Low Cal Pasta or Pasta Replacement?

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Replies

  • benefiting
    benefiting Posts: 795 Member
    We use Slendier Slim Noodles. :)
  • emboslice94
    emboslice94 Posts: 60
    Brown rice pasta is really good. You may have to try a few brands to find a really good one (some can be really sticky), but I find Jovial and a No Name brand are perfect and you'd never know the different between it and regular pasta.

    There's also buckwheat pasta, it has a nuttier flavor so it's not my #1 pick, but it's an option.
  • avm1962
    avm1962 Posts: 32
    Can somebody describe to me how I would cook spaghetti squash to be pasta-like. I've never made it before.

    Here you go, with pictures!

    http://homecooking.about.com/od/vegetablerecipes/ss/spagsquashsbs.htm

    Thanks for this!! I keep reading about spaghetti squash and had no clue - is this like what we (UK)call a "butternut squash"?
  • snowflake954
    snowflake954 Posts: 8,400 Member
    italian too..

    here is what I do ….make room in my diary and eat the real pasta…Almas whole wheat linguine is pretty good ..when I make lasagna I use the barilla thin sheets…

    Don't restrict the things you love, learn to eat them in moderation ...

    This

    If you are really itallian you won't be able to substitute pasta--I live in Italy, and so I know. I eat 50g instead of the 100g regular serving and fit it in my macros. As others have said use more vegetables in your sauce etc. etc, but don't compromise---use the best always. Now before the squash and zucchine noodlers jump down my throat--this is my opinion, but I have lived here 28 years and there is a food culture in Italy that is enviable.
  • tedrickp
    tedrickp Posts: 1,229 Member
    I was going to try those miracle noodles, but then I read on the package "Rinse to remove authentic odor" and just knew I couldn't deal with that.

    As for low cal pasta - the only "light" pasta I have ever seen is from FibreGourmet. A 2oz (dry) serving of FibreGourmet is like 120cals, versus around 200 for normal pasta. Not a massive cut in cals, but noteworthy. It also tastes fine.
  • Greytfish
    Greytfish Posts: 810
    italian too..

    here is what I do ….make room in my diary and eat the real pasta…Almas whole wheat linguine is pretty good ..when I make lasagna I use the barilla thin sheets…

    Don't restrict the things you love, learn to eat them in moderation ...

    This

    If you are really itallian you won't be able to substitute pasta--I live in Italy, and so I know. I eat 50g instead of the 100g regular serving and fit it in my macros. As others have said use more vegetables in your sauce etc. etc, but don't compromise---use the best always. Now before the squash and zucchine noodlers jump down my throat--this is my opinion, but I have lived here 28 years and there is a food culture in Italy that is enviable.

    :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

    Good one.

    I still eat pasta on occasion, but I've done the spaghetti squash in almost every "pasta" dish imaginable and it's tasty. It's not a pasta substitute, it's just another option, especially if you're a woman training hard with low bodyfat. Even the best of pastas are only a very small portion of the flavor of the dish, unless you really don't know how to make a sauce.

    If you just want to pare down calories, you can do angelhair pasta and spaghetti squash in equal parts.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,139 Member
    Honestly, there's no substitute for good pasta. Just learn to portion control it, and enjoy it in moderation!

    agreed...
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,139 Member
    Has anyone tried "Miracle Noodles?" They're made from mushrooms I think. I saw them at Walmart in the produce section.

    MIR001_Xl.jpg

    LOL at "miracle noodles" are the negative calories too….?

    They aren't great but they are passable if you have almost no calories left. They aren't negative cal but they are very very low cal. From what I've read they have been eating this is Asia for centuries, probably not for it being a "diet food" just a food. You can buy them at the Asian supermarket cheaper too by the way. Like someone said before make sure you rinse them well because yes they do smell a bit fishy till you do that. There is a rice shaped version which I prefer for some reason. Some of them depending on brands have a little of other things added lke a tiny bit of flour in one and it makes it much nicer in texture. I hear there is a tofu one but not seen it yet. They do tend to have a bit of a chewy texture.

    sounds gross, I will just stick to real pasta...
  • Eleonora91
    Eleonora91 Posts: 688 Member
    Hello, I'm italian too. Here in Italy I buy Fiber Pasta which only has 280 kcal each 100 g since it's mostly fiber, or whole wheat Barilla pasta (also other brands) which usually has 330 kcals each 100 g or less.
    You could also eat rice which I find being more filling for the same quantity of grams (probably because of its volume).
  • MrsPixelbark
    MrsPixelbark Posts: 175 Member
    Thanks for this!! I keep reading about spaghetti squash and had no clue - is this like what we (UK)call a "butternut squash"?

    No, it's not a butternut squash. Fellow Uk-er here, you can buy spaghetti squash but the only place that sold it was Waitrose, and even then they only sold it in season (you might be lucky and find it in a health food shop- but I've yet to hit gold). I've not got a Waitrose anywhere near me, but I believe they were a rare find.

    Unfortunately, it's just one veg that is almost impossible to find in the UK! :(
  • 3laine75
    3laine75 Posts: 3,070 Member
    Has anyone tried "Miracle Noodles?" They're made from mushrooms I think. I saw them at Walmart in the produce section.

