Figuring out the syns of sauces, condiments and flavours can be a task when starting slimming world, they can also be very high in sneaky syns, with some condiments like mayonnaise having up to 5.5 syns a spoon!
So to help you stay on track, we've put together our ultimate list of low syn and syn free condiments below.
You might wonder why you need to track syns of sauces and condiments on slimming world, this is so you can maintain your weight loss while eating what you want, on average every slimming world user gets a syn allowance of 15 syns per day, so three tablespoons of mayo could cost you this whole allowance!
Knowing the syns in your condiments allows you to use them mindfully without the risk of ruining your diet.
From ketchup to mayonnaise and honey, knowing the syns of your condiments is important on the SW plan, we've listed all the syns you need to know below.
Soy sauce is syn free in slimming world making it an excellent syn friendly condiment for spicing up Asian dishes or adding depth to sauces. You can also use it for marinating meat and making sticky chicken!
Whether you use it on chicken or in wraps and sandwiches, sweet chilli sauce is a pantry staple, on average, the sauce has between 0.5 and 1.5 syns for a level tablespoon making it low in syns however can vary according to brands.
We would be wary about the sugar in sweet chilli sauce, you should only consume this condiment in moderation on the plan.
If you love honey on your yoghurt or porridge as a sweetener, you're looking at spending around 2.5 syns a tablespoon. This is average in comparison to other sweeteners such as golden syrup and can still be used in low syn ways.
Salad cream is a staple for many of us, on salads and even sandwiches, it uses around 2.5 syns a tablespoon, but is available in lighter forms too which reduce the syns slightly. We would suggest measuring out your salad cream rather than simply drizzling it to avoid going over your syns.
Mayonnaise like salad cream can be quite high in fat, having 5.5 syns a tablespoon for the full-fat versions, luckily, there are lighter versions available to make this a lower syn condiment, with lighter than light mayonnaise having 0.5 syns a tablespoon.
Pickle often contains little calories, Branston pickle, in particular, has one syn for a level tablespoon, making it an excellent low syn sandwich filler or on rice cakes as a low syn snack. Most pickles are syn free in slimming world, as long as they contain no oil in the jar.
Finding a light vinaigrette without oil inside can be difficult on slimming world, but luckily nowadays you can find fat free vinaigrette which is much lower in syns and best for drizzling on salads without any guilt, most fat free vinaigrettes typically have 0.5 syns a tablespoon.
Skinny food sauces are a great condiment to stock up on your house if you are trying to lose weight since they are all syn free, due to their sweetener based flavours which do not have any calories. They have a huge range of flavours from skinny mayo to BBQ sauce and garlic mayo.
Olive oil has a huge number of health benefits when used to cook with and contains good fats for your body, but it's also high in syns, with extra virgin olive oil costing you about 6 syns a tablespoon!
As a low syn replacement, we suggest looking at low cal cooking sprays which are syn free on slimming world, other oils like sesame oils have similar syn values and should be used in moderation.
Just like their skinny food sauces, skinny food syrups are also syn free condiments, making an excellent low syn alternative to honey or golden syrups which have around 2.5 syns a tablespoon. Some sauces to name are their chocolate syrups, billionaires shortbread syrup and cookies and cream which are great to drizzle over pancakes or morning porridge.
Dips can be one of the highest synned condiments out there if you're not careful, Tzatziki dip, in particular, is a great low syn choice, however, with only 3 syns a portion. You can also make your tzatziki which is syn free by using fat-free natural Greek yoghurt at home.
We would be cautious when purchasing supermarket Tzatziki since it can often contain olive oil which pushes the syns up.
Mustard is one of the most slimming world friendly condiments out there, having 0.5 syns per teaspoon, some French mustards can go up to 1 syns however. We would suggest using mustard to spice up sauces or with chicken for example for an easy weeknight meal.
Agave syrup is popular in the diet industry since it's a low syn sweetener, but still natural. This syrup has about 0.5 syns a teaspoon, making it very low in syns.
We suggest using agave syrup as a sweetener in slimming world if you want to avoid chemical sweeteners on drinks, porridge or yoghurt.
Yes, believe it or not, chocolate spread can be a low syn condiment to stock up on. For example, Jim Jams chocolate spread has 4 syns a tablespoon making it low in syns for a good amount. The best way to look for low syn chocolate spread options is by choosing reduced sugar ones.
If you're after some low syn sauces such as gravy, curry sauces and spices, we've got you covered below.
For an easy noodle dinner or Thai curry, Blue Dragon sauces could be a great choice, with syns ranging between 5-7 syns depending on the flavour.
When used half, you would only be consuming 2-3 syns which is well within your syn allowance, do the only thing to watch out for is their high sodium content.
Patak's curry sauces and pastes have varying syns, their sauces are often higher in syns, since you have less control over their ingredients, with their Pataks tikka masala sauce having 6 syns a serving. Their curry pastes however are much lower in syns, only having between 1.5 and 2 syns a tablespoon.
For an easy weeknight pasta, Dolmio sauces can be your best friend in terms of syns, their standard bolognese sauce for example has 3 syns a serving while their reduced-fat version just has 2 syns a serving.
Maggi makes plenty of popular spices and meal ideas for a quick and easy dinner, most of their spice sachets have around 5 syns in due to the additions of oils, but when made up as directed they can cost you quite a few syns.
Sweeteners like canderel sweetener are excellent alternatives to normal sugar for sweetening your drinks or using in baked goods. For example, standard white sugar typically has 2.5 syns a tablespoon while on average sweetener has 0.5 syns for a tablespoon.
We would not suggest having sweetener in excess however since it is 2x sweeter than regular sugar.
JD seasonings are popular among slimmers on the plan since they are all syn free and can seriously upgrade the taste of your dinner!
Whether you are looking to make cajun pasta dinners or a medium curry, they have an extensive range of syn free flavourings without added syns from milk powder or other standard ingredients in seasonings.
For a quick cheat curry, mayflower curry powder only costs you 3 syns for 100g when made up as a sauce, considerably less syns than jarred curry sauces out of supermarkets and easy to make.
Due to the flavourings inside of the curry powder, it adds a few amounts of syns to the powder, so don't get caught out thinking it syn free!
Many beginner slimmers are shocked to find out how many syns and calories condiments can have, this doesn't mean you can't use them however, you should just do so in moderation to avoid using too many syns.
Overall, flavours and condiments can be extremely high in syns but also low in syns depending on the choices you make from our low syn list above. We always recommend measuring condiments, using them in moderation and using lighter/fewer sugar types when possible.
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