Slimming World Healthy Extra A 2024: Your Guide to Calcium & Dairy Syns

If you've recently just joined the Slimming World plan, you might be overwhelmed by all the terminology in the plan such as syns, healthy extras and free foods, but what about the healthy extra A list, what foods come into this group? 

The Slimming World healthy extra A allowance is for your calcium and protein intake, it consists of dairy such as milk, cheese and yoghurt.

We've put together an informative Slimming World guide below which will take you through why there is a Slimming World healthy extra A allowance, which foods count and how to integrate your healthy extra A into your diet.

Do I Have To Have The Healthy Extra A Slimming World Allowance? 

As we mentioned above, your Healthy Extra A on the Slimming World is designed to get you to consume food which is high in calcium and protein like dairy so that you can get all your essential vitamins without having to syn the food. 

Using the healthy extra A on the Slimming World is optional, and if you don't consume dairy, substitutes can be used instead up to a certain amount such as almond milk instead of semi-skimmed milk.

Do be aware that after you have used your healthy extra A allowance, you will have to syn the food as normal according to its calories which tends to be on average 1 syn to 20 calories, but this can differ. 

Why Is Calcium Important?

Getting enough calcium in your diet is especially important if you are on a weight loss diet, calcium is what helps to keep your bones and joints healthy and regulate your muscle contractions.

What's The Difference Between Healthy Extra A & B? 

If you've heard about the healthy extra A on the slimming world plan then you have probably heard of the healthy extra B too, this allowance is dedicated to getting your fibre intake in, encouraging you to eat wholemeal foods.

Check out our healthy extra B list here.

Which Foods Count As Healthy Extra A? (Our Healthy Extra A List)

Now we know exactly what the Healthy extra options on Slimming World mean and if you need it, we can move on to which foods count in this allowance and how much of them you can consume before having to syn them on the plan. 

Milk

• Regular milk up to 200ml. 
• Goats milk up to 200ml. 
• Skimmed goats milk up to 275ml. 
• Mozzarella cows milk 200ml. 
• Semi-skimmed goats milk 275ml. 
• One percent fat milk 300ml.
• UHT Semi Skimmed Milk 250ml.
• Semi-skimmed milk 250ml. 

Cheese

• Hard goats cheese up to 30g. 
• Feta up to 65g. 
• 30g of cheddar. 
• 30g of gouda. 
• Reduced fat cheddar 40g. 
• Smoked cheddar 30g. 
• Halloumi 35g. 
• Mozzarella 50g. 
• Paneer 40g.
• Parmesan 30g.

Branded Cheese

• Myprotein Protein Cheese 70g low fat. 
• The Laughing Cow Cheese Triangles x 2.
• The Laughing Cow Cheese Triangles Light x 5. 
• The Laughing Cow Cheese Triangles with Emmental Light x 5.
• The Laughing Cow Cheese Triangles Extra Light x 6. 
• The Laughing Cow Light 75g. 
• Dairylea spread 50g.
• Dairylea Cheese Triangles Light x 4. 
• Dairylea Cheese Triangles Regular x 3.
• Dairylea Cheese Spread Light 80g.
• The Laughing Cow Light Blue Cheese x 5. 
• The Laughing Cow Mature Cheddar Light x 5. 
• Light Dairylea Slices x 2. 
• Dairylea Cheese Slices x 2.
• Kerry Cheestrings Spaghetti x 2.
• Kerry Cheestrings Twisted x 2.

Non-Dairy Milk 

• Almond milk 400ml. 
• Soya milk 250ml. 
• Coconut milk 400ml. 
• Whole oat drink 200ml. 
• Skinny oat milk 350ml. 
• Rice milk 225ml.

Non-Dairy Cheese 

• Koko Dairy Free Alternative 40g.
• Daiya Medium Cheddar Farmhouse Block 40g.

How To Integrate Healthy Extra A Into Your Plan 

Now we know that calcium is an important part of your diet, you might be wondering how to ensure your getting your healthy extra A into your meals/snacks on the plan.

We've listed some ways to integrate these kinds of foods into your diet below. 

• Have milky teas and coffees throughout the day, this can also help with hunger during the day, same goes for non-dairy milk if you have food intolerances to dairy. 
• Dice up some cheddar cheese or smoked cheese in your salads to make them more interesting. 
• Sprinkle cheese on top of foods like pasta and soup.
• Mix pasta with cream cheese and British milk for an easy cheesy sauce. 
• Pour some British milk or Alpro almond milk into your porridge or cereal. 
• Make a snack box with sliced cheese and fruits for an easy lunch.
• Whip up a hot chocolate with UHT whole milk. 
• Try making a homemade milkshake

What Recipes Can I Make With My Healthy Extra A?

If you're looking to use up your healthy extra A in some recipes or baking, we've got a great list of healthy extra A recipes you can try out below to get your calcium intake in. 

• Porridge/overnight oats - Porridge or overnight oats are a great way to use up a decent amount of milk and require more than your standard cereal, we've got some great recipes for overnight oats here and syn values.
• Cheesy pasta - Why not make a cheesy chicken pasta with your healthy extra A, all you need is some dried pasta, cheese and chicken, we've linked a slimming world recipe here.
• Strawberry milkshake - Need a refreshing milkshake? Use up to 250ml of soy milk or 200ml of semi-skimmed milk in your drink plus some speed food berries for a healthy drink.
• Carbonara pasta - Nothing quite like Italian carbonara pasta for dinner, you can use dairylea triangles for a creamy sauce base in this dish as well as cheddar and parmesan as your healthy extra A. We've got our top carbonara recipes here.
• SW pancakes - Feel like pancakes for breakfast? Here you can use both non-dairy options like almond milk or regular UHT milk for the mix.  
• Yorkshire puddings - Using milk in Yorkshire puddings or almond milk as a sub is a great way to use up your healthy extra A in addition to a healthy slimming world roast, get the best recipes for healthy Yorkshires here.

Last Words

Overall, the Healthy Extra A allowance in the Slimming World is designed to make sure you get your calcium intake in on the plan, this could be through foods such as cheese or milk in a certain allowance, for non-dairy consumers it would be an allowance for almond milk. 

To integrate the healthy extra A in your diet we suggest sprinkling cheese on recipes and using milk in teas and coffees, or check out our healthy extra A containing recipes above!

Always remember you will have to syn any foods which go above your healthy extra A allowance, we've listed some syns for important dairy such as milk here. 

Frequently Asked Questions

How are syn values calculated?

Syn values are calculated using a formula based on calories, saturated fat and sugar content per serving. They’re not the same as calories — a product can be low in calories but higher in syns if it’s high in sugar or fat. Always check the official Slimming World app for the most accurate and up-to-date syn values.

Do syn values change?

Yes. When manufacturers reformulate their products, the syn value can go up or down. This is why we recommend double-checking with the Slimming World app or your consultant, especially if a product’s packaging has changed recently.

How many syns should I have per day?

Most Slimming World members work with 5 to 15 syns per day. Your consultant will advise on the right amount for you. The key is to use your syns on the things you enjoy most — whether that’s a chocolate bar, a glass of wine, or a packet of crisps.