Substitute for Rice and Pasta?

hurla56
hurla56 Posts: 7
in Food and Nutrition
I am very new to dieting and I find myself very confused by all the info that is out there.
I love pasta and rice and know that it is very high in carbohydrates. I also know that eating whole grains is something I should do but even those varieties are high in carbohydrates. Can someone please give me something that I can use as a substitute or information that will help me with this subject.
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Replies

  • katiegregory23
    katiegregory23 Posts: 26 Member
    I've never tried it, but I've heard of people using spaghetti squash as a pasta filler and cauliflower for rice.
  • CantarellaMiyani
    CantarellaMiyani Posts: 91 Member
    I'm a big fan of quinoa - it's a grain, kind of like barley, and you cook it like rice or oatmeal. And you can mix it with about anything - molasses for a sweet breakfast, mushrooms and broccoli for a savory side dish. It's yum (and really cheap).
  • filomenae
    filomenae Posts: 110 Member
    Couscous or quinoa! Couscous has lower calories than rice or pasta and quinoa has protein and fiber! They're very simple to prepare. Also, pasta and rice in moderation are a good thing! Try multi-grain pasta, or brown rice, and just make sure to stick to the serving size and don't use heavy sauces / condiments. Adding light sauteed vegetables to your pasta or rice may help when it comes to portion control because they'll be more on your plate.
  • fpcmauhlarik
    fpcmauhlarik Posts: 2
    For rice, I shred cauliflower in the food processor. For spaghetti I use spaghett i squash and cover it with homemade marina and meatballs. Here is a link to Marvelous meatballs and spaghetti squash. Enjoy!

    http://all4gfallthetime.blogspot.com/2011/10/marvelous-meatballs.html

    Paula
  • minkakross
    minkakross Posts: 687 Member
    I'm eating low carb (started because of diabetes but now that it's in remission I'm still being carb careful) anyway I still allow/ allowed myself pasta and rice I just measured to make sure it was a single serving. If you are dead set on substitutes there are soy based noodles usually in the fridge section of a market. You can also make spaghetti squash (it's a little sweet) thin sliced zucchini and other veg into noodles as for rice I used cauliflower broken up but never found much else that could fake it.
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
    I am very new to dieting and I find myself very confused by all the info that is out there.
    I love pasta and rice and know that it is very high in carbohydrates. I also know that eating whole grains is something I should do but even those varieties are high in carbohydrates. Can someone please give me something that I can use as a substitute or information that will help me with this subject.

    Pasta and rice are perfectly fine to eat while dieting
  • hurla56
    hurla56 Posts: 7
    I had never heard of using cauliflower. I will definitely try it! Thank you.
  • carriparton
    carriparton Posts: 62 Member
    There are some higher fiber pastas that I have tried and like. I also find myself using basmati brown rice, quinoa, and couscous as replacements to change things up.
  • lunchlady1208
    lunchlady1208 Posts: 127
    Pasta and rice are perfectly fine to eat while dieting

    Agreed.
    Try brown rice or wheat pasta....portion size matters, so just watch how much your eating
  • raytastic06
    raytastic06 Posts: 28 Member
    I would recommend quinoa. It takes a lot less time to prepare than brown rice (only about 15 minutes compared to 45 minutes for brown rice) and it has more fiber and protein than brown rice.A cup of cooked quinoa has 220 calories, 8 g protein, 3.5 g fat, 39.5 g carbohydrates and 5 g fiber

    Carbs aren't necessarily bad. Your body needs them. Its just important to get complex carbs and not refined sugars. Always read the labels and look for Whole wheat or whole grain as the first ingredient. Oatmeal is also another wonderful source of carbs. It is naturally whole grain and one serving has 11g of protein and 8g of fiber!
  • HIITMe
    HIITMe Posts: 921 Member
    quinoa...
  • krisiepoo
    krisiepoo Posts: 710 Member
    If you're measuring your food and eating good portions, there is no reason you can't have rice and pasta.

    However, if you want to cut those out, try brown rice, wheat pasta, quinoa... I personally don't like the spaghetti squash but it wouldn't hurt to try if you've never had it!
  • JennLifts
    JennLifts Posts: 1,913 Member
    they're looking to volumize.. yes the spaghetti squash, also the shirataki noodles, and there's low carb pastas on sites like netrition
  • sarahharmintx
    sarahharmintx Posts: 868 Member
    Thanks for asking this. I was wondering about it myself. I know pasta and rice can be eaten in moderation but I want something more filling for those calories. Besides, its nice to mix it up every once in a while.
  • Charliebarleymo
    Charliebarleymo Posts: 97
    You could try various beans, lentils, pulses, quinoa, tabbouleh, bulgar wheat...

    Or eat more veggies.

    Or eat a smaller portion of rice or pasta.

    You all know that couscous is the same as pasta right? It's made from semolina, from durum wheat.
  • olivecoleman22
    olivecoleman22 Posts: 4
    I use shredded cauliflower as Rice and there are plenty of recipes on youtube and other websites. Try not to put too much oil in it though. Spray Olive oil is quite good. have fun adding some chopped rice or mushroom to it. It's very tasty and you won't miss the rice at all. It's a tony Ferguson recipe http://www.tonyferguson.co.uk/Home.aspx. His cook book has some lovely recipes that are easy to prepare.
  • Ahluvly
    Ahluvly Posts: 389 Member
    It depends on why you want to find alternatives.

    Yes Couscous is lower in cals but it's a refined carbohydrate.

    My advice to you is to go for wholegrain versions of pasta, rice etc. Soba noodles are nice, so are udon. You can also get brown rice vermicelli noodles!