    MIR001_Xl.jpg

    I've tried these in ramen and they're okay (not great, I just make room in my day for the real thing now) - I don't think they'd be a good substitute for pasta though as the are pretty rubbery.

    OP: like I say, I make room for the real thing now but have a much smaller amount. I have seen someone on the telly using courgette/zucchini sliced really thin then cut into strips like tagliatelle and if you already like that in your lasagne that might work for you.
  • flatlndr
    flatlndr Posts: 713 Member
    Hi,

    With a strong Italian background myself, I couldn't bring myself to give up pasta either, so I didn't. I switched to whole wheat pasta, and I cook just a small portion for the meal.

    My Mrs has gone the fake pasta route, using the konjac substitute: http://www.blukoo.com/eat-water-slim-pasta-spaghetti.html
    She uses the konjac rice substitute as well: http://www.blukoo.com/eat-water-slim-rice.html
    while I've taken the small portion of brown rice path.

    Makes for extra pots to clean, but we're both happy with our selections.
  • 3laine75
    3laine75 Posts: 3,070 Member
    Hi,

    With a strong Italian background myself, I couldn't bring myself to give up pasta either, so I didn't. I switched to whole wheat pasta, and I cook just a small portion for the meal.

    My Mrs has gone the fake pasta route, using the konjac substitute: http://www.blukoo.com/eat-water-slim-pasta-spaghetti.html
    She uses the konjac rice substitute as well: http://www.blukoo.com/eat-water-slim-rice.html
    while I've taken the small portion of brown rice path.

    Makes for extra pots to clean, but we're both happy with our selections.

    Tell your missus to try cauliflower rice - having tried the Konjac noodles, I can imagine the rice is not that great. Cauliflower blasted in the processor is actually quite nice with Indian - Chinese, not so much.
  • geebusuk
    geebusuk Posts: 3,348 Member
    Note that wholewheat/brown tends to have MORE calories, not less.

    I quite like the 0-calorie noodles - shirataki etc as above.
    It's definitely not the same, but can make a nice filling meal.

    At the moment I'm more about just exercising enough that I can eat a reasonable bit - and on days I don't accepting I don't get many carbs.
    I'll make spaghetti bolognaise with 1lb of extra lean beef and around 75g (dry) of pasta. With the sauce, comes to around 800 calories. For a normal person, that'd be 2-3 portions (accepting less pasta). For me it tends to be one meal.

    Leeks cut in to strips can also work, but different again.
  • beachlover317
    beachlover317 Posts: 2,848 Member
    italian too..

    here is what I do ….make room in my diary and eat the real pasta…Almas whole wheat linguine is pretty good ..when I make lasagna I use the barilla thin sheets…

    Don't restrict the things you love, learn to eat them in moderation ...

    This. If I want Italian food, I want Italian food. I can't stuff myself, but I'm having the real deal. Some things just can not be duplicated with cauliflower or fake noodles. Moderation is the shiz.
  • tedrickp
    tedrickp Posts: 1,229 Member

    I'll make spaghetti bolognaise with 1lb of extra lean beef and around 75g (dry) of pasta. With the sauce, comes to around 800 calories. For a normal person, that'd be 2-3 portions (accepting less pasta). For me it tends to be one meal.

    Isn't there more than 800 calories in a lb of lean ground beef alone?
  • redpandora56
    redpandora56 Posts: 289 Member
    I've tried some of the 'zero calorie' noodles, and they are OK in things like stir fries, but just don't cut it for 'italian' style pasta. I have to agree with those suggesting veggies - I have a spiralizer, and make pasta from zuchinni, sweet potato, and butternut squash. If you don't overcook them, they keep that bite that pasta has and you don't really feel like you're missing out. Check out blogs like inspiralized.com for inspiration, they have great recipes! I also use my mandolin to make lasagna 'noodles' from different squashes which works well too.
  • saskie78
    saskie78 Posts: 237 Member
    I love pasta. What I do is just beef up the sauce with veggies and things so that the portion is large, but the amount of pasta is light. One of my favorites is to mix fire roasted tomatoes, cannelini beans (some mashed), and garlic. Creamy and yummy. Put that on top of 1 cup of whole wheat pasta and top it all with 2 cups of wilted kale cooked in garlic and lemon juice.
  • curvyin2014
    curvyin2014 Posts: 26
    I bought the high fiber pasta and it fills you up with a lot less and it tastes exactly the same.
  • flatlndr
    flatlndr Posts: 713 Member
    Note that wholewheat/brown tends to have MORE calories, not less.

    Hi,

    Curious about this comment, I had a look at two random penne pasta packages in the cupboard:
    - white pasta, per 100g, 355 kcal
    - wheat pasta, per 100g, 344 kcal

    Nevertheless, I find the wheat pasta more filling than the white pasta, so I also consume a smaller portion => fewer calories, more fiber, feel full for longer => works well for me.

    Also looked up rice info on the web:
    - white rice, per 100g, 129 kcal
    - brown rice, per 100g, 110 kcal
    Source:
    - white rice: http://www.fatsecret.com/calories-nutrition/generic/rice-white-cooked-regular?portionid=53181&portionamount=100.000
    - brown rice: http://www.fatsecret.com/calories-nutrition/generic/rice-brown-cooked-regular?portionid=53193&portionamount=100.000

    Do you have counter-examples?

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