What is a good alternative to pasta?

Ezciren
Ezciren Posts: 20
in Food and Nutrition
Hi, I am a great lover of all things pasta but I can't be doing with the amount of calories it adds to a dish. Does anyone have a lower carb/calorie alternative?
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Replies

  • jakidb
    jakidb Posts: 1,010 Member
    I want to say "couscous"
  • belleflop
    belleflop Posts: 154 Member
    Our go to alternatives are zucchini spagetti and hearts of palm!
  • stl_nana
    stl_nana Posts: 99 Member
    Spaghetti Squash

    http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/cooking/a/spagsquash.htm
  • terri0527
    terri0527 Posts: 678 Member
    Spaghetti squash
  • Suffer4beauty
    Suffer4beauty Posts: 44 Member
    Brown rice. Some cous cous. Potatoes.

    But you can stick to pasta and bulk it up with lots of steamed veggies/cooked veggies. I made pasta the other night with diced tomatoes, garlic, onion, spinach and broccoli and seasoned chicken. You can't even taste the "not as desirable" vegetables if you put lots of you favorites in - like the chicken, the garlic and lots of caramelized onions...
  • portofmorrow
    portofmorrow Posts: 10 Member
    - Whole wheat spaghettini (still pasta, but a better option!)
    - Soba noodles
    - Quinoa
    - Pearl barley
    - Brown rice

    Any of these healthy grains could be used in a dish to replace pasta!
  • msstatz
    msstatz Posts: 163 Member
    Spaghetti squash is amazing!
  • djs218
    djs218 Posts: 2
    Quinoa is an excellent alternative to pasta. It only has 115kcal/100g compared with pasta's 325kcal. Hope that was useful :)
  • MsDrJuris
    MsDrJuris Posts: 41
    I choose brown rice, although you could also go with a rice pasta.
  • LAW_714
    LAW_714 Posts: 258
    I want to say "couscous"

    Couscous IS pasta.

    Wiki:
    Couscous (/ˈkʊskʊs/ or /ˈkuːskuːs/) is a traditional Berber dish of semolina flour (tiny granules of durum wheat) which is cooked by steaming
  • TheNewDodge
    TheNewDodge Posts: 607 Member
    Ground Pork
  • SnicciFit
    SnicciFit Posts: 967 Member
    Spaghetti Squash!

    http://mypathtopaleo.blogspot.com/2012/07/spaghetti-squash.html
  • zenalasca
    zenalasca Posts: 563 Member
    Slim pasta
    Shirataki noodles
    Mung bean noodles (these are surprisingly common)
    Peeled zucchini
    Finely sliced cabbage
    Mashed potato
    Mashed cauliflower
  • I_Will_Be_The_Swan
    I_Will_Be_The_Swan Posts: 132
    Egg noodles. They taste better and they have more protein.
  • livincleanly27
    livincleanly27 Posts: 15
    i agree that spaghetti squash is good or u can try quinoa pasta. I bought some the other day but haven't cooked it yet, so i have no idea how it taste.
  • Jennisin1
    Jennisin1 Posts: 574 Member
    Squash....

    Spaghetti but even summer and zuccini work well.
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
    Having tried all the other options, my choice is....

    ... slightly smaller portions of pasta. I bulk up my dish with lots of veggies, and have a regular sized serving of pasta, which is usually about 200 calories. I have no problem fitting that into my goals.
  • CarlydogsMom
    CarlydogsMom Posts: 645 Member
    Buy a bag of Broccoli Slaw--steam it in the microwave about 5-10 minutes. Save half for leftovers and use half for your "pasta." It's soft but a little crunchy, and I now prefer it over any kind of pasta, which now seems to me to feel limp, tasteless, and full of useless calories.

    So, instead of 250 calories of basically nothing worthwhile, it's only 25 or so calories of broccoli (fiber, vitamins)--yum and win-win!
  • HardcoreP0rk
    HardcoreP0rk Posts: 936 Member
    Can you continue to eat pasta, but just weigh out a reasonable portion? Get the rest of your calories from protein and fat?
  • SnicciFit
    SnicciFit Posts: 967 Member
    Buy a bag of Broccoli Slaw--steam it in the microwave about 5-10 minutes. Save half for leftovers and use half for your "pasta." It's soft but a little crunchy, and I now prefer it over any kind of pasta, which now seems to me to feel limp, tasteless, and full of useless calories.

    So, instead of 250 calories of basically nothing worthwhile, it's only 25 or so calories of broccoli (fiber, vitamins)--yum and win-win!

    I've just discovered broccoli slaw! This is the recipe I've been using it in:

    http://www.katrina-runs.com/whole-30-day-20-pass-the-cheese

    I've modified it a bit since the first time I made it. I use a can of rotel instead of separate cans of tomatoes/chiles and I use homemade taco seasoning in place of the seasonings listed.
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
    pasta is only roughly 100 cals an oz, there is no alternative to pasta despite some of the suggestions above
  • Joshacham
    Joshacham Posts: 467 Member
    Spaghetti Squash

    http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/cooking/a/spagsquash.htm

    ^^^^

    This
  • ChitownFoodie
    ChitownFoodie Posts: 1,562 Member
    Shirataki noodles, but honestly theres no good alternative.
  • KombuchaCat
    KombuchaCat Posts: 834 Member
    Polenta.
  • autumnsquirrel
    autumnsquirrel Posts: 258 Member
    Hi, I am a great lover of all things pasta but I can't be doing with the amount of calories it adds to a dish. Does anyone have a lower carb/calorie alternative?
  • autumnsquirrel
    autumnsquirrel Posts: 258 Member
    Hi, I am a great lover of all things pasta but I can't be doing with the amount of calories it adds to a dish. Does anyone have a lower carb/calorie alternative?
    Hi! Rotini has a "Smart Taste" or great taste pasta; has less carbs and more fiber. Tastes pretty good. Lately, though, I have been eating Quinoa. I get the flavored quinoa packets in the healthy section at my market. You get a lot in that little packet. I make roasted veggies and have it on the side. It's pretty filling.
  • CAS317
    CAS317 Posts: 267 Member
    Funny this thread came up because I just had the Quest Pastabilities Spinach Fettuccine for lunch. Don't waste your money. I just thought I would try it because it was there while I was ordering Quest bars. So, it's $3.39 for a bag, which is 2 servings (20 cals per serving, 4 carbs, no fat). I was able to finish off 2 servings with a few tablespoons of Parmesan cheese added. I don't even think you could get this stuff to taste good with alfredo sauce. However...I give the texture a 1 out of 10. It was very rubbery and gave me a yuck sound in my ears while chewing it. It was like biting into a rubber ball. I would rather have some whole grain pasta and be a few calories over than to eat this stuff again. Nice try Quest!
  • LuisB3
    LuisB3 Posts: 15 Member
    Wondering if these alternates actually still provide the benefit of the carbs you get from pasta. Not everything is bad for you if you use it right.
  • howardheilweil
    howardheilweil Posts: 604 Member
    pasta is only roughly 100 cals an oz, there is no alternative to pasta despite some of the suggestions above
    Agreed. I love spaghetti squash, quinoa and some of the other things mentioned, but they aren't really substitutes. I don't suggest eating a pound in one sitting, but small portions occasionally... Why not?
  • LAW_714
    LAW_714 Posts: 258
    ... slightly smaller portions of pasta. I bulk up my dish with lots of veggies,

    This has been my choice too. Use less pasta but more veggies to achieve the same net volume (but fewer carbs). I've also chosen to consider pasta a side rather than the bulk of a meal.

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