Pasta Alternatives/Healthy Pasta?

erinross915
erinross915 Posts: 4 Member
edited July 2016 in Food and Nutrition
I love pasta, and I also love things like spaghetti squash and zoodles...but sometimes I just want pasta, noodles, etc. Do you just eat regular pasta as a cheat (I say cheat because I'm staying low carb/calorie intake) and work it into your calories or has anyone found a brand that has less calories or anything?
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Replies

  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    Personally, I eat regular pasta and work it into my calorie and nutrition goals. I don't consider it a cheat.
  • pebble4321
    pebble4321 Posts: 1,132 Member
    I eat regular pasta, and log it. Just like every other food.
    Why would that be "a cheat"??
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,011 Member
    I eat regular pasta all the time, and don't consider it cheating. As long as you eat a reasonable serving, it's pretty easy to fit into my goal.
  • queenliz99
    queenliz99 Posts: 15,317 Member
    I eat pasta regularly and stay within my calorie allotment. I've tried spaghetti squash as a replacement, it just wasn't worth it.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    Spaghetti is part of the reason I would never low carb!
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    There is no alternative to pasta when I want pasta.
    Eating food you enjoy isn't cheating!
  • pinggolfer96
    pinggolfer96 Posts: 2,248 Member
    To actually answer your question rather than say just fit it into you macros: black bean pasta, edamame pasta, etc. (they sell them at sprouts and whole foods), shirataki noodles (rinse well and pan fry in a dry pan first), zoodles...etc.
  • MelaniaTrump
    MelaniaTrump Posts: 2,694 Member
    edited July 2016
    Explore Asian - a brand I have fallen in love with.
    Available at those "fancy" grocery stores like whole foods.
    http://www.explore-asian.com/products/organic-black-bean-spaghetti-6-pack.html
    ^^ Here is a picture of what the black bean spaghetti looks like (love it), scroll down to see it\
    A package has 4 servings for about $5. You only need one serving and you're full. I top it with a bit of ragu with an added can of diced tomatoes drained. \
    I also like Whole Wheat Pasta. Seems better than white. I feel full with less and I feel full longer. Here is a picture. http://www.walmart.com/ip/Great-Value-Whole-Wheat-Spaghetti-13.25-oz/13399551
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    pinggolfer96 wrote: »
    To actually answer your question rather than say just fit it into you macros: black bean pasta, edamame pasta, etc. (they sell them at sprouts and whole foods), shirataki noodles (rinse well and pan fry in a dry pan first), zoodles...etc.
    Do you just eat regular pasta as a cheat (I say cheat because I'm staying low carb/calorie intake) and work it into your calories or has anyone found a brand that has less calories or anything?

    I also answered her question.
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,463 Member
    Whole wheat pasta and a smaller portion size, not a huge plate/bowl.
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,011 Member
    Just wanted to point out that OP added " (I say cheat because I'm staying low carb/calorie intake)" after the first several replies were posted (or at least while we were typing).

    OP, I don't do low carb, so I can't help you with that. I would be miserable eating low carb. I have found with some practice, I've been able to fit pasta into my diet regularly eating under 1600 cals. I'm sure others will give you more help on the low carb side.
  • fishshark
    fishshark Posts: 1,886 Member
    pinggolfer96 wrote: »
    To actually answer your question rather than say just fit it into you macros: black bean pasta, edamame pasta, etc. (they sell them at sprouts and whole foods), shirataki noodles (rinse well and pan fry in a dry pan first), zoodles...etc.

    I am Italian with family still there... that stuff isnt pasta. the answer @diannethegeek is answering the question. If it were I asking the question... hers would be the only answer I would accept because thats what works for me. While your answer might work for some doesn't mean you need to undermine what also works for others.
  • greatatboats
    greatatboats Posts: 28 Member
    I don't do low carb so this may not be relevant for you, but I eat pasta at least 5 nights a week. I switch between spaghetti, elbows, and penne and either Barilla's veggie pasta or the protein one. Depending on how hungry I am a normal serving is 70-100 grams dry weight. I will say that I feel like I get more bang for my buck if I do spaghetti vs other shapes.

