The Weekly Pinch of Shopping: The Last of the Summer Sunshine Edition
It’s that time again! Welcome to your latest edition of the Weekly Pinch of Shopping. This week’s all about making the most of the last of the summer sunshine with some good old fashioned party grub!
Whether you’re firing up the grill or your oven’s got this one covered, we’ve scoured supermarket shelves to come up with plenty of main event, snacking, and sweet treat options to populate your party table. Think juicy pre-marinated kebabs, crispy mac and cheese bites, refreshing fizzy seltzers, and delicious cream cheese-topped carrot cake.
Now that your shopping list is sorted, all you need to do is grab your trusty tongs (or oven mitts)!
While we have you – it might be 20 degrees outside at the moment, but it won’t be long before the days start getting shorter and the colder evenings creep up. Fortunately for you, our new book – Pinch of Nom: Slow Cooker – is hitting shelves on September 25th. Pre-order your copy today to stay one step ahead of the autumn chill!
It’s brimming with 100 totally new slow cooker wonders – including comfort foods, fakeaways, sweet treats, and surprising “I can’t believe you can make that in a slow cooker!” dishes.
Tap here or the image below to pre-order and reserve your copy.
Pre-orders are the magic ingredient that help us keep creating the recipes, books, and products you love. You’re not just reserving your copy, you’re giving us a huge boost – and we appreciate it SO much!
In the meantime, back to your barbecue…
Tesco Finest Alcohol Free Amaretto Sour Mocktail – 44 calories per can
First up is this fancy, low-calorie thirst quencher from the Tesco Finest selection. This one’s great for the designated drivers, mindful drinkers, or anyone else looking to enjoy a cocktail without the hangover.
For a whole pitcher of refreshing fizzy goodness for your guests, you can’t go wrong with a classic lemonade. Our Homemade Lemonade has just four ingredients –all you need are lemons, sugar, and fresh mint, and you’re good to go! Did we mention it’s only 35 calories per glass?
Even better, it’s freezer-friendly, so you can make a big batch and defrost as you please!
Tesco Finest Alcohol Free Amaretto Sour Mocktails are available from Tesco, priced at £1.30 per 250ml can.
Get your hands on our Homemade Lemonade recipe.
Summer Grill by ASDA 4 Smoky Chorizo and Chicken Kebabs – 105 calories per kebab
ASDA’s Summer Grill range has come through with these Smoky Chorizo and Chicken Kebabs – juicy diced chicken breast and tender chorizo flavoured with smoky paprika. They’re pre-marinated and pre-skewered, so all you need to do is stick them on the grill!
If you’re looking for a veggie version at a similar calorie mark, why not try your hand at our Minty Halloumi and Vegetable Kebabs? They’re simple to make – just spear your veggies alongside salty chunks of halloumi and grill them on the barbecue. The fresh minty sauce can be drizzled over to give your creations an added zing.
For this recipe, we’ve used red onion, red pepper, and courgette, but you’re more than welcome to switch these out for your favourite veggies!
Summer Grill by ASDA 4 Smoky Chorizo and Chicken Kebabs are available from ASDA, priced at £4.58 per 320g packet.
See what you make of our Minty Halloumi and Vegetable Kebabs.
Marmite Mac and Cheese Bites – 60 calories per bite
These Marmite Mac and Cheese Bites pack a whole lot of flavour for a limited amount of calories! They’re golden breadcrumb packages of oozy mature cheddar cheese with a Marmite sauce, surrounding macaroni pasta. The perfect picky bits, they cook in the oven in just 11 minutes – freeing up space on your barbecue for burgers and sausages!
If you’re not a Marmite lover, our Mac and Cheese Bites are a similar snack without the divisive spread. While they might not have a breadcrumb coating, we’ve mixed strong cheese with cheddar to create that classic cheesy taste and a texture that crisps on the outside and stays melty in the middle. Plus they’re only 38 calories per bite!
Marmite Mac and Cheese Bites are available in M&S, priced at £4 per 200g.
Try our Mac and Cheese Bites here.
