good healthy low calorie alternative Brown rice?

jenniator

Thank you lemurcat12. I have always wanted to try spaghetti squash and I think it would taste really good as spaghetti since I love squash. Yeah I do have a bit of a problem with portion control but that's alright since still learning to control myself and do better. It doesn't happen over night and I know it will take time. I really don't rely on my eyes since my eyes will eat more than my stomach ha ha. I also love a lot of sauce and have been working on adding less of it. It is difficult controlling the portion since most of my family sets it up on the plates already and it's difficult for a lot of people to not eat everything on their plate since they don't want to waste it. I always tell the person whos cooking not to put so much rice or pasta on my plate, but they think it's not so many calories. Most of them don't know how quickly calories add up or how much calories those foods contain ha ha.

Also I know there are no similar foods to those, but that's why I was looking for a alternative I always cook with brown rice when I can instead of white rice and I think that's a step in the right direction.

ninerbuff

jenniator wrote: »

Thank you guys for the suggestions. I see a lot of people say just to have less of the rice or pasta. That is a good idea, but I have a problem controlling myself around rice and pasta since I love them so much. I always try to eat less, but I always take more. That's why I thought it would be better to find a alternative that is lower in calorie.

Is the intent to keep eating that lower calorie alternative and nix rice and pasta out of your diet entirely? Again, if not and you're doing it just to lose weight, then what's going to happen if you decide you want to eat rice and pasta again? Control can be learned. Don't believe it can't be. I'm sure there are lots of things you'd like to rage about to a person if you saw wrong done by them. But you restrain from doing it because of control.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

ninerbuff

One of the best ways to learn portion control....................use a smaller plate.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

kgeyser

I just measure out less rice. I haven't found anything else that is comparable in terms of calories and macros, and honestly, 1/2 cup of rice is more than enough for me now. I'll be weighing it out and be surprised at how much there is, I don't think I'd know what to do with an entire full serving (1 cup) of rice. Filling the plate with veggies seems to help with the visual/psychological aspect, as there just isn't much room on the plate left for rice when the majority is protein or veggies.

Need2Exerc1se

For pasta, check out Fiber Gourmet brand pasta. It has half the calories of regular pasta and is still pasta. I love spaghetti squash, in fact, I have 18 in my root cellar right now. But it doesn't taste like pasta. It tastes like summer squash. I eat it as a vegetable, not a grain.

I don't know of a substitute for rice. I, too, have heard of riced cauliflower but have never tried it. I love cauliflower, but I also love rices so when I want rice I eat rice.

sheepotato

Quinoa? It has slightly more calories than brown rice per dry measurement but you eat less of it to feel sated.

SweatLikeDog

Bulgur wheat (spelled 10 different ways) has 150 cals per cup vs 210 for brown rice and looks and tastes almost identical.

lyttlewon

Try riceing cauliflower. Rough chop it in a food processor and steam it. Without knowing what the dish is it's harder to suggest. When I make Indian food I use lentils instead.

Eta you can use a blender.

middlehaitch

black rice 90cal 1/2 cup, white rice 102, brown rice 108, so a small saving on black rice, but I bet it costs a fortune.
If you are not willing to just cut your intake of rice and pasta, cut down your carb & cal consumption for the rest of your meals so you can enjoy the quantity you want and are still within your cal and macro goals. It is all down to priorities and will power.
Cheers, h.

BruceHedtke

Spaghetti squash is a substitute for pasta in looks only (and barely, at that). Certainly not in taste. Unless you can commit to eating spaghetti squash instead of pasta, as others have said, stick with eating less pasta. Where spaghetti squash wins is low calories.

According to the calorie chart on MFP, 500 grams of spaghetti is 690 calories. That same 500 grams of s/s is 155 calories. You can eat over four times as much spaghetti squash before equaling the number of calories in spaghetti. In that regard, it's a great trade-off but, again, it's not pasta...it's squash. It took some adjustment to find how to get it to my taste, but I made the switch to spaghetti squash and am happy I did so.

Pinkylee77

I love pasta and would rather have a weight problem than give it up but I cook 3 ounces per person and serve that amount it is 300 calories. I make simple sauces with with tomatoes,carrots, celery, garlic and onion. The sauce has vitamins, fiber and lots of taste with minimal calories. So enjoy and learn to handle trigger foods because you can not live forever with out them. This I know because I have in the past tried to give up my favorites and I ended up with my face in a plate

Francl27

I suggest switching to whole grain pasta though... I find it much more filling (and frankly tastier). Heck I had two servings of pasta for lunch yesterday (with some veggies, cheese and shrimp) and I was full until dinner, no problem, and ended the day at 1740 calories, and that included a homemade Turkey burger...

sola24

broken wheat or cracked wheat or dalia. I know if there are any other word for it though. But it helps me a lot with my rice cravings and can substitute rice in most dishes.

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-cracked-wheat.htm