Is there such a thing as low calorie pasta????

paulaercksn
paulaercksn Posts: 29 Member
edited September 22 in Food and Nutrition
My family and I love pasta, but it seems like they are all high calorie. I don't want to spend 1/2 an hour studying all the different pasta brands in the aisle at the grocery store. Does anyone know of a brand that is lower calorie?

Replies

  • toots99
    toots99 Posts: 3,794 Member
    I haven't found any low calorie pasta. A lot of people will recommend whole wheat pasta. I myself don't like the whole wheat pasta, its texture feels crumbly. Ronzoni has a pasta line called Smart Taste. It's the same calorie amount a regular pasta, but it's got more fiber and calcium than usual pasta. And it tastes just like regular pasta. :drinker:
  • Joyjmb
    Joyjmb Posts: 221 Member
    You might try pasta that ISN'T pasta - Hungry Girl fans know ALL about Tofu Shirataki, she talks about it ALL the time.
    It's pasta shape, made from tofu. You wash it, pat it dry, then use it like you would in ANY pasta dish. I've tried it
    several times and it's darn decent. Best part is you can have WHOLE bag of it for practically nothing - like 80 cals
    for 2 cups.
  • Allison9
    Allison9 Posts: 22
    There is these noodles called Miracle Noodles. Ive tried them, and Ive tried to cook them all different ways. They were 0 calories but the texture was like eating worms to be honest.
  • FemininGuns
    FemininGuns Posts: 605 Member
    What about Brown Rice pasta? You don't get the gluten, which helps in not feeling that bloatiness after eating pasta.
  • pilotgirl2007
    pilotgirl2007 Posts: 368 Member
    I love pasta and your body needs the carbs. I wouldn't worry too much about the calories and just eat in moderation. I go for the whole grain pasta also compare the labels and watch for the saturated fat and sugar content.
  • platoon
    platoon Posts: 340
    Spaghetti squash is my new savior! :-)
  • cmw9696
    cmw9696 Posts: 123
    http://ronzonismarttaste.newworldpasta.com/pasta_story.cfm

    I like the taste of this pasta, however, not lower in fat, has more fiber. And, the site has coupons you can print!
  • KristenY18
    KristenY18 Posts: 42
    I second the spaghetti squash........Yummm!
  • jaded_rose
    jaded_rose Posts: 298 Member
    I've tried spaghetti squash. It's low in calories and doesn't taste that bad.
  • kpopa
    kpopa Posts: 515 Member
    - I had the Rozoni pasta for the first time the other night...it tasted great!

    - Personal Opinion: the tofu pasta is NASTY! :P

    - I love Spaghetti squash, especially mixed with pasta sauce.

    - eat in moderation or maybe mix in more veggies than noodles?
  • Sumatra
    Sumatra Posts: 181
    I also LOVE spaghetti squash! I think it's fantastic and you can pretty much use it for any pasta dish. Last week I used it in chicken spaghetti, for some reason that was the first time it ever occurred to me to use in it that dish and I liked it even better than with pasta. I use it all the time and my family loves it too!
  • LisaGamerGirl
    LisaGamerGirl Posts: 147
    i think we all have to allow for some indulgence! my secret is, about a cup of any really good cooked whole wheat pasta then tons of veggies on it and a lil sprinkled pasmesan and some low fat cottage cheese on the side for protein and then a side of salad or more veggies :) keeps me full and satisfied!
  • kld4239
    kld4239 Posts: 186 Member
    I think the No Yolk Egg Noodles are quite tasty with a creamy sauce with lots of veggies and they have a fraction of the calories. But if tomato sauce and real pasta are a must then I go with the Barilla Plus Multigrain Pasta w/ Omega-3.
  • TennVolsGal
    TennVolsGal Posts: 218 Member
    Spaghetti squash is my new savior! :-)

    So want to try this but I have no idea if Walmart carries it.....can you find it at Walmart....grrr I hate small towns some times! Thanks!
  • lisafrancis629
    lisafrancis629 Posts: 287
    Davinci Whole Wheat spaghetti pasta has 170 calories per 2 oz service. And it taste great!
  • SweetyGirl
    SweetyGirl Posts: 40
    Spaghetti squash is my new savior! :-)

    So want to try this but I have no idea if Walmart carries it.....can you find it at Walmart....grrr I hate small towns some times! Thanks!

    I've found it at Walmart. Most stores carry it year-round. Just google it for an image so you know what to look for. And then do yourself a big favor and google "Mexican Spaghetti Squash Bake" and "Italian Spaghetti Squash Bake". These are soooo good and you will not miss the pasta. (And I LOVE pasta!) Spaghetti squash can be a little watery if fixed in a casserole dish, but the addition of 2 eggs in these two recipes take care of that nicely. Using those recipes as a guide, you can make all kinds of pasta casseroles without the pasta.

