Ok. Go to your local Asian market. Find shirataki or "miracle noodles". Use them like pasta, or dry fry them with veggies for a stir fry noodle dish. The yam ones are ZERO calories. Some pasta sauce and meatless meatballs will be delicious. Not sure the exact carb content, might even be zero, but definitely less than pasta. If you find the "miracle noodles" made with tofu, that's 20 calories per serving. Best diet food I've found thus far.

Oh! I hold my breath when I open the package due to a certain smell, that DOES go away once they are washed with warm water.

It's also pretty easy to substitute stuff with rice or cute some "zuccini noodles" there's a little doodad that will "noodle" veggies for you. That's a great way to do it. I like to just pick something I like and google "vegan _____" If you didn't eat a lot of pasta as an ominvore you don't need to as an herbivore it's just a matter of finding good substitutes for the food you used to love and enjoy

Good for you for seeking out these healthy changes. Here is my experience: I spend a LOT of time looking up recipes from cooking blogs, cookbooks etc. It's wasn't enough to just take old meat/dairy/egg based dishes and leave out the meat or substitute it (although that can be a great way to start!). There are so many different cuisines/styles of cooking out there, many of which lend themselves better to vegan eating than traditional "American" food. I know it can be hard and intimidating and I always wondered how on earth I would find the time. But I made healthy eating (and exercise) a priority in my life and now I am having fun in the kitchen and feeding my family interesting, plant-power packed meals. Oh, and I've never felt better:)

If you are interested there is a 21 day Vegan Kickstart that just started and it has an Indian cuisine theme. They give you meal plans, recipes and tips to make it easy. All you have to do is register (free) for the daily kickstart e-mails. The recipes are so delicious, I am excited to make them all!!!!

http://kickstartindia.pcrm.org/

Vegetarian cookbooks from the library. Change your pasta and grains to whole grains. It takes some getting used to, but your taste buds need to be retrained. You can try going half and half for a while with the pasta. I've been vegetarian for 3 1/2 years and recently have cut way back on cheese. I don't know if I can ever be completely vegan, but I only buy organic cage-free eggs, organic yogurt, and cheese occasionally. I became veg slowly over a few years, so it's a process and it's okay if you slip up sometimes. Good for you and your family for taking this big step! Good Luck!

Friend me of you want. I log in every day & my diary is open.

Whole wheat pasta, brown rice etc. They're much more filling and better carbs than regular pasta.

truth is many cultures have had cuisines that are very close to vegetarian. it's only in the last 100 years ago or so that we started consuming animals in such overwhelming proportions. many of the dishes, believe it or not, are devoid of pasta.
this is such a wonderful opportunity to step out of your 'box' and explore the world through food. my family and i had / have a different cuisine each night of the week.

As an aside, if i had a dollar for every time i heard vegan called 'extreme', i'd be on a yacht somewhere submitting this post. i don't want to be preachy, but forcibly impregnating a female and then stealing it's child so that you can enjoy that cheese, that's not extreme? being the ONLY species on the planet that drinks milk after weaning, not to mention another species milk, that's not extreme? why not continue to drink human milk into adulthood? how about cat milk, dog milk, or mouse milk for that matter? try thinking of something other than yourself, and consider one of the many wonderful cheese alternatives that i'm sure will satisfy your palette.

Vegetarianism / Veganism requires a higher level of consciousness. you need to get past the lies you've been told since childhood, and think of something other than you.

I love theppk.com, lots of yummy recipes to try. And the cookbooks by them like Veganomicon and Appetite for Reduction are great. Happy Herbivore's cookbooks are also pretty good. Your library might have some vegetarian cookbooks you could check out and try some recipes and find out what all you like.