Are Tesco Meatballs High In Syns?

For a quick and easy meal, you might be tempted to buy a pre-made pack of meatballs for your weeknight dinner, but how many syns do these meatballs have?

Tesco mini meatballs have 8 syns for five meatballs making them an average syn-sized dish, you could eat up to 9 meatballs before meeting your daily syn allowance for the day. 

In our guide below we will cover why Tesco's meatballs have syns, the syn values of the whole Tesco range and some low syn alternatives from other brands, we've thrown in an SW meatball recipe to help you save even more syns too.

Why Do Tesco's Meatballs Have Syns?

Tesco's meatballs get most of their syns from the beef, potato and rice flour inside of them, the reason these beef meatballs are not syn free is due to the fact they are made from full-fat beef too rather lean beef mince which is classed as syn free.

These meatballs have around 8 grams of fat for five of them which still isn't too bad when eaten in moderation. Their large meatballs have 10 syns for five of them.

Syn Values Of Tesco's Meatballs

Tesco offers a few different types of meatballs, so to help you out we've listed their syn values below.

• Tesco Finest 20 Mini Meatballs 336G - 8 syns for five.
• Tesco Reduced Fat Meatballs 336G - 8 syns for four.
• Tesco Meatballs In Tomato Sauce 395G - 9.5 syns for half.
• Tesco Meat & Vegetable Beef Meatballs 336G - 9 syns.
• Tesco Spanish Style Meatballs 580G -12 syns.
• Tesco Finest 12 Beef & Herb Meatballs 336G - 9 syns.
• Tesco Finest 12 British Beef Meatballs 336G - 10 syns.

Low Syn Alternatives To Tesco Meatballs

If you find Tesco's meatballs to be too high in syns there are plenty of other low syn alternatives to try out from other brands which we will list below.

• Richmond Meat Free Vegan No Beef Meatballs x12 264g - 8.5 syns.
• Sainsbury's Beef Meatballs, Taste the Difference 350g - 9.5 syns.
• Taste & Glory Meat Free Vegan Meatballs x12 288g - 9 syns.
• Linda McCartney's Vegetarian Tomato & Basil Meatballs 292g - 10 syns.
• Linda McCartney Chilled Vegetarian Meatballs 240g - 8 syns.
• M&S Select Farms British 12 Beef Meatballs 300g - 18 syns.
• Smorgasbord Swedish Meatballs Family Pack 400g - 13 syns.
• ScandiKitchen Kottbullar Real Swedish Meatballs 300g - 8.5 syns. 

Our Best Syn Free Slimming World Meatball Recipe

To reduce the syns from your meatballs you can simply try making some low syn alternatives at home, we've listed a recipe to try out below if you feel like getting creative in the kitchen.

Ingredients

• 250g of lean pork mince.
• 250g of lean beef mince.
• Pinch of onion powder, black pepper and oregano.
• Garlic cloves.
• Spoon of tomato paste.

Method

1. Start by heating your oven to gas mark 6 then combine the ingredients in a large bowl.
2. Make 20 meatball shapes out of the mixture and bake for about 20 minutes making sure to turn them after 10.

Last Words

Overall, Tesco's meatballs have an average syn value of 8 syns for five meatballs which is fine to eat as long as your syns allow. To save syns we would suggest choosing reduced-fat meatballs or lean mince meatballs which are more SW friendly, you could also try our recipe above which syn free!

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.