)
• 25g Nutri-Brex Hazelnut, Quinoa & Coconut, (5 syns)
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp vanilla essence
• Pinch of cinnamon
• 1 muller light yoghurt (vanilla and dark choc)
• 2 heaped tbsp granulated sweetener (1 syn)

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees
2. In a medium sized bowl, whisk the egg. Add the sweetener, vanilla essence and muller light and mix.
3. Fold in the oats and cinnamon until well mixed.
4. Spray a loaf tin with frylight or line with baking paper
5. Pour in the mixture, ensuring an even spread
6. Sprinkle the Nutri-brex evenly on top of the mixture
7. Bake in the middle shelf for 20 mins or until golden brown.
8. Allow to cool, cut into 4 rectangular pieces.

4. Overnight Oats, Fruit and Granola Jar - 2.5 syns

In the morning, the oats will have absorbed much of the yoghurt, and the granola crunch on top really packs a punch. This will give you a hearty and filling start to the day.

Ingredients:

• 40g Porridge Oats
• 1 Heaped Tbps of Nutri-brex Hazelnut, Quinoa & Coconut, Granola
• Fruit of choice (I went for sliced pears, banana and blueberries.
• Any syn free yoghurt

Method:

1. Layer oats, yoghurt and fruit in that order. 
2. Add Nutri-brex as your top layer
3. Pop in the fridge overnight

5. Chocolate Crunch Pear Bites - 1.5 syns each

It's super simple to make these little bites, and they are a perfect snack if you are craving something sweet. Not to mention, pears are a speed food. Make sure your pears are nice and ripe, so that you don't lose a tooth :) 

Ingredients:

• 2 pears
• 4 teaspoons of Sweet Freedom Choc Shot
• 20g Nutri-Brex Granola

Method:

1. Cut the two pear sides just off the middle to avoid the core.
2. Add a teaspoon of crunchy granola to each
3. Drizzle a teaspoon of choc shot on top.

If you would like to get your hands on Nutri-Brex, you can buy it Ocado, Asda, Morrison’s and directly from www.nutribrex.co.uk

NOTE: This post is sponsored, but all opinions and recipes are my own. Syn Values are correct at time of posting and to the best of my knowledge.

Aldi have just controversially launched its "SlimFree" range. The range -  which can be found in the frozen section -  includes Slim Free Moroccan Vegetable Stew, Slim Free Three Bean and Vegetable Chilli, Slim Free Chicken Saag, Slim Free Tikka Masala and Slim Free Meatballs and Pasta.

So far, we know just that the meals are about 1/3 cheaper than Icelands offering, with the calorie count being lower than it's counterpart in many cases. We don't yet know for sure if the aldi slimfree meals are syn free - the official slimming world app does not contain information on the meals. 

There was a similar instance recently when Asda launched their Slimzone range, which they openly advertised as "Free" on Slimming World. Asda then pulled the range from their shelves.

Slimming World so far had remained tight lipped - merely stating "We’re aware of a new range of ready meals in Aldi and have no comment to make at this time.”

Have you tried the meals? Will this play out the same way as Asda's range did? Would love to hear your comments below. 

Pizza is universally enjoyed, I've yet to meet someone who doesn't get a little bit giddy at the thought :) There are a couple of options for creating a syn free pizza base on slimming world, so depending on what you have access to, you have three possible options:

1. Chicken Breast Pizza Base

Image Credit: Muscle Foods

How to make it:

1. Bash the chicken breast with a cooking mallet or a heavy can until flattened.
2. Season as desired, and bake in the oven for about 15-20 minutes.
3. Add toppings, such as passata (Free), Fresh Basil,  a measured amount of Cheese (Healthy A) and Meat and Veg of your choice.
4. Bake for a further 3-5 minutes as desired.

2. Aldi Wholemeal Bread Mix Pizza Base

How to make it:

1. Weigh out 60g of the bread mix, which will count as your healthy extra B choice
2. Add water and prepare as per the instructions on the pack.
3. Await about 30minutes for the dough to prove
4. Roll the dough to form a thin, circular base
5. Add toppings, such as passata (Free), Fresh Basil,  a measured amount of Cheese (Healthy A) and Meat and Veg of your choice.
6. Bake for 15-20 minutes on 180 Degrees.

