Low Cal Pasta or Pasta Replacement?

When I want a low calorie spaghetti - I take a half block of ramen noodles, cook it, drain it and add marinara sauce and 4 oz of baked chicken.

Ramen noodles have per gram or ounce a lot more calories than any kind of plain italian style pasta......I would eat pasta any time over Ramen if I wanted to keep calories down.

I don't understand the deal with " low cal replacements " for pasta.
In my book there is no replacement for pasta, even though I would eat many of the things mentioned here. But I would not accept that they are just as good as a plate of lets say spaghetti.
Also, I eat ( because of age and height ) 1200 calories and regularly eat pasta ( always 100grs uncooked ) and feel quite satisfied with the amount. I assume, since about 85% of the MFP members eat more than 1200 calories, that there is no need for most people to have to " replace " pasta with something else.

If I put a plate of squash or zucchini noodles in front of my family here in Italy---they would shoot me. As they would if I gave them cool whip instead of gelato(ice cream)---wait that's another thread!

... Check out blogs like inspiralized.com for inspiration, they have great recipes! ...

Thank you so much for the link! I hadn't seen that one!

I don't understand the deal with " low cal replacements " for pasta.
In my book there is no replacement for pasta, even though I would eat many of the things mentioned here. But I would not accept that they are just as good as a plate of lets say spaghetti.
Also, I eat ( because of age and height ) 1200 calories and regularly eat pasta ( always 100grs uncooked ) and feel quite satisfied with the amount. I assume, since about 85% of the MFP members eat more than 1200 calories, that there is no need for most people to have to " replace " pasta with something else.

Hmmm...two servings of dry spaghetti is 112g dry and has 400 calories, 84 carbs, and only 14 grams of protein.

Just portion control and use whole wheat pasta.. I've also grown quite fond of quinoa. The quinoa is not quite the same, but it can take many different flavorings well.

I don't understand the deal with " low cal replacements " for pasta.
In my book there is no replacement for pasta, even though I would eat many of the things mentioned here. But I would not accept that they are just as good as a plate of lets say spaghetti.
Also, I eat ( because of age and height ) 1200 calories and regularly eat pasta ( always 100grs uncooked ) and feel quite satisfied with the amount. I assume, since about 85% of the MFP members eat more than 1200 calories, that there is no need for most people to have to " replace " pasta with something else.

Hmmm...two servings of dry spaghetti is 112g dry and has 400 calories, 84 carbs, and only 14 grams of protein.

A normal singular serving of pasta is 100g dry---356cal,72.2 carbs, and "only" 12 grams of protein. May I suggest that you put your protein in your sauce? :bigsmile:

I don't understand the deal with " low cal replacements " for pasta.
In my book there is no replacement for pasta, even though I would eat many of the things mentioned here. But I would not accept that they are just as good as a plate of lets say spaghetti.
Also, I eat ( because of age and height ) 1200 calories and regularly eat pasta ( always 100grs uncooked ) and feel quite satisfied with the amount. I assume, since about 85% of the MFP members eat more than 1200 calories, that there is no need for most people to have to " replace " pasta with something else.

Hmmm...two servings of dry spaghetti is 112g dry and has 400 calories, 84 carbs, and only 14 grams of protein.

A normal singular serving of pasta is 100g dry---356cal,72.2 carbs, and "only" 12 grams of protein. May I suggest that you put your protein in your sauce? :bigsmile:

:laugh: :laugh: So as to add another 240 calories and only 21 grams of protein per 4 ounces of gorund beef?

Because clearly, the goal is to have 1/3 to 1/2 of your daily calories while having about 1/4 of your daily protein, without even factoring in the tomato or cream or oil base to the sauce. Plenty of room to squeeze in a bunch of veggies and protein....

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Who said ground beef? There are other proteins you know---try beans. Also use 50g dry pasta. It's a big enough portion for me, and I have a recipe I use often without oil. Works.:laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

I don't understand the deal with " low cal replacements " for pasta.
In my book there is no replacement for pasta, even though I would eat many of the things mentioned here. But I would not accept that they are just as good as a plate of lets say spaghetti.
Also, I eat ( because of age and height ) 1200 calories and regularly eat pasta ( always 100grs uncooked ) and feel quite satisfied with the amount. I assume, since about 85% of the MFP members eat more than 1200 calories, that there is no need for most people to have to " replace " pasta with something else.

