The 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge has been designed for busy Mums and we include recipes that are easy to prepare using ingredients that can be found at the local supermarket most of the time, so that food preparation time isn’t a chore.
If you don’t have access to a large supermarket, yours doesn’t seem to offer a good range of products or are finding it hard to work out what some of the ingredients in the recipes are or where you should purchase them from, then the below list should help you out.
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We’ve included more of the “unusual” ingredients in the list but if there is still something that you can’t find or don’t know what it is, then contact The 28 Day Challenge support team for more assistance.

  • Almond Butter – like peanut butter but made with almonds. This can be found in the health food section of the supermarket or a health food store. If you can’t find it then you can use peanut butter or make your own by blitzing raw almonds in the food processor until a smooth paste is formed, you may need to add a little oil to combine together.
  • Cacao Powder – this is similar to Cocoa Powder but it hasn’t been as refined therefore it contains more nutritional value. Find it in the baking section or health food section of the supermarket or a health food store.
  • Cardamom – a spice used a lot in Indian cooking. This can be found in the herb and spice section of the supermarket, often in a packet of pods or ground.
  • Chickpea Flour – this is also know as Besan Flour or Gram Flour and can be found in the Asian, Indian section of the supermarket or the health food area. If your supermarket doesn’t stock it then try a health food store or local Asian shop. You could make your own by processing dried chickpeas until a fine flour is formed. Sieve the flour to remove any larger pieces of chickpeas and then re-process. A coffee grinder would work too if you don’t have a food processor.
  • Cinnamon or Cinnamon Stick – a spice used in savoury and sweet cooking that is great to get the metabolism working. Find it ground or in sticks in the herb and spice section of the supermarket.
  • Clear Bean Thread Noodles – also known as cellophane noodles. If your supermarket doesn’t stock them in the noodle or Asian section then use rice vermicelli noodles.
  • Coconut Flour – a flour made with coconut. This should be with the other flours in the supermarket or find in a health food store. This is a gluten free flour and it gives recipes a lovely taste. If you can’t find it or want to use a flour you already have then look online about substitution quantities as coconut flour is really absorbent so you don’t use as much as you would a plain flour. In general 1/4 cup of coconut flour would substitute for around 1 cup of plain flour.
  • Coconut Sugar – as with coconut flour, this is a sugar made from coconut and should be in the sugar or baking section of the supermarket. You can use other sugars instead of coconut sugar in your recipes but check online to see if you need more or less standard brown sugar to substitute with the coconut sugar.
  • Crystallised Ginger – this product should be with the dried fruits and nuts at the supermarket. It is a form of dried ginger that is great in baking recipes. You can even eat it straight from the packet. If you can’t find this ingredient or don’t like the taste of it, you could try some freshly grated ginger or another dried fruit of choice.
  • Dips – for example Baba Ghanoush, Beetroot, Hummus or Tzatziki can all be found in the refrigerated section of the supermarket. Look for options that don’t contain lots of sugar or preservatives.
  • Dried Lemongrass – a powdered form of lemongrass from the herb and spice section of the supermarket. If you can’t find it then you could easily use fresh or lemongrass from a jar, finely chopped.
  • Dukkah – this is a ground nut and spice mix used a lot in the Middle East. It’s great to use to crumb meats, sprinkled over salads or simply served with some wholegrain bread and olive oil to dip into. Find this in the herb and spice section of the supermarket or where gourmet products are found e.g. with jars of olives and capsicums. If you can’t find it then you could just pulse a selection of your favourite nuts that you’ve toasted e.g. hazelnuts, sesame seeds together with some toasted cumin and coriander seeds.
  • Fish Sauce – a sauce used a lot in Asian and Thai cooking. It has a strong flavour so not a lot is required when using in cooking. Find it in the Asian section of the supermarket.
  • Garam Masala – a spice blend used a lot in Asian and Indian cooking. Find it in the herb and spice section of the supermarket or make your own by combining 1 tablespoon of ground cumin, 1 and 1/2 tsp ground coriander, 1 and 1/2 tsp ground cardamom, 1 and 1/2 tsp ground black pepper, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ground cloves and 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg. Mix well and store in an air tight container in the pantry.
  • Harissa – a Middle Eastern spice paste made with capsicum, garlic and cumin that can be found in the sauces/marinades section of the supermarket. If your supermarket doesn’t have it then try a local deli or gourmet goods shop or use a hot sauce like Tabasco or a chilli paste combined with some dried cumin. If you don’t like things too spicy then either use less Harissa or combine with some natural yoghurt for marinades.
  • Hoisin Sauce – also known as Chinese Plum Sauce, this is used in stir fries and marinades in Asian recipes. Find it in the sauces and marinades section of the supermarket.
  • Kaffir Lime Leaves – a fresh leaf used a lot in Asian and Thai cooking. They are usually finely sliced and added straight into salads, stir fries, curries and marinades. Find them in the fresh fruit and vegetable section of the supermarket or in a Fruit and Vegetable store.
  • Kale – a leafy green vegetable that has become really popular in recent times due to its nutritional value. Supermarket fruit and vegetable sections or the local fruit and vegetable shop should stock it. If you don’t like it you could try other types of green vegetables e.g. spinach, broccoli etc, depending on how the kale is being used in a recipe e.g. don’t use baby spinach to make the Crispy Kale Chips from the Challenge as they’ll just disintegrate or burn.