3. Wrap Pizza Base

You can use any of the following wraps as a healthy B on Slimming World, which will make a perfect base for your pizza.

• BFree Foods Multigrain Wraps, Wheat & Gluten Free
• BFree Foods Quinoa & Chia Seed Wraps
• Weight Watchers White Wraps, Low Fat

How to make the wrap pizza base:

1. Spray a sheet of baking paper with frylight and lay out the wrap.
2. Smear the base with passata and tomato puree
3. Sprinkle with salt and pepper
4. Add toppings, such as passata (Free), Fresh Basil,  a measured amount of Cheese (Healthy A) and Meat and Veg of your choice.
5. Bake for 15-20 minutes on 180 Degrees.

For many of us following slimming world, muller lights are a staple. We have them for breakfast, as ingredients in low syn cakes and treats, and often for dessert. It's hard to keep up with muller, as they continue to add more options to their range. Below is a list of all types I could find and their syn values. 

Free (No Syn Value)

Muller Light Cherry (no under-layer)
Muller Light Raspberry and peach
Muller Light After Dinner Mint
Muller Light Smooth Toffee
Muller Light Turkish delight
Muller Light Coconut sprinkled with dark chocolate
Muller Light Orange sprinkled with Dark Chocolate
Muller Light Coconut with a hint of lime
Muller Light Vanilla
Muller Light Rhubarb Crumble
Muller Light Vanilla and chocolate sprinkles
Muller Light Mandarin
Muller Light Strawberry
Muller Light Raspberry and Cranberry
Muller Light Apple strudel
Muller Light Banana and custard
Muller Light Peach and pineapple
Muller Light Mango and passionfruit
Muller Light Summer berries (Limited edition)
Muller Light Peanut and caramel
Coffee Shop Inspired, Salted Caramel Cappuccino Yogurt
Coffee Shop Inspired Gingerbread Latte Yogurt
Coffee Shop Inspired Skinny Latte

0.5 Syns

Muller Light Greek style fruitopolis sublime strawberry
Muller Light Greek style fruitopolis tempting toffee
Muller Light Greek style fruitopolis coconut with a hint of vanilla
Muller Light Greek style fruitopolis luscious lemon
Muller Light Greek style fruitopolis morello cherry
Muller Light Greek style fruitopolis honeyed peach
Muller Light Greek style fruitopolis mango and lime
Muller Light Greek style fruitopolis summer berries
Muller Light nspired by Copacabana, Tropical Punch
Muller Light Inspired by Copacabana, Pineapple Crush
Muller Light Inspired by Copacabana, Passionfruit, Orange & Lime

1 syn

Lemon Cheesecake
New york style cheesecake
Kremas Whipped Greek Style Yogurt, Strawberry
Kremas Whipped Greek Style Yogurt, Mango & Passion Fruit
Whipped Greek Style Yogurt, Raspberry & Pomegranate

1.5 syns

Muller Light Cherry and chocolate sprinkles and syrup

2 syns

Muller Light Goodies - Coconut with Chocolate Flakes

2.5 syns

Muller light goodies, toffee with milk chocolate
Muller light goodies, lemon with meringue pieces
Muller light goodies, strawberry with white chocolate coated balls
Muller Fat Free Yogurt Drink Smooth Raspberry
Muller Fat Free Yogurt Drink Smooth Strawberry
Fat Free Yogurt Drink Skinny Cappuccino
Fat Free Yogurt Drink Smooth Multi-Fruit

3 syns

Fat Free Yogurt Drink Smooth Vanilla

3.5 syns

Muller light dessert chocolate fix layers, chocolate and caramel

4 syns

Muller light dessert chocolate fix layers, chocolate and white chocolate

4.5 syns

Mullerlight Dessert Chocolate Fix, Salted Caramel

5 syns

Muller light dessert chocolate fix, smooth milk chocolate
Muller Light Dessert Chocolate Fix, Orange Chocolate

Some great deals on your slimming world staples in Asda, Iceland and Tesco this week. 

