Healthy Swaps for pasta and/or rice for Weight Loss

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myhealthyfriendsfitness
myhealthyfriendsfitness Posts: 7 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi! Are you having trouble losing weight? Do you need to cut calories but love your pasta? Here are a couple ideas for you!
Spiralize a couple zucchini and place in microwave safe dish for 3-4 minutes. Drain the excess water, pat dry with paper towels. Top with diced tomatoes! Delicious!
Cut a head of cauliflower into chunks. Place in blender or food processor until cauliflower resembles rice. Heat a skillet with 2T of coconut oil and add cauliflower rice. Let cauliflower cook on med heat for about 2 min, then toss, and let it cook for another 2 min. Continue until desired consistency and cauliflower is slightly browned. I then remove the cauliflower and use the same skillet to sautee my favorite veggies- onions, broccoli, shredded carrots, etc. Add to the cauliflower and add a dash of low sodium soy sauce. Very low calorie if you have hit your liit for the day and very tasty!

Replies

  • IsaackGMOON
    IsaackGMOON Posts: 3,358 Member
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    I'll think I'll just eat my pasta, thanks.

  • AuroraGeorge8393
    AuroraGeorge8393 Posts: 100 Member
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    I will continue to eat rice and pasta, but I'm always looking for new ways to prepare veggies and would definitely like to try the cauliflower prep suggestion. Thank you for posting this. :)
  • booksandchocolate12
    booksandchocolate12 Posts: 1,741 Member
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    Why do we need "healthy swaps" for rice and pasta? What is unhealthy about them?
  • IsaackGMOON
    IsaackGMOON Posts: 3,358 Member
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    booksandchocolate12 wrote: »
    Why do we need "healthy swaps" for rice and pasta? What is unhealthy about them?

    Maybe OP is assuming everyone has refractory epilepsy and has to low carb? lol.
  • BWBTrish
    BWBTrish Posts: 2,817 Member
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    myhealthyfriendsfitness wrote: »
    Hi! Are you having trouble losing weight? Do you need to cut calories but love your pasta? Here are a couple ideas for you!
    Spiralize a couple zucchini and place in microwave safe dish for 3-4 minutes. Drain the excess water, pat dry with paper towels. Top with diced tomatoes! Delicious!
    Cut a head of cauliflower into chunks. Place in blender or food processor until cauliflower resembles rice. Heat a skillet with 2T of coconut oil and add cauliflower rice. Let cauliflower cook on med heat for about 2 min, then toss, and let it cook for another 2 min. Continue until desired consistency and cauliflower is slightly browned. I then remove the cauliflower and use the same skillet to sautee my favorite veggies- onions, broccoli, shredded carrots, etc. Add to the cauliflower and add a dash of low sodium soy sauce. Very low calorie if you have hit your liit for the day and very tasty!


    When i want pasta i eat pasta too

    But yeah nice low calorie dish. I love zucchini and use them WITH my pasta lol
    I just fit it in my daily calorie allowance.

    Nothing unhealthy about pasta in my humble opinion.

    There are no bad or good foods. Just Too Much food and food you cant tolerate for what ever reason ( think of medical issues).

    But like i said nice low calorie dish...should have posted this under Recipes.

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  • atypicalsmith
    atypicalsmith Posts: 2,742 Member
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    Reminds me of an infomercial.
  • lemonsnowdrop
    lemonsnowdrop Posts: 1,298 Member
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    There's nothing wrong with making a thread about low cal alternatives to pasta, OP, but please don't try to sell them off as "healthier."
  • jvs125
    jvs125 Posts: 223 Member
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    People will freak over this. Pasta and rice aren't unhealthy per say if you don't have any condition. However, they are higher in calories per volume than the alternatives proposed here. Most of us have a goal of losing weight, so lower cal alternatives are good to have. I personally love the cauliflower rice, cauliflower couscous, zucchini noodles. I also do carrot or parsnip noodles. Even if you think it's too big of a leap, is you swapped half your "real" pasta/rice portion for the alternative and mix the two, you just cut major calories.

    "healthier" because it's also full of vitamins and nutrients that aren't in your typical white pasta...
  • Psychgrrl
    Psychgrrl Posts: 3,177 Member
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    If you're looking towards macros, I have a couple options that have more fiber and protein. I love quinoa! And I bought this yummy red lentil pasta at CostCo. TONS of fiber and protein. Really good in a pasta salad. :smiley:
  • BWBTrish
    BWBTrish Posts: 2,817 Member
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    jvs125 wrote: »
    People will freak over this. Pasta and rice aren't unhealthy per say if you don't have any condition. However, they are higher in calories per volume than the alternatives proposed here. Most of us have a goal of losing weight, so lower cal alternatives are good to have. I personally love the cauliflower rice, cauliflower couscous, zucchini noodles. I also do carrot or parsnip noodles. Even if you think it's too big of a leap, is you swapped half your "real" pasta/rice portion for the alternative and mix the two, you just cut major calories.

    "healthier" because it's also full of vitamins and nutrients that aren't in your typical white pasta...

    Like i said i just eat both pasta, zucchini and the rest..white rice and pizza too. Just because i like it all.
    And a balanced diet is the best diet there is in my eyes. I only cut out salt for medical reasons.
  • jvs125
    jvs125 Posts: 223 Member
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    Psychgrrl wrote: »
    If you're looking towards macros, I have a couple options that have more fiber and protein. I love quinoa! And I bought this yummy red lentil pasta at CostCo. TONS of fiber and protein. Really good in a pasta salad. :smiley:

    I loved that lentil pasta! But I found that I was really, really bloated and gassy after eating it as a main course... maybe it could work in a potluck setting where I would just have a small portion among other things.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,575 Member
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    I actually don't eat much rice or pasta in a deficit or maintenance. But I don't see the need to make my vegetables mimic pasta either. I just cook them and eat them with a lot of meat and love them just the same.
  • wesj43
    wesj43 Posts: 7 Member
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    I like using spaghetti squash as a spaghetti alternative. I also use whole wheat pasta, and brown rice. These are alternative to the "normal" white varieties. I eat those also, just not as often as I used to.
    I try to eat a "healthier" diet than I used to. I have managed to drop nearly 40 pounds since early March and feel better than I have since high school. As I am now 73 that is saying something.
  • svirds
    svirds Posts: 57 Member
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    These are great healthy swaps that I use too when I need a lower calorie meals. I love cauliflower rice - have been making it for years. Lots of other fun veggies to spiralize too - I do sweet potatoes and beets. I still use regular pasta on occasion and brown rice too. But I love the versatility of veggies and nutrient dense foods. I also tried the lentil pasta mentioned above - great carb and protein content before harder workout days. I also on occasion eat black bean pasta and edamame pasta by Explore Asian - again good carb and protein content for days before harder workout days. Whatever fits into my daily calorie goals and works with my training schedule! I love using veggies where I can and cooking with different types of food.

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