That's how I feel. I mean, I don't eat pasta every day but when I do, it's the real thing. I just make sure to measure a proper portion size, which I find is definitely enough (I was severely overestimating prior to getting a scale), and fit it in my deficit...I did it yesterday, in fact. I make meat sauce and freeze it for a quick dinner every once in a while.

:laugh: :laugh: So as to add another 240 calories and only 21 grams of protein per 4 ounces of gorund beef?

Because clearly, the goal is to have 1/3 to 1/2 of your daily calories while having about 1/4 of your daily protein, without even factoring in the tomato or cream or oil base to the sauce. Plenty of room to squeeze in a bunch of veggies and protein....

Who said ground beef? There are other proteins you know---try beans. Also use 50g dry pasta. It's a big enough portion for me, and I have a recipe I use often without oil. Works.:laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

There are plenty of options for proteins. I just went with what was common, because that's what most people here will use. Personally, I wouldn't use ground beef in any sauce. I would use a meat with good flavor, like prosciutto or a nice cured ham or suasage. Maybe soma pancetta or some bacon if the fridge was pretty bare. It would not be enough to meet protein needs, so there would be a meat course as usual.

In any event, beans are even more inappropriate for a pasta dish/sauce than replacing Pasta with spaghetti sauce. The word abomination comes to mind. :noway: To say nothing of how that would be well over the carb limit for the day for another minimal amount of protein once vegetables are factored in.

Listen up. I don't know what your problem with carbs is, but it's not the devil, and I fit them in very nicely (and tastefully too). For your information, my "pasta fagioli" -pasta with beans is fought over by my 3 grown (skinny) Italian sons. Ignorance is bliss. :blushing:

I steam a bag of frozen green beans and use that as a substitute for pasta. I also julienne zucchini and use spaghetti squash. I have a wheat intolerance so I have to find substitutes, although I must agree, if I could have my way, there is no substitute for the real thing....

Has anyone tried "Miracle Noodles?" They're made from mushrooms I think. I saw them at Walmart in the produce section.

LOL at "miracle noodles" are the negative calories too….?

They aren't great but they are passable if you have almost no calories left. They aren't negative cal but they are very very low cal. From what I've read they have been eating this is Asia for centuries, probably not for it being a "diet food" just a food. You can buy them at the Asian supermarket cheaper too by the way. Like someone said before make sure you rinse them well because yes they do smell a bit fishy till you do that. There is a rice shaped version which I prefer for some reason. Some of them depending on brands have a little of other things added lke a tiny bit of flour in one and it makes it much nicer in texture. I hear there is a tofu one but not seen it yet. They do tend to have a bit of a chewy texture.

Here is the thing on any of these noodles, I have tried a couple of different brand and they all seem to have a fishy smell to them, so they have to be rinsed really well and I suggest cooking them in what you are putting over them....such as with a little sauce or some hot sauce or whatever, but that will make them more palatable. They have a strange texture. The tofu ones are good too, but they do have more calories, but it is still really low.

Have you tried zucchini noodles? You basically take a peeler and go the length of a smaller zucchini (to avoid too many seeds) cook them for a moment and use them as noodles...its a nice replacement. Of course spaghetti squash is always a winner. What I have been doing for pasta sauce is have a plate full of broccoli and put the meat sauce over that and it is really good.

One other option I have tried and this is one of those don't knock it till ya try it things because it sounds awful, but I was pleasantly surprised how good it was. I took crispy romaine lettuce and cut it across the base then up so the pieces were thinner longer strips and put meat sauce over that and I was incredibly surprised at how good it was. I had the crispness and coolness of the lettuce against the sauce which was a nice combination.

I use pasta, when I'm making spaghetti & just create room in my calories & macros for the real thing.