TESCO

Free Foods / Healthy Extra

• Danone Light And Free Cherry Greek Style Yogurt 4 X115g, was £250 now £1.25
• Heinz Creationz Lentil Curry 390G - Was £1.29 Now 64p 
• Lancashire Farm Natural Fat Free Yogurt 1Kg - Was £1.40 Now £1.00 
• Tesco Flavoured Sparkling Water - All Varieties 4 for £1.50 
• Tesco Frozen Mini Chicken Breast Fillets 500g - 2 for £5
• Tesco fish pie mix 2 for £6 
• Tesco Taco Canned Mixed Beans in a Spicy Tomato Sauce / Three Bean Salad / mixed bean salad in water - 2 for £1
• Tesco Meat Free Vegetarian Mince / Meat Free Burgers frozen - 3 for £4
• Heinz Soup Of The Day Chicken And Parsnip 400G - Was £1.40 Now 70p (200g for Healthy B)
• Philadelphia Light Soft Cheese 280G -  Was £2.40 Now £1.20 - (75g for Healthy A)
• New Covent Garden Vegetable Soup 700G - Was £2.35 Now £1.17, (300g for healthy B)

 Low Syn

• Batchelors Pasta Pot Cheese And Broccoli 65G - Was £1.09 Now 50p - 1.5 syns
• Cadbury Milk Chocolate Fingers 2 X 114G packs - Was £2.49 Now £1.24 - 1.5 syns each
• Maryland Thins Milk And Dark Chocolate Cookies 128G - Was £1.59 Now 79p - 2 syns each
• Flora Light Spread 500G - Was £1.80 Now £1.00 - 0.5 syns per tsp
• Muller Light Goodies Toffee Yogurt 4 X107g, Was £2.50 Now £1.25 -  2.5 syns per tub
• Nestle Milkybar Mousse 4 X55g - Was £1.40 Now 70p - 4.5 syns per tub
• Mattessons Fridge Raiders Bbq Chicken Bites 60G -Was £1.29 Now 64p - 3.5 syns per pack
• Any 3 Quorn items for £5 (Varying Syns)
• Linda Mccartney Chorizo Sausage - Was £2.00 Now £1.50 - 0.5 syns each
• Mccain Quick Chips Crinkle Cut 4 X 100G -  2 for £3, 3 syns per box
• Tesco Strawberry Laces - 3 for £1 - 0.5 syns each

Full Slimming World-Friendly Tesco Shopping List here

ASDA

Free Foods / Healthy Extra

• ASDA Cook from Frozen Salmon Fillets - 2 packs for £5 
• ASDA Fat Free Quark - was 90p now 75p
• Mullerlight Fat Free Greek Style Yogurt, 0% Added Sugar, Skinny Latte - 2 for £2
• Twinings Ginger Bread / Salted Caramel / Cherry Bakewell Green Tea Bags - was £2.69 now £2
• Naked Noodle Singapore Curry Egg Noodles - was £1.19 now 79p
• ASDA Good & Balanced Leek & Potato Soup Mix was £1 now 75p
• Schar White Ciabatta Roll, Gluten & Wheat Free 4 pack was £2 now £1.60 (1 roll for Healthy B)
• ASDA Spicy Bean & Chipotle Chilli Soup was 67p now only 50p (200g for Healthy B)

Low Syn

• Naked Noodle Thai Massaman Curry Noodles - was £1.19 now 79p -  2 syns per pot
• Young's Gastro Lightly Dusted Sicilian Lemon & Parsley Cod Fillets - 2 for £5 - 1 syn per fillet
• Young's Gastro 2 Lemon & Herb Tempura Basa Fillets 2 pack - 2 for £5 - 1 syn per fillet
• Schwartz Slow Cookers Recipe Mix Chicken Curry (33g sachet) - 4 for £2 - 3.5 syns per pack
  McCain Oven Chips, 5% Fat, Crinkle Cut - was £2.60 now £1 - 2 syns per 100g
• Sunbites Popcorn Sweet & Salty, 6 pack 3 for £3 - 2.5 syns per pack
• Asda Hearty Steak & Ale with Mash, 3 for £6 - 5 syns per pack

