Pasta Salad

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Claire8614
Claire8614 Posts: 157 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hi

I love pasta salad but it seems to be really high in calories, does anyone have a lower calorie recipe that i could make myself.

So i could take it to work for my lunch :)

Claire

Replies

  • Tofuheart
    Tofuheart Posts: 191 Member
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    I don't think you can avoid the calories in Pasta. I measure out 1 cup, no more. Pasta can be very sneaky for volume.


    For pasta salad I put in low fat mayo, spices, thinly sliced veggies (carrots, broccoli, asparagus) and sometimes add a bit of grated cheese or a sliced boiled egg.
  • SnuggleSmacks
    SnuggleSmacks Posts: 3,731 Member
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    Most of the calories from pasta salad come from the pasta itself and the dressing/sauce.

    For the pasta, you might try shirataki, which is a noodle made from tofu. It's high in protein but it is an acquired taste. It comes refrigerated in a plastic bag packed with water, and it's not expensive, so it's well worth at least trying.

    For the dressing, try using yogurt instead of mayo for the base, or use a vinegar-based dressing.

    One last thing you can do is to increase the ratio of veggie to pasta. Add a wider variety of veggies, and lots of them, and cut the pasta in half.

    edited for spelling
  • jr235
    jr235 Posts: 201 Member
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    Do you like the mayo based pasta salads or other kinds?

    I like vinegary style pasta salads myself. Or a southwest pasta salad. Sub some amount of the pasta for veggies and/or beans.

    Is it the pasta or the sauce you are craving? When I find myself craving the sauce (think, mac and cheese) I make zucchini or sometimes a mix of zucchini pasta with whole wheat pasta and put as much sauce as my heart desires.

    When what I want is the pasta I add in some veggies and beans, that way I'm getting my pasta mix plus other nutrients and fiber.
  • LunaStar2008
    LunaStar2008 Posts: 155 Member
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    I will defenitly try these shirataki noodles. Seems to be a great snack or lunch at work, just quick in the microwave and some veggies tossed with it.....
  • LunaStar2008
    LunaStar2008 Posts: 155 Member
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    I prefer the oil/vinegar version over the mayo version of pasta salad as well. I guess that would be more healthy fats then...?
  • SnuggleSmacks
    SnuggleSmacks Posts: 3,731 Member
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    I will defenitly try these shirataki noodles. Seems to be a great snack or lunch at work, just quick in the microwave and some veggies tossed with it.....

    As I said, it is an acquired taste. It has a strong smell which some people find off-putting. It helps if you rinse the noodles thoroughly before you cook with them. It helps even more if you use strongly flavored veggies or sauce ingredients, like onions and garlic. Some people love shirataki, some people gag from smelling it.
  • dakotababy
    dakotababy Posts: 2,406 Member
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    my mama-in-law makes the absolute BEST macaroni salad...I could seriously eat an entire fridge full of it. It makes me sad how many calories are in it...
  • missiontofitness
    missiontofitness Posts: 4,074 Member
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    My Greek pasta salad is pretty good on my macros.
    I generally do 1/4 to 1/2 a cup of tri-color rotini, and mix in chopped black olives, cucumber, tomatoes, and low fat feta. Top it off with a tablespoon or two of Greek vinaigrette with a little fresh black pepper, and you're done.
  • _Zardoz_
    _Zardoz_ Posts: 3,987 Member
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    I don't think you can avoid the calories in Pasta. I measure out 1 cup, no more. Pasta can be very sneaky for volume.
    You should weigh pasta. Measuring by the cup will not be accurate calorie wise. As pasta is pretty high calorie the errors could be big
  • jenilla1
    jenilla1 Posts: 11,118 Member
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    Just put a little less pasta in it and add other things (like more veg) to make up for having less pasta.
    Also, I agree with the previous poster - weigh your pasta.
  • klsynosch
    klsynosch Posts: 15 Member
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    i still have pasta salad, sometimes, but i make sure to make it a little at a time -i have all the ingredients and i put it together when i want it. so i can measure each thing im putting into it and limiting the amount of salad dressing as well as actual pasta. I'd say try less pasta and less dressing - more veggies. maybe try an Italian vinaigrette spray instead of the oily blend you would normally mix into it. (the way i would make it) days where i have this i just make sure the rest of my day is healthy and i'm within my calorie intake.. i feel as though if i can't eat things like this that i want, then i'm never going to stick to my new lifestyle change. you can still have these things, it's teaching yourself how much is enough and not eating them every single day. it's like having a treat- or make it your cheat meal.. whatever works for you.

    i also found this recipe for a different type of pasta/fruit salad. it is a fruit salad with pasta in it -if you want to go for something sweet. i was going to make it for the next party i go to; seemed like an interesting thing to try
    http://simplytaralynn.com/2012/07/21/fab-fit-friday-honey-fruit-salad/
  • writergeek313
    writergeek313 Posts: 390 Member
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    I still make pasta salads a lot, since they're quick to take for lunches or to have for dinner when it's too hot to cook. Now I use wheat pasta, a low fat Italian dressing of some sort, and make sure I load it with lots of vegetables (peppers, carrots, tomatoes, cucumber). Where I used to make a salad of mostly pasta with some vegetables in it, now I make a pasta and vegetable salad. I'll usually mix a serving with a cup of baby spinach and add some lean protein like grilled chicken breast or tuna. I also use romano cheese since it's so flavorful, because then I can use less.

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