  • Kecap Manis – an Indonesian sweet soy sauce used in Asian cooking. Find it in the Asian or soy sauce section of the supermarket. If you can’t find it you could make your own by gently boiling 1/4 soy sauce with 1/4 cup plus 1/8 cup of brown sugar until it resembles maple syrup.
  • Mascarpone – an Italian cheese that can be found in the cheese section of the supermarket, usually near items like sour cream, creme fraiche etc. If you can’t find it then you could use creme fraiche or some natural yoghurt combined with sour cream.
  • Medjool Dates – these are a fresh version of dates and usually found in the fresh fruit & vegetable section of the supermarket or at a Fruit & Veg shop. These dates will need to have their pits removed in most cases. If you can’t find them then try dried dates that have been pitted and soaked for at least 10 minutes to give the same type of soft, texture for recipes.
  • Mirin – a Japanese seasoning sauce, similar to rice wine but without the alcohol content. Find it in the Asian or Japanese section of the supermarket.
  • Miso Paste – a fermented soybean paste that is used in Japanese cooking. Combined with hot water it makes a nutritious and delicious broth or soup. Find it in the Asian section of the supermarket or in an Asian store.
  • Oyster Sauce – a sauce used a lot in Asian cooking and stir fries to add flavour. Find it in the Asian section or near the soy sauce in the supermarket.
  • Pancetta – a round, smoked pork meat that is usually thinly sliced. Lightly fry like you would bacon. Find it pre-sliced near the ham and smoked meats in the supermarket or in the Deli section where you can ask for a particular quantity.
  • Polenta (dry) – a grain made from ground cornmeal that is used a lot in Italian cooking. It can be found near the Italian pastas or in the health food section of the supermarket. Following the instructions on the packet will result in a porridge type mix. If you can’t find it you could use a serve of couscous or mashed sweet potato in your recipes as an accompaniment instead.
  • Powdered Gelatine – found near the jelly or baking goods in the supermarket. This basically sets liquids to turn it into a jelly type consistency.
  • Prosciutto – a thinly sliced, smoked pork, similar to bacon but a lot thinner. Cook as you would bacon but you won’t need to fry for very long. Find it pre-sliced near the ham and smoked meats in the supermarket or in the Deli section where you can ask for a particular quantity. You could use bacon if you can’t find Prosciutto.
  • Quinoa Flakes – should be found in the health food aisle of the supermarket or buy from the health food shop. These are a flake that are great in baking and breakfast type recipes, similar to how you’d use rolled oats.
  • Rice Flour – this is a flour made with finely milled rice grains. It can be substituted for other plain flours but is a good option if you need to be gluten free or want to try a gluten free recipe. Find it with other flours and baking goods in the supermarket or in the health food aisle. Like with plain flours, this flour can come in a white and brown versions.
  • Sambal Oelek – a chilli paste that can be found in the Asian or herbs and spices section of the supermarket. If you can’t find it then use a chilli paste you prefer or add sliced red chillies to your recipes.
  • Slim Konjac Rice – a rice made from the Konjac vegetable that is lower in calories than usual rice. Find it in the Asian section or the pasta and rice section of the supermarket. You can easily use normal rice or pasta instead of Konjac versions if you like.
  • Spring Roll Pastry – just as it says, a pastry used to make Spring Rolls. Find it in the frozen section of the supermarket where other pastries are sold. If you can’t find it, you could make a Spring Roll type recipe using filo pastry or use rice paper sheets and turn your Spring Roll recipe into a Cold Roll recipe.
  • Soba Noodles – these are Japanese style noodles made with buckwheat and can be found in the Asian section of the supermarket or where other noodles are found. You could easily replace them with rice noodles or noodles of your choice.
  • Tamari – this is gluten free soy sauce that can be found near the soy sauce in the supermarket, in the Asian section or in a health food store if your supermarket doesn’t stock it. Use normal soy sauce if you can’t find it.
  • Thai Spice Mix – like “Italian Mixed Herbs” find a Thai Spice Mix in the herbs and spices section of the supermarket. If you can’t find it and need it for a stir fry or to marinate meat then you could use a small amount of a Thai curry paste to marinate meat with or flavour stir fries.
  • Tinned Crabmeat – this can be found near the other tinned seafoods in the supermarket or sometimes in the Asian section. You could easily use frozen or fresh crabmeat or replace with tuna or tinned salmon.
  • Tinned Refried Beans – usually found in the Mexican aisle of the supermarket. If you can’t find them you could just substitute with some tinned kidney beans or mixed beans of choice.
  • Silken Tofu – found in the refrigerated section of the supermarket, usually near other cold health food items like “veggie” burgers. It’s a soft tofu as opposed to hard tofu. It has a silky texture and can easily be processed like ricotta or cottage cheese.
  • Sumac – this is a Middle Eastern spice found in the herb and spice section of the supermarket. It’s red in colour and adds a lemony flavour to foods.
  • Watercress – a fresh salad leaf found in the fruit and vegetable section of the supermarket. If it’s not in season or you can’t find it you could replace with snow pea sprouts, baby spinach or other salad leaves of choice.