Full Slimming World-Friendly Asda List Here

ICELAND

Free Foods / Healthy Extra

• Alpen Light Bars Chocolate & Fudge / Jaffa cake Multipack 5 x 95g - £1 (2 for healthy B)
• Primula Cheese Spread, Light was £1.44 now £1 (75g for healthy B)
• Muller light Fat Free Yoghurt, all flavours- 4 for £2
• Activia 0% Fat No Added Sugar Peach Yogurt 4 x 125g, 2 for £3
• Mug Shot On The Go! The Big One! Chow Mein Noodles 2 for £1.50
• Mug Shot On The Go! The Big One! Bolognese Pasta 2 for £1.50
• Mug Shot Snack Stop BBQ Flavour Noodles, (other flavours available) 3 for £1

Low Syn

• Iceland Meal For One Spaghetti & Meatballs , £1 - 3 syns per pack
• Iceland Chicken Grills, BBQ, frozen 6 pack, (80g each), £2 - 2.5 syns per grill

Full Slimming World-Friendly Iceland List here

Hey folks!

I just realised I have talked a lot about slimming world shopping lists for specific stores but I never got around to doing a generic, syn free shopping list which applies across the board. Shame on me! Time to put it right :)

So it may be overdue but better late than never! Here is a list of recommended slimming world shopping list items:

Meat/Fish/Poultry

• Meat is free when you remove all visible fat! I would always go for:
• Extra lean mince (less than 5%)
• Baked ham
• Beef Steaks
• Lambs Liver (not everyones fave but high in iron and delicious with garlic 'n onion)
• Turkey Mince / Fillets
• Whole Chicken or chicken pieces (syn the skin if you're having it)  
• All fish is free, I read before that its ideal to have one white fish per week (such as cod/hake) and one oily fish such as mackerel or salmon.

Meat alternatives

• Quorn products such as mince, sausages, etc
• Linda McCartney sausages - low syn or no syns for the rosemary ones!
• Tofu

Cupboard items

I like to refer to these as the apocalyptic necessities.  Great to have at hand and have a long shelf life, so you can buy them in bulk without worrying about them going off!

• Tinned / Chopped or Plum Tomatoes
• Tinned Chickpeas
• Tinned Ravioli
• Baked Beans
• Butter beans
• Kidney Beans
• Tinned Tuna/Salmon in brine
• Frylight

Dairy

• Eggs, and lots of em
• Milk (skimmed or semi skimmed is best)
• Cheese (rule of thumb - the stronger the better as you will use less! Reduced fat cheese goes further too)
• Philadelphia light
• Fat free cottage cheese or Quark
• Fat free natural yoghurt
• Fat free flavoured yoghurts such as Muller Light or Activia 0%

Herbs and spices

These are super important for adding flavour and variety to your slimming world meals, also helpful for staving off cravings.I recommend these as staples:

Chilli flakes

Chilli Powder

Curry Powder

Sea Salt

Garlic Salt

Black Pepper

Hoisin Sauce

Stock Cubes and Stock Pots

Cumin, Turmeric, Gara Masala

Ginger

Thyme

Rosemary

Coriander

Soy Sauce

Potatoes/Pasta/Rice

• All types of potatoes can be enjoyed, I tend to get rooster potatoes for chipping and baby potatoes for more dainty dishes!
• All types of plain rice are a good choice, just try to avoid the frozen rice or those which require microwaving since these may have oil added, or even sugar.
• As regards pasta / noodles most dried varieties are free, but fresh pasta must be synned.
• Cous Cous and Quinoa are also free and delicious!

