Cutting Calories In Mac & Cheese (Nutritional Yeast?)

Birds Eye - Veggie Pasta - Penne with Cheddar Cheese Sauce - slightly off taste for me (if you knew what I ate that may or may not matter)
- Rotini Alfredo - if not needing cheddar cheese, like this one, little spice/tang to it

There are some others similar that may taste close enough to hit that urge when needed, but more protein less fat.

There used to be a vegan taco truck in my area that served a cashew-based "cheese" sauce. No idea how they did it but that might be worth looking into.

I’ve used this recipe to make a Macaroni Cheese type dish.

https://thecookreport.co.uk/butternut-squash-pasta-sauce/

I’ve also gone the route of cashew based sauce but that’s more about cutting animal products than it is about calories.

There's a couple of good vegan cheese sauces out there, but this one is my favorite: https://www.noracooks.com/vegan-cheese-sauce/

This one is the nut-free option, because I can't usually afford cashews lol And it mentions it in the recipe notes, but you can also cut down on the calories by omitting the oil (I did and just used full-fat coconut milk. It was still amazing). I usually make a batch or two ahead of time, store it in the fridge and then just add it to my noodles when they're done with a little bit of leftover pasta water.

Another option I us for when I'm strapped for time is this: https://itdoesnttastelikechicken.com/homemade-vegan-mac-cheese-powder/

It's easy to use, but I'd recommend cutting the sweetener to half. This is nice if I'm busy, broke, and just want something quick, but I have to say that it doesn't taste as close to the 'real thing' as the first recipe. That said, it still makes a pretty great cheesy pasta, especially with hot sauce and chopped up sausage, carrots and/or broccoli.

I make mine with fiber gourmet pasta (tons of fiber, half the cals of regular noodles, but the same exact taste and texture). I then use cheese powder (Big Daddy mac mix) mixed with blended FF cottage cheese and greek yogurt, and I end up with a much healthier and lower calorie mac and cheese that honestly tastes super similar.

If you don't need to eliminate dairy, I've made a more nutrient dense, calorie efficient mac & cheese with red lentil pasta (Barilla brand has slightly more protein than chickpea pasta, and a better texture for my taste - though I don't find the chickpea pasta at all objectionable).

To that, I'd add some plain nonfat Greek yogurt, and a bit of calorie efficient but flavorful cheese (actual parmesan - not the shaker can, but real cheese - is a good choice, or mild chevre). If you bake that combo, likely the yogurt will separate. If you mix the bits together on the stovetop after the pasta is (almost) cooked (but for sure drained), and heat gently, you can control the separation. Some mashed winter squash will give it an orange color, add nutrients, and also help prevent obvious yogurt separation if you're baking it. Cauliflower (anything from puree to big chunks) bulks it up, and adds some other nutrients. I haven't done it, but I don't think adding some nutritional yeast in there would hurt anything.

I can't give you precise quantities, because I don't use recipes for things like this, I just wing it.

If you like slight variations on flavor profile, a truly tiny bit of ground or (better) fresh-grated nutmeg is nice; another alternative - distinctly non-classic - is finely chopped fresh sage leaves (especially good with the squash). I pretty much always use some onions (caramelized if I'm feeling patient) and minced garlic (yes, even with the nutmeg). I'm not too sure about the nutmeg with the nooch, might be OK, but I haven't used those together in anything, so ??? since both have a fairly specific flavor.