We are pleased to announce that as of March 4, 2025, an updated Rich Text Editor has been introduced in the MyFitnessPal Community. To learn more about the changes, please click here. We look forward to sharing this new feature with you!

BULKY, LOW CAL FILLERS LIKE SPAGHETTI SQUASH.

jerber160
jerber160 Posts: 2,607 Member
edited January 5 in Food and Nutrition
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?

Replies

  • cparkburke
    cparkburke Posts: 27 Member
    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
    Firefox7275 Posts: 2,040 Member
    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
    n0ob Posts: 2,390 Member
    we use spaghetti squash as pasta quite a bit.
  • jerber160
    jerber160 Posts: 2,607 Member

    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
    firefoxxie Posts: 381 Member
    Tofu noodles! It smells a little funky but just rinse it really well and add some homemade sauce :P
  • jerber160
    jerber160 Posts: 2,607 Member
    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
    cparkburke Posts: 27 Member
    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
    cparkburke Posts: 27 Member
    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
    JustAGirlyGeek Posts: 149 Member
    Bump for later :)
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,251 Member
    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
    jerber160 Posts: 2,607 Member
    another reason to love mfp. what in the world is a glass noodle?
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,251 Member
    another reason to love mfp. what in the world is a glass noodle?
    smiles
    Cellophane noodles

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cellophane_noodles.
  • jerber160
    jerber160 Posts: 2,607 Member
    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
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
    I think anything high fiber. And also, protein. While not necessarily low-cal, protein tends to be filing and satiating.
  • ebailey710
    ebailey710 Posts: 271 Member
    Bump. I'll read after my walk.
  • auroranflash
    auroranflash Posts: 3,569 Member
    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
    primal7 Posts: 151 Member
    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
    guby44 Posts: 11 Member
    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.:smile:
  • victoriannsays
    victoriannsays Posts: 568 Member
    ive never had spaghetti squash :) where do i purchase or how do i makeee?!
  • Harlequin16
    Harlequin16 Posts: 102 Member
    bump :)
  • auroranflash
    auroranflash Posts: 3,569 Member
    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
    jerber160 Posts: 2,607 Member
    ANOTHER BROCCOLI SLAW SUCCESS, EXCEPT THE LEAN CUISINE I DUMPED OVER IT WAS BEEF AND BROCCOLI (160 CALS) BROCCOLI OD BUT HAPPY HERE
  • jerber160
    jerber160 Posts: 2,607 Member
    hmmm.. maybe i undercooked the broccoli today, but it was a little odd with nice spice chili over top.
This discussion has been closed.

Categories