Cereals

Thinking of Healthy B - friendly foods here you will want to look out for high fibre breads, cereals and cereal bars. There are many more cereals which you can use, however I find the below more dynamic in terms of the ways they can be enjoyed: 

Bread:

• B Free Gluten Free Wraps (excellent for a pizza base)
• Wholemeal bread (rule of thumb - 2 slices from a 400g loaf and at least 6% fibre)

Cereal:

• Shreddies
• Weetabix (Try Weetabix muffins!)
• All Bran 
• Bran Flakes
• Porridge Oats (Overnight oats are a must-try)
• Ryvita Crackerbreads

Fruit and Veg

With the odd exception, you can't go wrong when choosing your fruit or veg. One surprise for me was to find the Avocado was quite high in syns. Personally my staple veg that I know I will eat and will fill me up would be:

• Onions
• Tomatoes
• Broccoli
• Asparagus
• Carrots
• Parsnips
• Spinach

For fruit, it's best to load up on speed fruits but most fruits are free. my favourites are:

• Bananas
• Melon
• Berries of any type
• Easy Peeler Mandarins
• Grapes
• Kiwis

As promised you can find the downloadable link for this list here

If there is anything that you find absolutely essential which I've left off the list, do let me know in the comments :) 

Why is it that nothing comes close to hi-fi bars when it comes to Low Syn Treats (healthy extra) treats. The bars range from 3-5 syns each and they can also be used as your healthy extra B choice.

As an online slimming world member, its been a bother to me to not have easy access to these, since they had only been sold in slimming world classes.

Gladly, that problem is now solved :) Slimming World have answered my prayers and are now allowing members to buy boxes of their hifi bars online through the website. Each member can buy either 5 or 10 boxes per calendar month, and they will deliver them to your house for a fee. I recently went onto slimming world online and bought some of the chocolate orange and double chocolate flavours. They have already saved me from many bad choices at 3PM in work, or late at night. 

You can find these within the "shop" section on the official slimming world website. Enjoy!

Every so often, you'll discover something new that is delightfully low in syns, be it in in a chat group or otherwise. As I stroll through the supermarkets or browse online, I tend to look out for low syn, low sugar items with a free food as the main ingredient. This way, I am guaranteed to find some exciting  and low syn items to share with the slimming world community. 

1. Tesco Finest Chicken in Cabernet Sauvignon Wine - 3 syns per serving

Tesco's Finest Range offers slightly more gourmet offerings, and this tends to mean gorgeous rich ingredients. So when one of these options ends up being low-syn it's a great day for those on slimming world. A half pack of this Chicken and mushroom in a rich wine gravy is just 3 syns, and is a hearty wintery easy meal, perfect with a side of slimming world oxo roasties. 

3 syns per half pack

2. Marks and Spencers extremely chocolatey brownie mini bites - 2.5 syns each

This tub of chocolatey brownie bites from M&S look promising! With the promise of rich, indulgent and fudgy brownies at just 2.5 syns, we are reminded just what an empowering plan slimming world is :)

3. Mattesons Fridge Raiders Smokin' BBQ Chicken Bites - 3.5 syns per pack

A savoury fix is an essential to have on standby. There are plenty of low-syn crisps out there, but in my experience they tend to be airy and light, not a great combination if you want to feel satisfied after eating them. This 60g pack of 100% chicken breast bites will give you the flavour burst you might crave, but will keep you fuller longer. 

4. Heinz Creationz Lentil Curry - Free

Heinz creations have developed this vegetarian lentil curry, which is totally syn free. Add chicken or beef if you fancy it, and serve with rice or these syn free onion bhajis.

5. Aldi Corale Beef Ravioli - 2 syns

Ravioli is almost a meal in itself,  and I'd recommend pairing this with some roasted vegetables or a salad. To get a proper fill it can also be enjoyed as a side dish.

Have you tried any of the above low-syn supermarket finds or come across something new and interesting that you fellow slimmers can enjoy? Let us know in the comments below! 

Remember, we have curated slimming world shopping lists for all of the supermarkets mentioned here and more. You can view these here. 

Life happens, we deserve a holiday here and there, or a blow out meal. Other times, a few weeks will pass on slimming world where you feel you've hit a plateau. So - having a few SP meals here and there can really accelerate your losses and get you back on track on your journey.

With that said, the challenge is to come up with ideas when there are only very specific foods you can eat. to help you along, we've dug up 27 ideas for you all! Catch them below.

• Beef Stir Fry - beef strips, green and red peppers, mushrooms, onions, carrots and soy sauce.

• Bacon and mushroom crustless quiche

• Baked salmon with scrambled eggs, baby tomatoes and broccoli.