Morrisons Pesto Salad Dressing – 162 calories per 100ml
The grilled meats may be the main event at your summer soirée, but everyone knows a barbecue or buffet is never complete without a colourful salad to complement all of those rich meats. And since Morrisons has come through with this vibrant Pesto Salad Dressing, you don’t need to worry about coming up with your own!
If you’re in need of salad inspo, we’ve got you covered. Our Tomato, Basil and Mozzarella Salad is super light, an ‘Easy Peasy’ on our preparation scale, and it’ll pair perfectly with the herby green goodness of the pesto dressing. Hey pesto!
Morrisons Pesto Salad Dressing is available from Morrisons, priced at £1.40 per 170ml.
Pair it with our Tomato, Basil and Mozzarella Salad.
Sainsbury’s Chilli & Lime Chicken Breast Mini Fillets – 163 calories per fillet
You’ve got enough on your plate (literally!) without worrying about mixing a fresh marinade for your meats, which is where these Sainsbury’s Chilli & Lime Chicken Breast Mini Fillets come in handy! Fresh and juicy fillets pre-flavoured with chilli and lime seasoning, they’re good to go straight out of the packet (once they’ve been on the grill, of course!).
If you do find yourself with some free time on your hands, or you’ve already got some chicken breasts that need using up, try your hand at our Cajun Spiced Stuffed Chicken. We’ve levelled up these fillets with a cheese and sweet pepper filling, then coated them in seasoning inspired by the flavours of Louisiana – a state known for its big barbecue scene!
Sainsbury’s Chilli & Lime Chicken Breast Mini Fillets are available from Sainsbury’s, priced at £3.75 per 320g.
Or try our Cajun Spiced Stuffed Chicken recipe.
Sainsbury’s Carrot & Orange Loaf Cake – 181 calories per slice
You didn’t think we’d forgotten about your sweet tooth, did you? Never fear – Sainsbury’s Carrot & Orange Loaf Cake makes for a delicious dessert (or mid-party snack, your secret’s safe with us). It’s a scrummy carrot cake topped with cream cheese buttercream and orange oil, and finished with stunning slices of candied orange. A full loaf serves six, so depending on how many you’re hosting, grab one or a couple to go around.
If you’re a bit of a whizz with a whisk, go ahead and take dessert into your own hands! Our Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting is a delightful slimming-friendly sweet treat, and it’s super easy to rustle up, so it’s ideal for baking experts and beginners alike. Topped with a dollop of cream cheese, it’s truly twinning with the Sainsbury’s cake, and at 57 calories per cake, it’s a fraction of your daily intake!
Sainsbury’s Carrot & Orange Loaf Cake is available in Sainsbury’s, priced at £3 per 280g (six slices) – or £2 with your Nectar Card!
Grab your mixing bowl for our Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting.
Sensations Mature Cheddar & Chilli Chutney Flavour Potato Crisps – 146 calories per serving
If savoury’s more your style, then these brand-new Walkers Sensations crisps will be right up your street. Flavoured with a rich and creamy aged cheddar, complemented by toasty chutney tones of clove and ginger – and finished with a fiery chilli kick – these are bound to be a hit with your guests.
Ever considered making your own crisps? If you’ve got an air fryer, homemade Potato Peel Crisps are a great way of indulging in your favourite spud-based snack without worrying about the consequences of all that oil! Plus – because they’re made from potato peelings, they’re a fun and tasty way of doing your bit for the planet too! Healthy for you and healthy for Mother Nature!
Sensations Mature Cheddar & Chilli Chutney Flavour Potato Crisps are available in Tesco, priced at £2.35 per 150g.
Our Potato Peel Crisps are a healthier alternative.
J20 Blackberry & Dragonfruit – 50 calories per drink
Hosting is thirsty work, and we’ve no doubt your guests will be gasping in this heat too! Make sure everyone stays hydrated with another exciting beverage – these exotic Blackberry & Dragonfruit J20s. The bright and colourful packaging alone will be a hit with the kids – plus who doesn’t remember their first dragonfruit? Does it come from dragons? That’s a fun fact for little ones to drink up!
For the grown-ups, our Raspberry Vodka Fizz is a colourful and tasty cocktail that doubles as dancing juice when you’re ready to strut your stuff! With just three ingredients – raspberries, prosecco, and vodka – it’s fresh, not to mention simple to make. And if you’d prefer to make it non-alcoholic, you can hold the vodka and switch the prosecco out for some nosecco.
