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 benefit 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’ figures, and not their bank balances, that shrink! If your eyes are bigger than your stomach and you just can’t finish 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. munch credit crunch Leftover fish? It’s as easy as pie, to make a quick fish... pie! With a creamy sauce made from fat free natural fromage frais, skimmed milk (Healthy Extra ‘a’ choice) and cornflour (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 fish 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 flash. 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!