• Carrot & coriander soup

• Diet cola/fanta chicken with cauliflower rice.

• Chicken & Mediterranean vegetable quiche

• Healthy extra B chicken salad wrap

• Italian Style Courgettes

• Smoked salmon and cream cheese omelette

• Speedy mince with broccoli and green beans.

• Spicy Lentil Soup

• Tomato & Basil soup

• Speedy Bolognese with courgette spaghetti.

• Cheesy Broccoli Bake

• Cauliflower Pizza

• Chicken Pizzaiola with broccoli and green beans

• Cottage pie with swede mash topping

• Chicken curry with broccoli and green beans.

• King prawn dhansak

• Extra lean steak, courgette spaghetti and speedy vegetables.
   

• Oriental pork kebabs with green salad.

• Oven-baked meatballs

• Grilled salmon with a speedy salad.

• Pizza topped chicken breast with a crispy salad or roast vegetables.

• Salmon curry with cauliflower rice.

• Slimming world burger with a speedy salad.

• Healthy extra B of your choice with scrambled egg, peeled plum tomatoes, baked beans and mushrooms.

Did you even have a Christmas if you haven't had a mince pie? They can be high in syns though, with most mince pies setting you back 15-20 syns. If you make your own with a few clever swaps, you will save many syns for the many other Christmas indulgences. 

There are many recipes out there for low syn mince pies, coming in at 1 or 2 syns each. However, they are often tiny! These ones are closer to the real deal.

TIPS! Mincemeat is hard to come by, but you can save time by ordering online. Why not try the family favourite: Robertsons Classic Mincemeat.

You can save 8 syns from the recipe (or 1 syn per pie) by choosing to make a baked apple and mincemeat filling. (225g baked apple & 1 level tbsp of mincemeat for healthy B) 

Ingredients

• Frylight (preferably butter flavour)
• 225g Plain Flour
• 110g Margarine
• Pinch of Salt
• 16 tbsp Mincemeat
• 1 level tbsp icing sugar, to dust

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas Mark 5. Lightly spray some bun tins with low calorie cooking spray.
2. Make the pastry. Sift the flour and salt into a mixing bowl. Add the fat and gently rub it in with your fingertips.
3. Add sufficient cold water to mix to a ball that leaves the sides of the bowl clean. Rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.
4. Roll out the pastry thinly on a lightly floured surface. Cut out 32 rounds with a 7.5cm/3 inch fluted cutter. Use to line the prepared bun tins.
5. Divide the mincemeat between the pastry cases. Roll out the remaining pastry trimmings and make some little stars with a star cutter. Use to decorate the tops of the tarts.
6. Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes, until the pastry is crisp and lightly coloured. Cool on a wire rack and dust lightly with the icing sugar.

With just over 2 weeks to Christmas (how did that happen!?) it's time to start stocking up on the festive favourites we look forward to each year. These supermarket finds are both time savers and syn savers, which will hopefully leave you with more time to relax with your loved ones and less chance of overdoing the syns over the Christmas period :) 

Skinny Brands lager - 4.5 syns a bottle

Christmas day can be a boozy affair, and beer is typically quite high syns. This Skinny Brands Lager is delicious though, and at jus 4.5 syns a bottle it's worth getting a couple of bottles in! This is available in Asda and some other supermarkets, or you can order a batch through this link on Amazon.

Auntie Bessie's Mini Yorkies - 1/2 syn each

These little puffs of yorkshire pudding can act as a base for your own canapés, or as a side to a roast perfect for soaking up gravy.

Lidl Deluxe Mini Mince Pies - 4 syns each

These traditional mince pies are very reasonably sized, and have a delicious filling of spiced brandy mincemeat. The perfect festive dessert and just 4 syns a pop.

Tesco Finest Chorizo, red pepper and manchego cups - 1/2 syn each

These are an interesting find, could be served as a pre-dinner snack or nibbled on between the many meals of Christmas! Really low syn too, so no guilt here :)

Tesco mini roast potatoes with light seasoning, 2 syns per half pack.

These are certainly a convenience buy, to save you having to peel chop and season your roasties why not get a couple of trays of these mini roasties and put your feet up for a short while.

