Extra Easy Confused :-(

[Maryannemagpie]

Was wondering.. How do you determine something as being 'Syn Free'? I know that you check your calories bh 1 Syn per 20cal, however, ive been eating some syn free things, eg, mug shot sweet n sour, my consultant said theh are free, they have hardly no fat but lots of calories. But then again, if i check something which has hardly no fat maybe 2% if that, its got syns?! And you usually have to check the cals. Im so confused? How is the syns worked out??

Sent from my iPhone using MiniMins

 

[vanilla_cupcake]

Was wondering.. How do you determine something as being 'Syn Free'? I know that you check your calories bh 1 Syn per 20cal, however, ive been eating some syn free things, eg, mug shot sweet n sour, my consultant said theh are free, they have hardly no fat but lots of calories. But then again, if i check something which has hardly no fat maybe 2% if that, its got syns?! And you usually have to check the cals. Im so confused? How is the syns worked out??

Sent from my iPhone using MiniMins

Hi, unless you have access to syns online you won't be able to work the syn value out! you could always do a search on here or ask in the syn value sub forum

 

[Little Miss Determined]

Was wondering.. How do you determine something as being 'Syn Free'? I know that you check your calories bh 1 Syn per 20cal, however, ive been eating some syn free things, eg, mug shot sweet n sour, my consultant said theh are free, they have hardly no fat but lots of calories. But then again, if i check something which has hardly no fat maybe 2% if that, its got syns?! And you usually have to check the cals. Im so confused? How is the syns worked out??

Sent from my iPhone using MiniMins

Good question i would also like to know.

 

[Maryannemagpie]

Yeah, its just so unusual.. I would just like to know how this works. My consultant always said to never count the calories, just your syns.. But how do we know how to determine te syn value if its supposed to be 1 syn per 20cals? Its just abit confusin to me.

Sent from my iPhone using MiniMins

 

[vanilla_cupcake]

Yeah, its just so unusual.. I would just like to know how this works. My consultant always said to never count the calories, just your syns.. But how do we know how to determine te syn value if its supposed to be 1 syn per 20cals? Its just abit confusin to me.

Sent from my iPhone using MiniMins

You have to use the syns online to find out the syn value or the directory, you won't be able to work it out yourself properly! What are you finding confusing

 

[ermintrude]

If the top item on the Ingredients list is itself a Free food (eg meat, pasta, rice, vegetables, yoghurt, whatever) then tye product qualifies for a free food allowance and you can put it through the syn calculator to work out the syn value.

If the top item on the list is NOT a free food then it doesn't qualify anyway so it is a straight 1 syn per 20 calories.

Simples

EDIT: for anyone who reads this post for help in future: There are a few exemptions that it doesn't apply to, such as shop-bought soups & sauces, some junk food, anything with pastry in... I think BritMum has a full list somewhere? But anyway, thats how the free food rule works

 

[Maryannemagpie]

If the top item on the Ingredients list is itself a Free food (eg meat, pasta, rice, vegetables, yoghurt, whatever) then tye product qualifies for a free food allowance and you can put it through the syn calculator to work out the syn value.

If the top item on the list is NOT a free food then it doesn't qualify anyway so it is a straight 1 syn per 20 calories.

Simples

Thanks chic x

Sent from my iPhone using MiniMins

 

[PatchworkPuss]

And the mugshots is free because the main ingredient is pasta which we know is a free food and fills you up for a long time relative to it's calorie content. The same number of calories used on chocolate would fill you up for a lot less time.

 

[ming2007]

Thanks for explaining the thing about the ingredients counting as free food. I never realised that.

Sent from my iPod touch using MiniMins

 

[vanessal]

I never realised either, great post. Mind the only item i ever really try to work the syns out on are the minstral type sweets in aldi, every week i pick them up , work them out and put them down, i keep think hoping that the syn value will change lol.

 

[MadameLaMinx]

If it makes you feel any better they aren't that nice - and I love pretty much all of aldis chocolate range, so for me to say that they have to be pretty dire!

 

[ermintrude]

Thanks for explaining the thing about the ingredients counting as free food. I never realised that.

Sent from my iPod touch using MiniMins

There are a few exemptions that it doesn't apply to, such as shop-bought soups & sauces, some junk food, anything with pastry in... I think BritMum has a full list somewhere? But anyway, thats how the free food rule works

 

[Debsie_websie]

If the top item on the Ingredients list is itself a Free food (eg meat, pasta, rice, vegetables, yoghurt, whatever) then tye product qualifies for a free food allowance and you can put it through the syn calculator to work out the syn value.

If the top item on the list is NOT a free food then it doesn't qualify anyway so it is a straight 1 syn per 20 calories.

Simples

Well there you go. Been doing this for a year and I never knew that!

 

[BritMumInCanada]

if you log onto the slimming world online and go to the syns calculator, to the right of the calculator it has a little questions FAQ and in there you will find the list of all the foods that do not qualify for free food, therefore will be a straight 1 syn for 20 calories. As Erm's pointed out, they are snacks type foods, sauces, pastry items, ready made sandwiches, soups (ones which are not homeade), pizza etc.

All other foods that have a free food as the FIRST ingredient listed on the packet, need to be calculated using the syns calculator, as they are giving an allowance for the free food.

So for instance if you were buying a ready meal where the maiin ingredient listed was beef, you would need to use the syns calculator to work out the syns. You select your free food, put in the nutrtional information and it gives you the syn value. Usually foods high in just protein/low in fat are lower syns on extra easy and original days and foods high in just carbs/low in fat are lower syns on extra easy and green days. To give you an idea of what might come out as low syns on the calculator when shopping, but remember ONLY the syns calculator can give you an accurate syns value.

However if you were browsing while shopping and spotted a new type of biscuits/chocolate/sauce/soup/crisps etc then you could just look at the nutritional information at the back and apply 1 syn for every 20 calories.

 

[ermintrude]

if you log onto the slimming world online and go to the syns calculator, to the right of the calculator it has a little questions FAQ and in there you will find the list of all the foods that do not qualify for free food, therefore will be a straight 1 syn for 20 calories.

Fabulous, found it, thanks BritMum!
Here we go:

If your product falls into one of the following groups it will not be given a Free Food allowance:

Alcoholic drinks
Biscuits, including cereal bars and savoury crackers
Bread & crispbreads
Breakfast cereals
Cakes & bakery items, e.g. carrot cake
Crisps & snacks
Dressings & dips, e.g. salsa, salad dressing
Fruit - canned, dried and stewed
Pastry products (sweet & savoury), e.g. salmon en croute, apple pie
Pizza
Puddings & desserts
Sandwich/deli fillers
Sandwiches and wraps
Sauces, e.g. jars of tomato-based pasta sauce
Soft drinks, including yogurt drinks fruit/vegetable juice and fruit smoothies
Soups, all varieties
Sweets & chocolates