    And, another thing I like to do, when making mac and cheese for instance, is to halve the amount of macaroni (I use whole wheat or Smart Taste) and toss in a bag of frozen cauliflower and bake it all together in a casserole. I usually microwave the cauli first and drain well, and use less liquid for the cheese sauce.
  • kdiamond
    kdiamond Posts: 3,329 Member
    I just tried a new "light" pasta which was pretty good - the reason it is light is because it is LOADED with fiber...18 grams per 2oz serving and 130 calories as opposed to 200-210 calories per 2oz. serving.

    I got it at Whole Foods, it is called Fiber Gourmet, here is the website.

    http://www.fibergourmet.com/Spaghetti.aspx

    Its not bad!
  • toots99
    toots99 Posts: 3,794 Member
    I just tried a new "light" pasta which was pretty good - the reason it is light is because it is LOADED with fiber...18 grams per 2oz serving and 130 calories as opposed to 200-210 calories per 2oz. serving.

    I got it at Whole Foods, it is called Fiber Gourmet, here is the website.

    http://www.fibergourmet.com/Spaghetti.aspx

    Its not bad!

    Good to know, thanks!
  • elloradannon
    elloradannon Posts: 111
    I agree... the tofu shirataki noodles that Hungry Girl uses really tasted gross to my husband and I. Personally, I try and use Barilla Plus pasta. It's not low calorie, but it has TONS of good stuff in it so you get more bang for your buck in the nutrition world. You can also try shredding zucchini, saute it, and use it half and half with spaghetti. I always have to watch my portion size with pasta because I can get out of control quickly!
  • sublimechik28
    sublimechik28 Posts: 74 Member
    Spaghetti squash is the shizzz!!! verrrryy yummy flavor we didnt even add spaghetti sauce when me n my bf ate it the first time just mixed w veggie n chicken. cut in half you can scoop out the seeds before then put it on a baking sheet cutside down bake it for 30- 35 min then get a fork n scrap out the inside and it comes out spaghetti noodle looking its yummmm. then u can bake the seeds and have a crunchy snack for later . its a very resourceful vegetable
  • MisdemeanorM
    MisdemeanorM Posts: 3,493 Member
    Try making the pasta the side and not the main dish - ie, chicken and veggies with a little pasta instead of pasta with a little chicken and some veggies :)

    pasta is, overall, not too bad of carbs, especially if you do WW - just in moderation - not 2 or more cups of spaghetti noodles filling your bowl!
  • airen123
    airen123 Posts: 149
    I definitely just stood in Kroger for half an hour researching this. Aside from going to speciality stores like WF, ordering noodles online, or getting weird tofu/shiri noodles and spaghetti squash, the winner is Ronzoni Smart Taste at 180 calories per 2 oz or 3/4 cup. I'd do one 3/4 cup for side portion or 2 3/4 cups if is my entree (usually entree, who am I kidding) with lots veggs mixed in and a shake of Parm and olive oil.

    I do love spag squash as well!
  • thisismeraw
    thisismeraw Posts: 1,264 Member
    Spaghetti squash is my new savior! :-)

    So want to try this but I have no idea if Walmart carries it.....can you find it at Walmart....grrr I hate small towns some times! Thanks!

    My Walmart carries i... most do.

    I make a lower calorie pasta by lower the actual pasta by half what I would normally use... I than add in spaghetti squash and some other veggies sliced thin.

    If you want just pasta that is lower cal, it's best to actually go to your store and look and compare the boxes. People here are from all over the world so what you have access to I may not
  • RonnieBrenner
    RonnieBrenner Posts: 1
    Dream Fields pasta is pretty low calorie and low carb as well.
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
    This thread

    h05CB4111
  • spaghetti93
    spaghetti93 Posts: 140 Member
    kelp noodles or spaghetti squash work well in certain dishes but i find that theres no substitute for actual pasta. You may not be able to find magical low calorie noodles, but there are high fiber / veggie / multigrain pastas that are definitely better than plain old pasta.
  • blacsu
    blacsu Posts: 1
    I saw on the.Chew the I other day that one if the cooks shredded/julienned zucchini and added it to a pasta dish. (I am not a great cook so all I can say is that it looked like long threads). He cooked the spaghetti and drained it then put it in a frying pan and at that point added the zucchini and the other sauce etc. he heated for a very short time and served. I have tried and not I am using equal parts spaghetti and zucchini. Perhaps this will work for you. Good luck!
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