Slimming World is a popular UK weight loss group which has helped thousands of people lose weight. It is known for its creative recipes that help you find new ways of looking at food.
Putting a twist on some of your favourite recipes can help them become Slimming World-friendly. You can still enjoy your favourite cakes, curries, and cheesy pasta dishes but you have to know how to make some strategic changes.
We've put together a list of the best Slimming World recipes that make you feel like you're not on a diet. Read on for how to make them.
Read more: Slimming World expert shares five ways to lose weight before summer.
Slimming World chips
The famous Slimming World chips are a must on every meal planner when trying to lose weight. They are low-fat but incredibly tasty. They are also syn-free! Here's how you make them.
Ingredients:
Your choice of potatoes
Low-calorie cooking spray
Salt and vinegar
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 240°C/220°C Fan/gas nine. Peel the potatoes. Slice lengthwise into approx 1cm thick rectangular chips.
- Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil. Add the chips and cook for four minutes. Drain and leave aside for 10 minutes to dry.
- Return the chips to the dry saucepan and cover with a lid and shake to make the edges of the chips rough. This roughness is important to the texture of the chips.
- Spray a metal baking tray with low-calorie cooking spray. Transfer the chips to the tray, spray lightly with low-calorie cooking spray, and bake in the oven for 30 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden brown on all sides. Drain them on kitchen paper and serve with salt and vinegar.
Mac 'n' cheese
At just six syns per serving this low-calorie, low-syn version of classic mac 'n' cheese helps you remain '"on-plan" and eat your favourite foods. Here's how to make it.
Ingredients:
300g dried macaroni
Low-calorie cooking spray
One finely chopped red onion
Two finely chopped garlic cloves
One roasted red pepper in brine from a jar, finely chopped
One courgette, coarsely grated
400ml vegetable stock
Four tbsp tomato purée
200g fat-free natural cottage cheese
One tsp English mustard powder mixed with 1 tsp water
Two eggs, lightly beaten
160g reduced-fat cheddar cheese, coarsely grated
Salad to serve
Method:
- Preheat your oven to 200°C/fan 180°C/gas six.
- Cook the macaroni according to the pack instructions, then drain well and tip into a wide mixing bowl.
- Place a large non-stick frying pan sprayed with low-cooking spray over a high heat. Add onion, garlic, red pepper and courgette, and cook, stirring for 2-3 minutes. Add this to the macaroni.
- Put the stock, tomato purée, cottage cheese, mustard and eggs in a jug and whisk until smooth. Pour this over the macaroni mixture, then stir in three-quarters of the cheese. Season and toss well.
- Transfer to a shallow, ovenproof dish. Sprinkle over the remaining cheese and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until bubbling and golden. Allow to rest for five minutes then serve with the salad.
Cinnamon baked oats
This recipe by Instagram foodie @cakeontherun uses basic ingredients to create a cake-like breakfast that's ready in just 90 seconds! Even better, it is syn-free if you use your healthy extra choices for this meal. Here's how you do it.
Ingredients
- 40g porridge oats
- Two tbsp any plain yoghurt plus one tbsp extra to serve
- One egg
- One tsp sweetener
- 1/3 tsp ground cinnamon
- One tbsp sultanas or raisins
Method
- Put everything into a mug and mix.
- Microwave on the high setting for 90 seconds (or 20 minutes in the oven on 180C/ 350F/gas mark four).
- Tip the cake out onto a plate, top with extra yoghurt and enjoy straight away.
Lemon drizzle cake
Food blog supergoldenbakes shared this delicious lemon drizzle recipe for sweet-toothed slimmers. It's quick and easy and tastes just as good as traditional lemon drizzle. Here's how you make it.
Ingredients:
- 150g self raising flour
- Six eggs, separated
- Lemon juice and zest
- Sweetener
- Pinch of salt
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 180C. Line the bottom of an 8in (20cm) cake tin with greaseproof paper and lightly spray with cake release.
- Separate the eggs and put the egg whites into the bowl of your stand mixer. Add a pinch of salt and whisk on low speed until frothy. Increase the speed to medium high and continue whisking until you have firm peaks. Transfer to a clean bowl.
- Add the egg yolks, sweetener, and lemon zest to the mixing bowl and whisk on high speed for 3-5 minutes until lightened and almost double in volume.
- Sieve half the flour and baking soda into the bowl and fold it in.
- Add half the egg whites and fold in then add remaining flour and mix in.
- Add the remaining egg whites and lightly fold them, scraping the bottom and sides of your bowl with a spatula so the batter is evenly mixed.
- Transfer to the prepared cake tin and bake for 35 minutes until cake is risen and firm. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes.
- Prepare the lemon syrup: put the juice and sweetener into a small saucepan and heat gently, stirring until sweetener has dissolved.
- Prick the cake with a skewer a few times and pour in the syrup. Allow for the syrup to absorb then turn out the cake onto a plate or stand. The cake might sink a little at this point, this is normal.
- Optional glaze: Mix icing sugar with enough lemon juice so that it creates a glaze that slowly drips off a spoon. Drizzle over the cake then slice, decorate with lemon zest strips and serve immediately.
Chicken jalfrezi
Everyone loves a curry night in the UK and a family favourite is a chicken jalfrezi. Slimming World have developed their own recipe which is syn-free and just as tasty. Here's how to make it.
Ingredients:
350g fat-free natural Greek yogurt
Two tbsp paprika
Two tsp turmeric
Six tbsp tomato purée
Four skinless and boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size chunks
Three onions, one roughly chopped and two finely chopped
Four peppers (two yellow and two red), deseeded and diced
Low-calorie cooking spray
Two garlic cloves, chopped
3cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
½ tsp fenugreek powder
One tsp cayenne pepper
Two tsp ground coriander
½ tsp chilli powder
½ tsp ground cinnamon
One chicken stock cube, crumbled
Four tbsp soy sauce
1kg passata
Chopped fresh coriander, to serve
Method:
- Put 300g yogurt in a bowl and add the paprika, turmeric, and four tbsp tomato purée. Mix well, add the chicken, and toss to coat well. Cover with cling film and marinate in the fridge.
- Preheat your oven to 200°C/ fan 180°C/gas six. Put the roughly chopped onion and the peppers on a non-stick baking tray, spray with low-calorie cooking spray, and roast for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile spray a medium-sized saucepan with low-calorie cooking spray and place over a medium heat. Add the finely-chopped onions, garlic, and ginger and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the remaining spices and tomato purée to the pan along with the stock cube and soy sauce. Stir in a few tbsp water and cook for 10 minutes.
- Add the passata to the pan and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the chicken and cook for 10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
- Add the roasted onions and peppers to the pan and remove from the heat. Stir in the remaining yogurt and scatter over the fresh coriander to serve.
