BULKY, LOW CAL FILLERS LIKE SPAGHETTI SQUASH.

jerber160
jerber160 Posts: 2,607 Member
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: 19,263 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: 19,263 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.

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