J20 Blackberry & Dragonfruit drinks are available in Tesco, priced at £4.75 for 4 275ml bottles.
Bring out your best glasses for our Raspberry Vodka Fizz.
Korean Chicken Koftas – 120 calories per kofta
Aldi’s Summer Vibes range never lets us down, and these Korean Chicken Koftas are no exception. A brand-new item from the selection, these scrumptious skewered beauties are flavoured with Korean-style seasoning and come with a sachet of sticky gochujang and miso-style ketchup.
What makes a kofta? Just like “sausage” refers to how the meat is prepared rather than the actual meat itself, koftas can be made from chicken, beef, or lamb. In our case, we went for Beef Kofta Kebabs – resembling a doner kebab from your local takeaway – only they’re 82 calories! Yep, you read that right! Our recipe serves 10, so you’ll have plenty to put on the buffet.
Korean Chicken Koftas are available in Aldi, priced at £2.99 per packet.
🔗 Beef up your buffet with our own Kofta Kebabs.
Maryland S’wich Choc Creme – 80 calories per biscuit
When the party’s winding down and it’s time to stick the kettle on, break out the Maryland S’wich Choc Creme. A fresh take on the Maryland Cookie we know and love, these are a cookie sandwich with chocolate chips and a creamy choccy filling – and all that at just 80 calories per biscuit! Will you dunk, twist and lick, or bite straight in?
For even more chocolate at even less calories, try our Double Choc Chip Cookies. These are proper gooey cookies – no oats or wheat biscuits in sight – complete with tasty, melt-in-your-mouth chocolate chips. They’re only 40 calories per cookie and a single batch serves 18, so you can have a couple or freeze the rest for a grab-and-go snack!
Maryland S’wich Choc Creme biscuits are available in Tesco at £1.50 per packet.
Double up on the chocolate for half the calories with our Double Choc Chip Cookies.
Don’t forget – we love seeing what you’re picking up in your weekly shop! Tag us or post in our Facebook group if you spot anything slimming-friendly and tasty that deserves a shoutout.
And if you’re not already signed up, you can get the Weekly Pinch of Shopping straight to your inbox by signing up to our newsletter!
P.S. We don’t accept payment or gifts to include any of the products above – we just love them, and we hope you will too.
NEW Aldi Super 6 Fruit and Veg Selection
Of course, it wouldn’t be the Weekly Pinch of Shopping without a spotlight on Aldi’s fortnightly Super 6. Always fresh and always budget-friendly, this week’s round-up features plenty of things that wouldn’t go amiss on your party plates.
Have a look at what’s made the cut this time around – we’ve included a recipe for each to give you a head-start:
Spring Onion – 32 calories per 100g
Our Bacon, Potato and Spring Onion Frittata is easy, filling, and colourful, and it can be served hot or cold.
Sweetcorn – 86 calories per 100g
Who doesn’t love a corn on the cob? Stick these on the grill and then pair with some low-fat mayo, or spice things up with our Mexican-Style Corn on the Cob.
Large Vine Tomatoes – 20 calories per 100g
Slice these up for the Tomato, Basil and Mozzarella Salad we mentioned above, or sprinkle some salt on them for a solo snack!
British Salad Potatoes – 80 calories per 100g
Potato Salad is a summer party favourite – ours is topped with tasty spring onion and takes just over half an hour to assemble.
Sweet Pointed Peppers – 40 calories per 100g
Did you know sweet peppers work perfectly well on their own as a crudité? Thinly slice them and serve with a bowl of our Sweet Chilli Hummus-Style Dip. We’ve gone for carrots, cucumber, and celery as you can see – but the sweet notes of the peppers will provide a tasty contrast to your savoury dip.
Don’t forget – we love seeing what you’re picking up in your weekly shop! Tag us or post in our Facebook group if you spot anything slimming-friendly and tasty that deserves a shoutout.
And if you’re not already signed up, you can get the Weekly Pinch of Shopping straight to your inbox by signing up to our newsletter!
P.S. We don’t accept payment or gifts to include any of the products above – we just love them, and we hope you will too.