    If you're wantint to slash your carbs then, do that.......aim for 2 meals a day with complex carbs, and then aim for 2/3 veg with 1/3 protein for your evening meal.


    I am very new to dieting and I find myself very confused by all the info that is out there.
    I love pasta and rice and know that it is very high in carbohydrates. I also know that eating whole grains is something I should do but even those varieties are high in carbohydrates. Can someone please give me something that I can use as a substitute or information that will help me with this subject.
  • Dtrmnd86
    Dtrmnd86 Posts: 406 Member
    I'm working on the same thing. Only because when it comes to pasta, I cannot control myself. Even though I know portions, I overeat. What I do is have quinoa mixed with cubed avocado, and use spices (garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, and red pepper). It's delicious and the avocado gives it a creamy texture. I haven't tried couscous but I want to. And as for the spaghetti squash.. it's amazing! Look up spaghetti squash casserole. It is to die for. It's squash, sauce, ricotta cheese and spices, almost similar to lasagna. Even my kids love it.
  • Judysiguaw
    Judysiguaw Posts: 12 Member
    I use spaghetti squash in place of pasta all the time. Works great! Not a fan of cauliflower in place of rice or mashed potatoes, though. So, instead I just make sure that I use only a small amount of rice--generally 1/3 cup.
  • Charliebarleymo
    Charliebarleymo Posts: 97

    Yes Couscous is lower in cals but it's a refined carbohydrate.

    100g of couscous and pasta have the same calories. They are both made from the same ingredient - semolina (durum wheat).
  • 1shauna1
    1shauna1 Posts: 993 Member
    If you want something that looks like pasta, you could try the Tofu Shiritaki noodles. A whole package only has 40 cals, low in fat, no carbs (I believe; can't remember the nutritional info right now). The texture is a little different, but not bad for what it is!
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    You don't need to fear carbohydrates to lose weight. and be healthy. But it is wise to learn about them as some have more health benefits than others. The link below is to a great nutrition website from the Harvard School of Public Health. It contains many references to scientific studies on nutrition but is written in very understandable language.

    http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/

    Good luck to you!!
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    Yes Couscous is lower in cals but it's a refined carbohydrate.

    Like other pastas, whole grain couscous is available.
  • Ahluvly
    Ahluvly Posts: 389 Member
    You will not need the same portion of pasta as couscous though. Perhaps I phrased that incorrectly!

    Stick with good clean eating. Unless you have an issue, as in, your body does, with carbs, then I wouldn't play around with them too much. For me personally I need to reduce them as the refined ones put me into fat storage mode as I learnt from my Nutritionist! Good luck on your journey!

    Yes Couscous is lower in cals but it's a refined carbohydrate.

    100g of couscous and pasta have the same calories. They are both made from the same ingredient - semolina (durum wheat).
  • Trechechus
    Trechechus Posts: 2,819 Member
    I lost 40 pounds and eat carbohydrates all the time. I go over my carb goal every single day. Carbs are not evil. Rice and pasta and potatoes are not evil. If you like cabs, eat them. They are what fuel cellular respiration.

    If you don't want to eat white or bleached rice and pasta go for brown rice and whole grain pasta. Brown rice is the love of my life, but it take about an hour to cook whereas white rice takes only 15 minutes. So just put it on the stove first before you start cooking everything else... unless everything else will take an hour too, I suppose. :wink:

    Best of luck on your journey. There is a lot of info out there and there are even more myths. You'll learn as you go what works best for you. Just keep in mind what is good for your body and try not to follow the path of unhealthy gimmicks (like low carb.) You will lose weight by creating a caloric deficit and fitness by exercising. Rock on!
  • hurla56
    hurla56 Posts: 7
    Thank you SO MUCH! I visited the site for netrition and have pasta on the way! I love it!
  • linz1125
    linz1125 Posts: 441 Member
    Barley, lentils, quinoa are all great substitutions for rice and pasta. I also like dream fields pasta - lower carb count - and it takes less to fill up!
  • hurla56
    hurla56 Posts: 7
    Thank you so much for sharing your success while still eating small quantities of pasta and rice. I love whole grain products so that is easy for me. It is just so frustrating listening to all the info and trying to decide what is going to work for you. I am loosing the weight so slow even though I think that I am doing everything right. I have lost 12 pounds and would like to loose 10 to 15 more. Thanks for the encouragement and good luck to you also!
  • sdps745
    sdps745 Posts: 33 Member
    Yes, Tofu Shiritaki noodles are a great substitute for pasta. They are in the refrigerated part of the grocery store. They'll take on any flavor you're cooking or sauce.

    Mashed cauliflower using a hand blender with mushroom or a creamy soup makes a GREAT substitute for mashed potatoes! Although the soup adds some carbs. You can find recipes on the internet. There was one posted here on MFP.

    You could try the spaghetti squash too. Quinoa is real yummy, but still has carbs. Brown rice is better than white rice...more nutrients...still carbs.

    Eat MORE protein! Lean meats and fish are great sources of protein and are, of course, low carb. Or even protein powders and/or shakes. Pure Protein brand shakes taste great and are low carb or DaVinci Proteins...DaVinci Chocolate protein powder is a quality protein and yummy too. Some protein powders have more carbs than others, so if you're watching carbs, you might want to watch that.

    BEST of LUCK!!
  • marycmeadows
    marycmeadows Posts: 1,691 Member
    you can 'rice' cauliflower in a food processor..... I LOOOOVE to use spaghetti squash instead of noodles. Also, house foods makes shirataki tofu noodles - they are yummy. I also like to use zucchini INSTEAD of noodles for 'spaghetti'. So YUMMMO!

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