My Favourite Treats Under 5 Swips
If you are following the Slimming World plan you might have heard about the new name for treats. We used to call them Syns but now they are called Swips. This stands for Slimming World Individual Picks. The idea is to help us stop feeling guilty about eating nice food. It is not a sin to have a chocolate bar. It is just a choice we make.
I have put together a list of my favourite snacks that are under 5 Swips. Please remember this is not an official list. Values can change so it is always best to check your official app or book if you are worried.
Sometimes we just need a snack. Even if we have had plenty of fruit and vegetables, we might still fancy some chocolate or crisps. This usually happens to me in the evening when I am sitting on the sofa.
There are lots of healthy snacks you can have for free. I wrote a post about my favourite free snack ideas, which might help you. But sometimes you want something different. That is why we have our daily allowance.
You can also use your Healthy Extra choices for snacks. You might have a cereal bar or some cheese. But if you have used those up here are some low Swip ideas to help you out.
Chocolate List
You can usually fit a small bar of chocolate into your day. Here are some popular choices that are 5 Swips or less.
- Cadbury Buttons (small 14.4g bag) is 4 Swips
- Chomp bar (12g) is 3 Swips
- Freddo bars are usually 5 Swips
- Mini Eggs are 1 Swip each
- Ferrero Rocher is 4 Swips for one
- Lindt Lindor ball is 4 Swips for one
- Fun size Mars bar is 4 Swips
- Fun size Milky Way is 3.5 Swips
- Fun size Maltesers are 5 Swips
- Milkybar (12g) is 3.5 Swips
- Skinny Crunch bars are roughly 3 Swips
Sweets List
It is best to count these out one by one. It is very easy to eat a whole bag without noticing.
- Jelly Baby is 1 Swip
- Cola Bottle is 0.5 Swips
- Bonbon is 1.5 Swips
- Flying Saucer is 0.5 Swips
- Werther’s Original Sugar Free is 1 Swip
Cakes and Bakes
It is hard to find a big slice of cake within your allowance. But you can have small bites.
- Mini chocolate brownie is 3 Swips
- Chocolate crispy cake is 3.5 Swips
- Bitesize flapjack is 4 Swips
- Mini ring doughnut is 3 Swips
- Jaffa Cake is 2.5 Swips
- Pink Wafer is 2 Swips
Rice cakes are also a good option if you want something sweet and crunchy. Snack a Jacks jumbo rice cakes are usually about 2 to 3 swips each.
Jelly and Ice Cream
Jelly is very popular because it is sweet but low in calories.
- Sugar-free jelly pot is 0.5 Swips
- Jelly cubes (25g raw) is 3.5 Swips
- Hartley’s sugar-free crystals (11.5g sachet) is 1.5 Swips
Ice cream can be tricky, but some lollies are quite low.
- Mini milk lolly is 1.5 Swips
- Skinny Cow mini lollies are roughly 3.5 Swips
- Halo Top ice cream is great because you can have a 100ml scoop for about 3 to 4 Swips depending on the flavour.
Biscuits List
I love a biscuit with my cuppa. Here is what one biscuit will cost you in Swips.
- Mikado stick is 0.5 Swips
- Chocolate finger is 1.5 Swips
- Rich Tea finger is 1 Swip
- Party Ring is 1.5 Swips
- Custard Cream is 3 Swips
- Bourbon is 3.5 Swips
- Digestive (plain) is 3.5 Swips
- Chocolate Digestive is 4 Swips
- Oreo is 2.5 Swips
Crisps and Savoury Snacks
If you prefer salty food, then crisps are likely your weakness. I like to buy the small multipack bags, so I know exactly how much I am eating.
- Pom Bears (13g) is 3.5 Swips
- French Fries (18g) is 4 Swips
- Quavers (16g) is 4.5 Swips
- Wotsits (16.5g) is 4.5 Swips
- Skips (13g) is 3.5 Swips
- Popcorn (small sweet and salty pack) is roughly 4 Swips
Drinks and Alcohol
Some people do not count drinks but they can use up a lot of your allowance. It is safest to stick to diet drinks or water. If you want a tipple here is a rough guide.
- Gin or Vodka (25ml) is 3 Swips
- Diet mixers like slimline tonic or diet cola are Free
- Prosecco (125ml glass) is 5 Swips
- Small glass of wine (125ml) is about 6 Swips depending on strength
- Light beer or lager (half pint) is roughly 3.5 Swips
For hot drinks, it is best to use milk from your Healthy Extra allowance. If you use instant hot chocolate sachets like Options or Highlights they are usually about 2 Swips per mug.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are Swips?
Swips is the new name for Syns. It stands for Slimming World Individual Picks. It is the way you measure treats and foods that are not Free.
How many Swips can I have a day?
Most people are allowed up to 15 Swips a day. This gives you room to enjoy a little bit of what you fancy.
How do I work out the Swips in food?
A good rule of thumb is that 20 calories equals 1 Swip. So a snack with 100 calories is roughly 5 of your allowance. This only works for foods that have no free food in them, like crisps or chocolate.
Can I save my Swips for the weekend?
Some people do save them up, but the plan works best if you use them daily. Using them daily stops you from feeling deprived.
Where can I check the values?
The best place is always the official Slimming World app or website. You can also use my unofficial calculator if you need a quick estimate.
What are your favourite Swips? Let me know in the comments below! Do you have similar favourites to me? Have you found anything different?
