Slimming World is one of many diet plans used by people around the world in order to help them to lose weight and achieve a healthier lifestyle. Whilst it’s definitely not for everyone and hasn’t worked for me in the past, some people swear by it. Slimming World free foods should make up the bulk of your diet if you’re following their eating plans.
What are Slimming World free foods?
As with any eating plan, you need to understand how Slimming World works in order for it to work for you.
Rather than counting calories, Slimming World uses ‘syns’. Depending on how much weight you have to lose, you will be allowed to eat a certain number of syns each day if you want to stay within your allowance.
One of the key elements of the plan is free food. These are foods that you don’t need to weigh, measure or count, you can eat as much of these foods as you like each day.
Free foods should make up the bulk of your daily diet. These are foods that are rich in nutrients that your body needs. They are low in calorie density too.
Filling your plate with mostly free foods will help you to stay fuller for longer and give you a better chance of avoiding high-calorie snacks in between meals.
It’s important to point out here that although Slimming World says that you can eat an unlimited amount of these free foods each day, for fruit and some vegetables, this often applies only to the food in its natural state. Some fruits and vegetables do contain syns when they are cooked or blended.
What’s the difference between ‘Speed Foods’ and ‘Free Foods’?
As if getting to grips with which foods are free and which foods have syns isn’t enough, there are also Speed Foods too.
Speed Foods are all foods in the Free Foods category, but these are foods that Slimming World say are even lower in calories and higher in nutrients. And then there are super-speed foods too! It can get a little confusing if I’m honest.
But, for the purposes of this post, we’re concentrating solely on Slimming World’s free foods which they suggest you should bulk out your plate with in order to eat healthy meals that will help you to lose weight. Bear in mind that there may be changes to this list, so if you want to be sure that you’re following the plan properly, you’ll need to join for yourself.
What Foods are Free on Slimming World?
There is a huge list of free food if you’re following a Slimming World plan. From fresh fruit to lean meat, you can eat a varied diet with free foods alone.
Slimming World Free Foods – Fruits
- Apples
- Apricots
- Bananas
- Blackberries
- Blackcurrants
- Blueberries
- Cherries
- Clementines
- Cranberries
- Custard Apples
- Damsons
- Dragon Fruit
- Figs
- Gooseberries
- Grapefruit
- Grapes
- Greengages
- Guava
- Kiwi Fruit
- Kumquats
- Lemons
- Limes
- Loganberries
- Loquats
- Lychees
- Mandarins
- Mango
- Mangosteen
- Melon
- Mixed Berries
- Nectarines
- Oranges
- Papaya
- Passion Fruit
- Peaches
- Pears
- Persimmons (Sharon Fruit)
- Physalis (Cape Gooseberries)
- Pineapple
- Plums
- Pomegranates
- Pomelo
- Prickly Pears
- Rambutan
- Raspberries
- Redcurrants
- Rhubarb (raw)
- Satsumas
- Star Fruit
- Strawberries
- Tangerines
- Ugli Fruit
- Whitecurrants
Important – any cooked, dried or canned fruit must be counted as Healthy Extras or Syns. Blended or juiced fruit must always be counted as syns. Note that frozen fruit is free from syns as long as it doesn’t have any sugar added so check the ingredients to be sure.
Slimming World Free Foods – Vegetables
- Alfalfa Sprouts
- Amaranth Leaves
- Artichokes
- Asparagus
- Aubergine
- Baby Sweetcorn
- Bamboo Shoots
- Bean Sprouts
- Beetroot
- Bitter Gourd (Kerala)
- Broccoli
- Brussels Sprouts
- Butternut Squash
- Cabbage
- Capers
- Carrots
- Cassava
- Cauliflower
- Celeriac
- Celery
- Chard
- Chicory
- Chillies
- Chinese Leaf
- Corn on the Cob
- Courgettes
- Cucumber
- Endive
- Fennel
- Green Beans
- Garlic
- Gherkins
- Kale
- Leeks
- Lettuce
- Mangetout
- Marrow
- Mixed Salad Leaves
- Mushrooms
- Okra
- Onions
- Pak Choi
- Parsnips
- Peppers
- Pickles (with no added sugar)
- Plantain
- Pumpkin
- Purple Sprouting Broccoli
- Radicchio
- Radishes
- Rocket
- Runner Beans
- Samphire
- Shallots
- Spinach
- Spring Greens
- Spring Onions
- Sugar Snap Peas
- Sweetcorn Kernels
- Swede
- Sweet potato
- Sweetcorn
- Tomatoes (fresh, canned and pureed)
- Turnip
- Vine leaves
- Watercress
- Water Chestnuts
- Yams
- Yam Bean
Important – any oil used to cook vegetables will need to be counted as syns.
