BULKY, LOW CAL FILLERS LIKE SPAGHETTI SQUASH.

jerber160

does anyone know of others? a cup of spaghetti squash with a lean cuisine poured over it works for me for dinner. are there other choices you'd recommend?

cparkburke

These are my favorites:

Raw:
arugula
spring mix
spinach

Sauteed:
sliced mushrooms
sliced onions (purple for anti-ox)
kale
spinach
collard & mustard greens

Shredded / chopped:
cabbage (purple for anti-ox)
zucchini (use a grater)
broccoli stems (use a grater)
mirepoix (carrots, onions, celery)

I'm not super keen on this, but another thing you can try is shirataki noodles, a traditional Asian food that's recently been hyped up as a no-calorie food:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shirataki_noodles
http://www.miraclenoodle.com

FWIW, these "fillers" seem to work great when I eat them WITH caloric food (dumping a Lean Cuisine on them works great), but when I eat them without adding real calories, it just sets me up for a binge later.

Hope that helps!

Firefox7275

Pretty much anything in the produce section of the grocery store! Ideally you would be eating nine servings of fruits and veggies a day, so likely more than one cup of veggies with your evening meal. All fruits and vegetables are rich in water and contain useful amounts of fibre, most for few calories. If I am having a mixture I aim for one green, one yellow/ orange and one red because it looks appetising and gives a range of different micronutrients and antioxidants.

n0ob

we use spaghetti squash as pasta quite a bit.

jerber160

Shredded / chopped:
cabbage (purple for anti-ox)
zucchini (use a grater)
broccoli stems (use a grater)
mirepoix (carrots, onions, celery)


FWIW, these "fillers" seem to work great when I eat them WITH caloric food (dumping a Lean Cuisine on them works great), but when I eat them without adding real calories, it just sets me up for a binge later.

Hope that helps!

so just kinda grate broccoli then roast them for about 20 minutes? sounds good.. why does this sound like a HUGE amount of broccoli though, or carrots? I mean grated must be half a bag?? thank you

firefoxxie

Tofu noodles! It smells a little funky but just rinse it really well and add some homemade sauce :P

jerber160

Tofu noodles! It smells a little funky but just rinse it really well and add some homemade sauce :P

was never a tofu fan but things have changed since mfp... so maybe I'll try;;; as for shirataki noodles,, i did a whirlwind shop tonight and couldn't find them and was in too much of a hurry to ask.. can you tell me where they're usually kept? I figured refrigerated stuff. they sound exactly like what I'm lookin for. BULK up my food with no cals

cparkburke

so just kinda grate broccoli then roast them for about 20 minutes? sounds good.. why does this sound like a HUGE amount of broccoli though, or carrots? I mean grated must be half a bag?? thank you

Grate as much as you want at a time. You can steam, too.

If there's one near you, Trader Joe's has broccoli slaw and mirepoix, ready to use.

cparkburke

as for shirataki noodles,, i did a whirlwind shop tonight and couldn't find them and was in too much of a hurry to ask.. can you tell me where they're usually kept? I figured refrigerated stuff. they sound exactly like what I'm lookin for.

I got mine online. Try calling your local health food and Asian food stores before you go driving around.

JustAGirlyGeek

Bump for later

Sabine_Stroehm

as for shirataki noodles,, i did a whirlwind shop tonight and couldn't find them and was in too much of a hurry to ask.. can you tell me where they're usually kept? I figured refrigerated stuff. they sound exactly like what I'm lookin for.

I got mine online. Try calling your local health food and Asian food stores before you go driving around.

I got the tofu variety at whole foods and love it. I got the yam variety (the "real" shirataki noodles) at the asian market. Tofu ones I love with anything. Yam ones I like where I'd normally have glass noodles.

jerber160

another reason to love mfp. what in the world is a glass noodle?

Sabine_Stroehm

another reason to love mfp. what in the world is a glass noodle?

smiles
Cellophane noodles

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cellophane_noodles.

jerber160

so just kinda grate broccoli then roast them for about 20 minutes? sounds good.. why does this sound like a HUGE amount of broccoli though, or carrots? I mean grated must be half a bag?? thank you

Grate as much as you want at a time. You can steam, too.

If there's one near you, Trader Joe's has broccoli slaw and mirepoix, ready to use.

THANKYOU thanbkyouthankyou angel... the TJ's broccoli slaw worked like a charm. a cup in the microwave for 2.5 minutes with a lean cuisine dumped over it was just what I needed. When I started MFP, the Fat Lady that signed me up (nutritionist or something at md's office) told me I could eat 2 lean cuisines if one wasn't filling enough. THIS IS A MUCH BETTER SOLUTION... ruvruvruv..

taso42

I think anything high fiber. And also, protein. While not necessarily low-cal, protein tends to be filing and satiating.

ebailey710

Bump. I'll read after my walk.

auroranflash

Any time I make spaghetti, for the sauce - I brown some ground beef, remove that from the pan... drain some of the drippings, leaving a bit. Add a ton of onions and garlic, sautee until brown, then add mushrooms, sweat them all out a bit - then diced tomatoes, zucchini and squash. Then I add two jars of Newman's Own Sockarooni sauce and Oregano, basil, onion and garlic powder. Add back the ground beef. Let it all simmer together for a bit. Then add black olives and use the sauce to top the pasta.

It bulks up your spaghetti quite well so you're consuming a ton of vegetables in your chunky sauce. :>

primal7

Try Kelp noodles by Sea Tangle.
Great product just like pasta but only 6 calories in 4 oz and has no taste, so what ever sauce or food you mix with it, it takes on that flavor.

guby44

I like sandwiches with lots of spinach, alfalfa sprouts, pickles, mustard, small amounts of cheese and turkey (shaved). I try to keep the meat and cheese to a minimum and pile on the veggies! I use whole grain bread and a side of pickled beets. Yummy and very filling!

Also I just discovered blending pureed beets with horseradish for a very flavourful, low calorie condiment. Saurkraut is another great, fibre filled, low cal side/condiment.

victoriannsays

ive never had spaghetti squash where do i purchase or how do i makeee?!

Harlequin16

bump

auroranflash

ive never had spaghetti squash where do i purchase or how do i makeee?!

Slice it in half and cover the sliced halves with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Put it on a baking sheet, cut-side down, and roast it at 350 or 375° for 45 minutes to an hour. Wait for it to cool a bit, then take a fork and drag it across the meat of the squash. It will come apart like little noodles. It's crazy. I was baffled when I tried it and it came out like it did.

I'm going to try making spaghetti squash fritters with egg, flour, and seasonings, then pan-frying it in a little oil, sort of like hash browns.

jerber160

ANOTHER BROCCOLI SLAW SUCCESS, EXCEPT THE LEAN CUISINE I DUMPED OVER IT WAS BEEF AND BROCCOLI (160 CALS) BROCCOLI OD BUT HAPPY HERE

jerber160

hmmm.. maybe i undercooked the broccoli today, but it was a little odd with nice spice chili over top.