A lot of dieters assume carbohydrates are the enemy when dieting, but carbs are very important for a balanced meal and give your body the energy it needs while you embark on your weight loss journey.
However, carbohydrates can be naturally very high in calories, so finding low syn carbs you love can be difficult.
That's why we've put together our ultimate low syn carb list below to give you all the best choices on your slimming world journey.
Despite what many think, carbohydrates do not make you gain weight, refined carbs which are often found in sugary goods do contain empty calories, but will not cause weight gain unless eaten in excess.
Matter of fact, in the slimming world, complex carbs found in oats and wholemeal pieces of bread are encouraged on the plan since they are high in fibre keeping you fuller for longer, which is why they count as your healthy extra B allowance on the plan (meaning a certain amount does not have to be synned).
Finding low syn carbs can often be a hard task since they are very calorie-dense, we've listed some low syn options for you to check out down below.
Rice is a staple carb for weight loss and is syn free when boiled in the bag or loose packs, microwave white rice is not syn free, since the pouches often contain oil to keep the grains separate.
Since this food is syn free, you can technically eat as much of it as you want on the slimming world plan, as long as 1/3 of your plate is filled with speed veg.
Bread rolls are very high in syns on slimming world, with your average white roll coming in at 7 syns and brown roll having 9.5 syns, but this doesn't mean you can't enjoy them on the SW plan since you can have one wholemeal roll as your healthy extra B.
Some low syn ideas to fill your rolls with could be chicken and sweetcorn, tuna and quark of lean beef and lettuce.
Couscous is a very healthy carb for weight loss and has 1-3 syns depending on which pack you use and its flavouring, if you make standard couscous out of the box at home, it is then syn free.
Do be aware that couscous can contain extra oils and fats depending on its flavourings.
Quinoa is a form of insoluble fibre and a complete grain, it has huge benefits for weight loss, quinoa is syn free on slimming world, but not when found in microwave packets, which could have up to 3 syns a pack.
White bread can be eaten on slimming world, and starts between 3-6 syns depending on the size and thickness of the slice. If you picked white bread from a 400g slice you could have up to 5 slices before using up your 15 syn daily allowance.
Wholemeal bread is best for sandwiches and toast on slimming world since it can be eaten syn free as your healthy extra B thanks to its high fibre. This could count as two 400g slices or one thick 800g wholemeal slice.
If you have already used your healthy extra B allowance then it will have syns ranging from 3-6 depending on the thickness, the same as white bread.
Microwave rice unlike bag rice on slimming world does have syns, this is because they often have mix-ins and flavours as well as oil on the inside to stop the grains of rice from mixing while they are heated.
Still, microwave rice can be very low in syns depending on the type you choose, for example, Uncle Bens microwave rice only has 1-4 syns a packet making it a great low syn carb to have with some protein and speed veg for a quick lunch or dinner.
Flour can be low in syns when used in small amounts, self-raising flour has around 9 syns for 50g, one way to reduce the syns in flour is by using an alternative such as oat flour, which is simply made by blending oats till they become a fine powder, this could be used as your healthy extra B too.
For low syn sandwiches, why not try bagel thins? On average, you can expect a bagel thin to have 6-8 syns for a bagel, which isn't too high in syns when filled with a low syn filling such as tuna or eggs.
Bread thins are a lower syn alternative to regular bread, thanks to their thinner size, having 5 syns per thin, unlike bread which can be up to 6 syns for a slice. You can also use two wholemeal thins as your healthy extra B allowance like wholemeal bread.
Overall, carbs in balance with your protein, fats and veggies are important for your health while losing weight in slimming world.
When possible, we suggest meal prepping low syn carbs like rice and quinoa for meals during the week to keep your carbs syn free rather than using microwave packets that contain oil.
We also recommend making use of your healthy extra B when it comes to carbs like switching from white bread to wholemeal bread since this frees up your syns for other treats during the day.
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