A popular aim for Slimming World members is to tighten their belts – in smaller size jeans, that is! Following recent credit crunch worries many members want to tighten their belts in other ways too!

As well as attending the best value slimming club in the country – where membership prices have been held for three years at the same level – Slimming World members also benefi t from being able to choose whatever they want to eat – meaning costs (and Syns) work for any budget!

Making full use of all the fab Free Foods on offer, as well as following our other clever credit crunch tips ensures it’s our members’ fi gures, and not their bank balances, that shrink! If your eyes are bigger than your stomach and you just can’t fi nish that delicious Food Optimising dish, don’t throw away the leftovers*! There are tons of ways to use up surplus vegetables, meat, pasta and rice.

what to during the

Don’t lose the leftovers!

make friends with your freezer!

Many Food Optimising dishes can be frozen so if you do have too much at mealtime, freeze the extra and enjoy again another time!

*The Food Standards Agency advise us to cool leftovers as quickly as possible (ideally within one to two hours) and then store in the fridge. Eat any leftovers within two days, except for cooked rice which you should eat within one day.

As well as leftovers, your freezer is also great for storing everyday essentials to save any waste.

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Leftover fi sh? It’s as easy as pie, to make a quick fi sh... pie! With a creamy sauce made from fat free natural fromage frais, skimmed milk (Healthy Extra ‘a’ choice) and cornfl our (1 Syn per level tsp), plus a topping of 60g wholemeal breadcrumbs (Healthy Extra ‘b’ choice) you’ve got the perfect accompaniment to cod, haddock, prawns, tuna or whatever fi sh you have leftover.

If your Sunday roast has left you with potatoes and vegetables, you’ve got all the ingredients you need for a bubble and squeak bonanza! Mix your vegetables into mashed up potatoes, form into patties then fry gently using Frylight. Serve with baked beans or any leftover cold cuts from your roast.

Bolognese is the most versatile leftover of them all! With your basic beef in tomato sauce all it takes is one extra step to make many other dishes. Adding the Bolognese to an ovenproof dish and topping with mashed swede or potato creates a delicious cottage pie. For a spicier dish, add chilli, cumin and coriander for a tasty chilli con carne.

Freezing bread means you can take out one slice at a time – so there’s no need to worry about the use-by date. You can even freeze milk too.

Go berry picking in the summer and freeze a supply for later on in the year (when berries are at their most expensive).

If you think your stock of vegetables will go past their best before you have chance to eat them, blanche in boiling water for a few minutes then plunge into iced water (to stop the cooking process). Drain the vegetables and voilà – veg ready to freeze in a fl ash.

To save fresh herbs dying before you use them, pop the leaves into an ice cube tray, top up with water and freeze. Next time you’re cooking up a storm, throw the herb ice cubes straight into the mix!

Shop shrewdlyWhen it comes to spending temptation, supermarkets hold an Aladdin’s cave of delights.It pays to spend wisely…

Other top tips

Fresh foods, canned items and packet pasta/rice can all be found in low-cost supermarkets such as Aldi, Lidl and Netto at a much cheaper price than in the bigger stores. If you haven’t got one of these supermarkets near you, try your store’s ‘low-cost/value’ range – for inexpensive versions of the same basic foods.

If you’re often led astray by ‘buy one get one free’ offers or other products that you don’t actually need, consider doing your shopping online. A virtual shop may work out cheaper than the real-life version as unexpected items won’t end up in your trolley!

Shop at local farm shops for low-priced vegetables and good quality meat.

Buy whole lettuces, carrots, peppers, mushrooms, cheese etc and slice/shred them yourself. Ready-prepared salads cost twice the price or more!

If you’re green-fi ngered have a go at planting your own Food Optimising feast of vegetables! Even if it’s just a windowsill herb garden you grow, you’ll save money on supermarket versions!

Fill your fridge with Free Food – fresh, whole fruit and veg is much cheaper than pre-packed or pre-chopped.

When cooking vegetables use stacking steamer pans. By boiling potatoes in the bottom pan and steaming everything on top you only need to use one gas ring! You can also use the cooking water as vegetable stock for gravy to save boiling the kettle!

Plan out your weekly menu – if you know exactly what you need to buy there’ll be less waste and it’ll help your weight loss campaign too. For ready-prepared 7 day menus don’t miss our bargain budget menu, plus the family favourites menu.

I’ve just won Slimmer of the Week and taken home a huge basket of Free Food, and will certainly see a difference in my shopping bill this week!! Win-win situation!” Michelle

“I joined Slimming World in January, and in February I decided to give up short car journeys for Lent. Instead I cycled or walked if my distance was three miles or less. As well as getting fi tter, I saved a huge amount in petrol! I only fi ll up every three weeks or so, and while everyone was groaning under high petrol prices in the summer, I was cycling everywhere for free!” Carol

“I joined Slimming World around six weeks ago and have really noticed a difference in my shopping bills! I’m only buying basics like eggs, meat, fi sh, fruit and veggies. I have my own ‘windowsill’ herb garden in my fl at, and try to get my fruit and veg from the local market. I live opposite an Aldi, so as well as fetching all the bargains, I can leave the car at home! When I joined Slimming World I was worried about the expense, getting ‘special’ foods and paying out every week ‘just to be weighed’, but IMAGE Therapy is aboutso much more than that, and in the long run, £4.95 a week for your health is a bargain!” Michelle