If you're looking to make a "zucchini" noodle, here's another option. Williams-Sonoma has a device that cranks out a lot of "noodles" quickly. It called a Paderno Spiralizer. I made Chinese Chicken Salad this week & used zucchini noodles in place a ramen. It was AMAZING!!! I had company at the time & they devoured the salad. Also another helpful hint to keep the calories a little more reasonable, Newman's Dressing line has a Lite Low Fat Sesame Ginger Salad Dressing, an extra squeeze of fresh lime gives the salad a terrific taste for 35 calls/2 TBSP--which means you can add extra dressing! Here's the link for the Williams-Sonoma gadget. It's a bit pricey at $40, but worth it if you need to make a bunch of zucchini noodles at once, plus it has 3 different blades for variations. The also have hand held julienne slicer for $10. I figure this type of veggie noodle is a great substitute for salads, soup or a stir fry. I haven't tried these type of noodles with spaghetti, but figured it was worth a try the next time I pull out my "Sunny Italy" spaghetti sauce--once can't hurt, right?

http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/paderno-sprializer/?pkey=e|paderno+spiralizer|1|best|0|1|24||1&cm_src=PRODUCTSEARCH||NoFacet-_-NoFacet-_-NoMerchRules-_-

:laugh: :laugh: So as to add another 240 calories and only 21 grams of protein per 4 ounces of gorund beef?

Because clearly, the goal is to have 1/3 to 1/2 of your daily calories while having about 1/4 of your daily protein, without even factoring in the tomato or cream or oil base to the sauce. Plenty of room to squeeze in a bunch of veggies and protein....

Who said ground beef? There are other proteins you know---try beans. Also use 50g dry pasta. It's a big enough portion for me, and I have a recipe I use often without oil. Works.:laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

There are plenty of options for proteins. I just went with what was common, because that's what most people here will use. Personally, I wouldn't use ground beef in any sauce. I would use a meat with good flavor, like prosciutto or a nice cured ham or suasage. Maybe soma pancetta or some bacon if the fridge was pretty bare. It would not be enough to meet protein needs, so there would be a meat course as usual.

In any event, beans are even more inappropriate for a pasta dish/sauce than replacing Pasta with spaghetti sauce. The word abomination comes to mind. :noway: To say nothing of how that would be well over the carb limit for the day for another minimal amount of protein once vegetables are factored in.

Listen up. I don't know what your problem with carbs is, but it's not the devil, and I fit them in very nicely (and tastefully too). For your information, my "pasta fagioli" -pasta with beans is fought over by my 3 grown (skinny) Italian sons. Ignorance is bliss. :blushing:

Don't worry about it, just keep feeding your family your traditional Italian foods and don't worry about people with no idea about food.

You're right, of course, ignorance sometimes just gets to me. I grew up on a farm and so I know what they feed animals to get them to market weight as fast as possible. It's an economics thing--it costs to keep the animals longer. This lady thinks meat has special "nutrients", but has no idea what she's also getting. The only way around it is to raise your own animals--but then you have to butcher them yourself, and not everyone has the stomach for that. On TV, here in Rome, I once heard a nutritionist say that everything--meat, grains, vegetables, fruit etc, etc is contaminated in some way. The only way around it is to diversify what you eat to spread the risk. In his opinion, people who always eat the same things were at a higher risk for tumors. Makes sense to me, so that's what I try to do--diversify.

In... Cause I love pasta.

I've only ever tried thinly slicing portabella mushrooms and sautéing them, but it was delicious. Not sure how pasta-like it really was, but wonderful if you like shrooms.

I have celiac disease and am diabetic, so moderation isn't going to do it for me. My husband is Sicilian and always thought pasta would have to be pried from his cold, dead heads. We were both shocked at just how much we like julienned vegetables as a vehicle for sauce. Green beans, eggplant, asparagus and zucchini, as well as spaghetti squash, are all in regular rotation and stand in for a wide variety of pastas from linguine to lasagna.

I haven't found a spiralizer that I like yet, but a julienne peeler or mandoline with a julienne blade is quick and easy. My son now prefers "voodles" alfredo to fettucine alfredo...and I used to make my own fresh pasta.