SW - dimwit's question about mince...

[smallmole]

I'm new to Slimming World and I just wanted to ask something which is probably really obvious to everyone. It's about mince!
For the last two weeks I've been able to get extra lean mince at my local supermarket, which my consultant told me was free on Extra Easy. This week the mince just wasn't there. I've been to a few other shops in the area but can't get extra lean. If I buy the lean mince but cook it and drain the fat off before adding my tomatoes and things, does that make it the same as the extra lean or do I have to start adding syns?

 

[aesir22]

You add syns. But its not many. If you google 'syns in lean mince' it'll have the answers. Can't remember how many it is offhand

 

[Maddysmum]

Official you should add syns but when this has happened to me, i've cooked it, drain it (used a sieve so all drains) - i then wash & dry the plan (so no fat) and carry on and its not affected my weight loss at all!!!

 

[Aileen]

I only even tend to use lean, as i find the extra lean so expensive and its never affected my losses

 

[ermintrude]

You have to syn it if its not Extra Lean (<5% fat).

Lean in't too bad syns-wise though and its a lot cheaper, I still use lean quite often.


Pork:
Pork mince, >6%, 100g raw 5
Pork mince, < 6% fat, 100g raw ½

Beef:
Beef mince, <12% fat, 100g raw 2½
Beef mince, <20% fat, 100g raw 6½
Beef mince, >20% fat, 100g raw 9

Lamb:
Lamb mince, <16% fat , 100g raw 2
Lamb mince, >16% fat , 100g raw 5

Turkey:
Turkey mince, >5% fat, 100g raw 2

 

[PatchworkPuss]

I wouldn't encourage you to start tweaking the plan at this early stage to be honest. The syns in lean mince vary depending on the amount of fat. Extra lean is less than 5% fat but lean can be anything from 5% to 20%. Cooking it and draining off the fat, or rinsing it in boiling water does not make it syn free. And although some people call it free and claim that it does not affect losses I think it's a really bad precedence to set when you are just starting out because one tweak can lead to another and before you know it you're not really doing SW at all. Just stick to the plan as SW say you should. If you can't find extra lean mince you buy lean meat and mince it yourself or see if the in-store butcher will do it for you. Or use one of the meatfree alternatives for those time when you can't find it.