You may also like these articles:
Oxo Roasties
Ham and Egg Cups
Low Syn Mince Pies
Low Syn Boozing

Have you come across any other new and interesting festive low syn treats? Let me know in the comments! And a Happy Christmas to all of you <3

Slimming World continues to be very diligent about syn values and what constitutes as "free" when following the plan. The latest favourites affected by this are the Batchelors Pasta 'n Sauce range, and the ever popular Mugshot range. Both would previously would have had many free options to choose from, but have now been reviewed and assigned a syn value. The syns range from 1-3 syns depending on the type.

Slimming World have spoken out on this on their website:

 "The team at our Head Office who look after our food databases are always busy making sure that the guidance you get gives you the very best chance of slimming success.

Knowing how much the pasta and noodle ‘landscape’ has changed over recent years, they’ve taken a closer look at how they evaluate the different types of pasta and noodles in snack pots and sachets.

“These extra checks have highlighted that these products are not as bulky, filling or satisfying as we thought (in fact the amount of pasta and noodles in some of them is really very low).

And as a result some that were previously free now have a small syn value ranging from ½ syn to three syns. Plain dried pasta and noodles are still free.”

The Mugshot team are in talks with Slimming world regarding the change, as those following the plan likely were a significant segment of their customer base.

This news comes with mixed reactions from those on plan -- we have those who found them a tasty time saver, ideal for a quick snack or lunch. On the flipside, there are others who are happy that Slimming World have done the research and re-categorised the pasta snacks. How do you feel about this change?

Dirty rice is a recent phenomenon is slimming world circles, due to it being a delicious and inexpensive option for lunch or dinner. A massive batch can be cooked, and it can be refridgerated for 2-3 days. This dirty rice dish has origins in the "Dirty South", the southern states of america known for soul food which satisfies the appetite wholly.

For this reason, my spin on dirty rice is an adaptation of a Louisiana recipe. The below quantities serves 4.

Ingredients

• Frylight 
• 1/2 lb 5% pork mince
• 1/2 cup sliced onion
• 1/2 cup sliced red pepper
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 cups long grain white rice
• 1/4 cup beef stock
• Dash of Tabasco, or other Louisiana hot sauce, to taste

For the spice mix

• Finely sliced jalapeno pepper (1/2 tbsp would be mild, a full tbsp for medium, etc)
• 1/4 tsp ground coriander
• 1/4 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• Pinch of salt

Method:

1. Pre-cook the long grain rice until fluffy, and set aside.
2. Spray a large skillet or frying pan with frylight.
3. When the pan is hot, add the peppers, onion and pork mince and allow them to saute.
4. Add the bay leaves, jalapenos and spices and stir through the ingredients for a further 2-3 minutes until the smell of the spices fills the room! 
5. Add the beef stock and rice and cook for a further 3 minutes, stirring throughout.
6. Serve in a bowl, with tabasco / hot sauce to taste.

Hash Browns are a classic and you'd be hard pushed to find someone who doesn't love them. They are a great accompaniment to a slimming world fry up. They take a bit of TLC when it comes to the preparation, and it all pays off. So what is the trick to a lovely hash brown? The right type of potato. Waxy potatoes will stick to your hands as you make these, and are quite dry. Starchy potatoes are the key to the perfect hash brown, for that delicious crispy on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside texture.

Ingredients

• 2 large starchy potatoes (Rooster / Maris Piper / Golden Wonder or any of these varieties)
• 1 egg, lightly whisked
• 1/2 onion, diced very finely
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• Frylight
• Salt and Pepper

Method

• Use a grater to finely shred the potatoes into a bowl of water.
• Drain the potatoes and pat dry
• Add the onion, egg, garlic powder, salt and pepper and gently mix ingredients together
• Spray a frying pan with frylight and put on a medium heat
• When the pan is hot, spoon a dollop of the mixture onto the pan. 
• Cook for 3 minutes each side or until golden brown and cooked through.

Tips:

When frying the hash browns on the pan, allow at least 1 inch of space between each. This ensures that steam can escape, so that they become crisp.
These can also be oven baked. Spray all over with Frylight, and scoop onto parchment paper. Bake for 25 minutes on 200 degrees C.