    In a related story, tonight's dinner was 92 grams of veggie penne, 59 grams of baked chicken breast, some mushrooms, spinach, not quite half a cup of tomato alfredo sauce, and a large pinch of Parmesan cheese. My sodium is kind of crazy ridiculous because of the sauce, but calories-wise my dinner was decent at 680.
  • BethanyFrench
    BethanyFrench Posts: 16 Member
    trim healthy mama people say dreamfields pasta is coated with something that keeps the carbs from converting to sugar as long as you don't reheat it, but i'm scared to try! i make it for my hubby and use zoodles or shiritaki noodles for myself.
  • marilyncotton
    marilyncotton Posts: 4 Member
    I am also on a low carb and I use zoodles, spaghetti squash and
    Dreamfields pasta it is low carb and recommended by my dietician;
  • LannyMixon
    LannyMixon Posts: 30 Member
    On occasion we will use thin sliced zucchini as a pasta substitute in both lasagna and like in place of linguini. It ain't perfect but it's not bad either.
  • Antmaril
    Antmaril Posts: 43 Member
    Creamettes has pasta that is 150 calories per serving (56g) and 13 grams of fiber.
  • cwgrant67
    cwgrant67 Posts: 33 Member
    Zoodles cooked with garlic, spices and a bit of olive oil tastes the same to me.
  • AndrewD315
    AndrewD315 Posts: 57 Member
    Pasta will not be your low carb day but I have my one serving 2oz dry and add equal amount of mushrooms then sauce which has carbs as well. Any non starch veg. prob. works the same to give volume at low cost though! Also I make sure my slightly higher carb days are gym days to take advantage of those carbs or energy.
  • DancingMoosie
    DancingMoosie Posts: 8,619 Member
    Check out shirataki noodles at Vitacost.com
    If you wait until their BOGO sale, sometimes they put their brand buy one, get one 50% off.
    I also like to spiralize zucchini and yellow squash and lightly saute it with bouillon for flavor. It tastes so good with mushrooms and meat sauce!
  • skennelly1963
    skennelly1963 Posts: 18 Member
    I go to a nutritionist and she told me that if I was going to eat pasta to eat whole wheat pasta. I can't tell the difference between that and regular ...... so maybe give that a try?
  • DancingMoosie
    DancingMoosie Posts: 8,619 Member
    I don't like the whole wheat pasta, but I do like the Ronzoni Smart Taste(extra fiber) and Garden Delight(1/2serving of vegetables) pastas.
  • AmandaHugginkiss
    AmandaHugginkiss Posts: 486 Member
    Get a food scale and stick to a serving of it. I will never give up real pasta.
  • JShailen
    JShailen Posts: 184 Member
    Depending on the day and where I am calorie wise, I range from using 65-100 grams of pasta. 65 is perfectly fine and filling but it probably wouldn't be on it's own. My pastas always have a sauce and loads of veggies. Sometimes I add veggie mince and top with cheese. In general I'd say the calorie count for the whole meal ranges from 450-700.

    If it's as high as 700 then more than likely I used a lot of sauce and 100 grams of pasta.

    I'd also echo that spaghetti and linguine seem to give you more (I know it doesn't, it's just the way it appears to fill the plate)!

    Spaghetti squash and zoodles are tasty in their own right, but I wouldn't let them take the place of pasta.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    I eat shirataki noodles. Pasta does not make a regular appearance in my diet. It is not helpful to me as far as losing or maintaining my weight. If I want it, I go out and get it handmade at my favorite Italian restaurant. I eat eat covered in butter with sausage and drink wine and my favorite crostinis.
  • LaMartian
    LaMartian Posts: 478 Member
    Pasta already is healthy. Enjoy.
  • FitKat123
    FitKat123 Posts: 71 Member
    I have to do gluten free pasta, but to answer your question, I didn't have enough pasta one night for both me and my husband, so I added zoodles to it. He really liked it. You could make a half serving of spaghetti and add zoodles to it.
  • Wynterbourne
    Wynterbourne Posts: 2,225 Member
    edited July 2016
    I don't do low carb, but I do buy Ronzoni's 150 pasta because not only is it only 75% of the calories of the average pasta, but it also contains 13g of fiber. Right now it comes in thin spaghetti and penne.

    https://ronzoni.com/en-US/products/3395/Penne.aspx
  • ouryve
    ouryve Posts: 572 Member
    I just eat regular pasta, small portion, plenty of sauce and don't eat it very often. It's the one thing I will never have a wholewheat version of, too, as that stuff is just rank.
  • Eleonora91
    Eleonora91 Posts: 688 Member
    Right now I am still eating whole wheat pasta, 70 gr at lunch with tomato sauce and half a tablespoon of olive oil. But I used to have FiberPasta in the past - not sure if this exists in other countries, anyway it's a fiber-rich pasta that has way less calories than regular pasta and should also help if you're having troubles reaching your fiber intake. It used to be way too expensive for me though so I stopped buying it. I know there are also a few algae substitutes or something, but haven't tried them yet - quite sure they're not as tasty as regular pasta, and they're probably not worth the money and effort.

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