Slimming World Free Foods – Starchy Vegetables, Peas, & Beans
- Aduki Beans
- Baked Beans
- Black Eye Beans
- Borlotti Beans
- Broad Beans
- Butter Beans
- Cannellini Beans
- Chickpeas
- Edamame beans
- Eddoes
- Flageolet beans
- Haricot beans
- Kidney Beans
- Lentils
- Mung Beans
- Peas
- Peas – Marrowfat
- Peas – Mushy
- Peas – Petit Pois
- Peas – Processed
- Potatoes
- Pinto Beans
- Split Peas
- Taro
Slimming World Free Foods – Rice, Pasta and Grains
- Buckwheat
- Bulger Wheat
- Couscous
- Dried Noodles, Plain (Fresh Noodles have Syns)
- Dried Pasta, All Colours plus Whole-wheat (Fresh Pasta has Syns)
- Pearl Barley
- Quinoa
- Rice (Microwave Pouches have Syns)
Slimming World Free Foods – Meat and Poultry
- Back Bacon (Very Lean or Fat Removed)
- Beef
- Chicken (Without the Skin)
- Duck
- Gammon (With Fat Removed)
- Goat
- Minced Beef (must be labelled as 5% or less fat)
- Minced Pork (must be labelled as 5% or less fat)
- Ham
- Lamb
- Pastrami
- Pork
- Rabbit
- Turkey
- Turkey or Chicken Mince (must be labelled as 5% or less fat)
- Turkey Rashers
- Veal
- Venison
Slimming World Free Foods – Meat Substitutes
- Quorn Mince
- Quorn Pieces
- Textured Vegetable Protein or Soya Protein (made with defatted soya)
- Tofu
Slimming World Free Foods – Fish & Seafood
- Abalone
- Anchovies
- Bass
- Blue Hake
- Bream
- Carp
- Catfish
- Caviar
- Clams
- Cockles
- Cod
- Cod Roe
- Coley
- Conch
- Crab
- Crab Sticks
- Crayfish
- Cuttlefish
- Dab
- Dogfish
- Dover Sole
- Eel
- Flounder
- Haddock
- Hake
- Halibut
- Herring
- Herring Roe
- Hoki
- John Dory
- Kippers
- Lemon Sole
- Ling
- Lobster
- Mackerel (unsmoked)
- Mahi-Mahi
- Monkfish
- Mullet
- Mussels
- Ocean Perch
- Octopus
- Orange Roughy
- Oysters
- Pangasius
- Perch
- Pike
- Pilchards (canned in brine or tomato sauce)
- Plaice
- Pollock
- Pompano
- Prawns
- Red Snapper
- Red Fish
- River Cobbler
- Roe
- Rollmop Herring
- Salmon
- Sardines
- Scallops
- Seabass
- Seafood Sticks
- Shrimp
- Skate
- Sole
- Sprats
- Squid
- Swordfish
- Talapia
- Trout
- Tuna
- Turbot
- Whelks
- Whiting
- Winkles
Important – remember to count any oil or fat used for cooking as Syns.
Slimming World Free Foods – Dairy
- Eggs
- Fat-free Natural Fromage Frais
- Fat-free natural Yogurt
- Low-fat Cottage Cheese
- Plain Quark
Seasoning, Stock, Dressings/Sauces and Condiments
- Agar Agar
- Bouillon
- Fat-Free Salad Dressing
- Gelatine (Plain)
- Herbs
- Hot Sauce (Sugar Free)
- Mint Sauce (Sugar Free)
- Mustard Powder
- Pepper
- Peppermint Extract
- Salt
- Spices
- Soy Sauce
- Soy Sauce
- Spray Oils (up to 10 sprays per day)
- Stock Cubes & Stock Pots
- Sugar Substitutes/Sweeteners (Stevia & Splenda)
- Thai Fish Sauce (Nam Pla)
- Tomato Paste/Tomato Puree
- Vanilla Extract
- Vinegar
- Worcestershire Sauce
Slimming World Free Drinks
- Coffee – Black
- Cordial/Squash with no added sugar
- Herbal Tea
- Low-calorie/sugar-free fizzy drinks
- Mineral water, still or sparkling, plain
- Tap Water
- Tea
Important – make sure you count Syns or use your healthy extras for any milk you add to drinks such as tea or coffee.