 

Back at it again with the latest low syn supermarket finds! With the hot weather, I've had my eye out for summery treats to keep us motivated, inspired and on plan throughout the hot weather. Keep scrolling for the latest batch of low syn supermarket finds for July 2018.

1. Walkers Sunbites Popcorn - Variety Pack (3 syns per pack)

I must be late to the party with these, but I picked these up in Lidl recently and was so impressed. What I love about the variety pack is that depending on the craving for something sweet or savoury, you have both options! They are perfect size to bring out as an emergency snack or to throw in a picnic box. Sunbites popcorn are 3 syns per pack.

2. Aldi Live Well 5% Fat Mediterranean Quarter Pounders - 0.5 syn each

Found in the frozen section of Aldi, The Live Well range is a nice new addition with many items under 1 syn. These juicy little quarter pounders are packed with Mediterranean herbs and spices. Of course they are no replacement for the ultimate slimming world burger, but none the less are a convenient option which will set you back just a half of a syn. Available also in a Tex-Mex style at 1/2 syn each. Perfect for a BBQ, although it is best to thaw them beforehand to be safe.

3. Pow Cow High Protein Frozen Yoghurt - 5 syns per portion

Enjoy the weekend with a tub of guilt free Pow-Cow! We make any weekend sweeter and healthier! #PowCow #guiltfree #slimmingworld #weekend pic.twitter.com/13cEf6fxLf

— PowCow (@powcowofficial) August 6, 2017

Came across Pow Cow Frozen Yoghurt this in Lidl when I was in one of my extreme chocolate-craving moments, right beside the Haagen Dasz! This is really chocolatey, with a lovely texture and feels like an indulgent treat. Tip: Let it sit for 15 minutes outside the freezer before eating! 

4. Tesco Fat Free Strawberry Quark - 1 syn per 250ml Tub

Continuing on the dessert train, Tesco have released a new strawberry flavoured quark. Delicious on it's own, I'm looking forward to using this as an ingredient in baked oats, as icing on a low syn cake, or even better - to make a low syn cheesecake. 

5. Pimm's Ice Popsicles - 1 syn each

STOP THE LIGHTS! I've certainly saved the best till last with these. Made using Pimm’s No.1, lemonade, cucumber, strawberries and mint these are the perfect cool-down in the summer heat. And at 32 calories they are just 1 syn each. It's important to note that these have 4.3% alcohol so keep them away from the kids!

Have you tried any of the above low-syn supermarket finds or come across something new and interesting that you fellow slimmers can enjoy? Let us know in the comments below! 

Remember, we have curated slimming world shopping lists for all of the supermarkets mentioned here and more. You can view these here. 

Beef mince is so versatile and delicious, it's no huge wonder it's a staple for those following the slimming world plan. When 5% fat or lower, it is free to enjoy on slimming world. There are plenty of recipes out there which incorporate speed foods, other free foods and healthy extras to allow for a ton of variety when deciding how to use your bumper pack of mince :) You can also freeze most meals made with beef mince for up to 3 months. Lots of potential for bulk cooking and economically friendly too. 

1. Taco Chips / Nacho Style Fries
2. Spaghetti Bolognese
3. Cottage Pie
4. Doner Kebabs
5. Stuffed Bell Peppers
6. Chilli con carne
7. Soft beef Tacos
8. Burgers
9. Big Mac in a bowl
10. Meatloaf
11. Classic Lasagne
12. Beefy Pasta Bake
13. Beef Hotpot
14. Beef Fajitas
15. Beef Burrito
16. Cornish Pasty
17. Meatball Marinara
18. Spaghetti & Meatballs
19. Spicy meatball pasta
20. Meat feast pizza
21. Greek style koftas
22. Taco Lasagne
23. Sweet soy beef lettuce cups
24. Spicy beef pizza (wholegrain wrap base)
25. Beef Ziti Bake

For those wanting an even lower calorie option, try swapping out the beef mince with turkey mince -- a lot of the above will work beautifully with it.  

What are your favourite beef recipes? Comment below!