Substitute for Rice and Pasta?

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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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    I had never heard of using cauliflower. I will definitely try it! Thank you.
  • carriparton
    carriparton Posts: 62 Member
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    quinoa...
  • krisiepoo
    krisiepoo Posts: 710 Member
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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).

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