Low Cal Pasta or Pasta Replacement?

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Replies

  • kristarablue2
    kristarablue2 Posts: 386 Member
    Has anyone tried "Miracle Noodles?" They're made from mushrooms I think. I saw them at Walmart in the produce section.

    MIR001_Xl.jpg

    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.
  • cheripugh1
    cheripugh1 Posts: 357 Member
    I have to agree... eat what you normally would, make room in your daily intake for it, by cutting back on something else or by doing an extra burn.

    I do agree that spaghetti squash is good, is it the same? no but it is good. And some companies are cutting back the calories of their pasta products so look for those.
  • Docpremie
    Docpremie Posts: 228 Member
    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-_-
  • snowflake954
    snowflake954 Posts: 8,400 Member
    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....

    My mother-in-law from southern Italy made a dish with cooked green beans, tomato sauce and parmesan cheese sprinkled on top.
  • snowflake954
    snowflake954 Posts: 8,400 Member
    :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....
    :wink:

    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.
  • jamielise2
    jamielise2 Posts: 432 Member
    I use a julienne peeler to make zucchini pasta noodles. Great for a spaghetti bake.
  • Blue801
    Blue801 Posts: 442
    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.
  • Anonycatgirl
    Anonycatgirl Posts: 502 Member
    Zucchini noodles sound tasty. Substitute for pasta? Probably not. Something good in their own right? Sounds promising. I'll try it this summer.

    Meanwhile, I'll stick to regular ol' pasta, just in smaller portions than I otherwise might.
  • JaceyMarieS
    JaceyMarieS Posts: 692 Member
    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.
  • suelegal
    suelegal Posts: 1,282 Member
    Costco is selling Organic Black Bean spaghetti. I tried it at a sample table the other day and bought some for home. GF as well.

    blackbeanspaghetti_zpsa4a5392b.jpg
  • geebusuk
    geebusuk Posts: 3,348 Member
    320 calories per 100g - not exactly low calorie!
    However, lots of protein.
  • MessyArts
    MessyArts Posts: 35 Member
    i use "pasta slim". made from soy and mushrooms i believe. they have a good spinach fet. i find the noodles themselves to be not that tasty, but if you make your own sauce this is not a problem. they take on the flavor of whatever you would like. most places put them next to the tofu products. 20 cals a serving. maybe beware of the soy.
  • suelegal
    suelegal Posts: 1,282 Member
    320 calories per 100g - not exactly low calorie!
    However, lots of protein.

    I chose it because the carbs aren't as high and because the protein is so great, and it tastes great too!
  • Mangopickle
    Mangopickle Posts: 1,509 Member
    I was going to try those miracle noodles, but then I read on the package "Rinse to remove authentic odor" and just knew I couldn't deal with that.
    Hardly any smell on the ones I had and just a slightly 'earthy' smell at that, not rotting sewage or anything!
    They just smell like tofu to me. They aren't actually fake pasta, they are just Asian pasta. Possibly they are the same noodles that enthralled Marco Polo who brought noodles to Italy from Asia in the first place. If you like Asian glass, bean thread, yam or rice noodles you will likely enjoy shirataki noodles. If you don't , you won't.
  • Sweetnothing78
    Sweetnothing78 Posts: 86 Member
    I really like the barilla plus variety. They have a lot of fiber and protein, so you feel more full. I also add more vegetables to the sauce, like zucchini or tomato. :smile:
  • vailedhorse
    vailedhorse Posts: 1 Member
    My boyfriend and I are both chef's and we replaced our pasta with spagetti squash. It can be cut in half and baked. Be careful, there are ways to accomplish the task with out cutting your fingers off. Lay the squash on its side cut off the stem end and the top so it wont roll around on you. Pick it up and place it on its cut end and slice down the middle to half it. Scoop out the seeds, set your oven to 350°F and let it cook for an hour or until fork tender. It will seperate into spagetti like strands once you scrape it with a fork.... add your own sauce and perfect low calorie meal that will fill you up.
  • I dont know if you have them in your area, they can only be found at asian grocery stores and they are not shirataki noodles--- they're something like "soybean threads" or soybean strips." They taste delicious and they're low carb, i think? Well, i do know that it at least has a lot of protein because it's an asian soybean product.