Low calorie side dish ideas that don't include potatoes, pas

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superstankazz
superstankazz Posts: 193
in Introduce Yourself
Any ideas??? I'm sick of eating salad every night with dinner and I'm finding it difficult to come up with side dish ideas. I try not to eat much rice or pasta but I do have potatoes at least once a week. :happy:
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Replies

  • ullrichMEX
    ullrichMEX Posts: 58 Member
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    cauliflower rice! it looks like rice but has minimal calories in it. Baked cauliflower with cottage cheese

    zucchini, beans (not refried), mm let me think more :D
  • PeaceCorpsKat
    PeaceCorpsKat Posts: 335 Member
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    Quinoa - anyway you want to make. I like quinoa and a fat free cream based soup and frozen veggies baked like a caserole.
  • 1a1a
    1a1a Posts: 761 Member
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    *sings* vegetables.

    New and snazzy ways to zazz the up seem to be well hidden, I've taken to always ordering veg on the side at restaurants and then reverse engineering how they were prepped for ideas. (Steamed and drizzled in lemon juice always seems to work).
  • Peta22
    Peta22 Posts: 377 Member
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    cauliflower rice! it looks like rice but has minimal calories in it. Baked cauliflower with cottage cheese

    zucchini, beans (not refried), mm let me think more :D

    Is cauliflower rice something you make or buy? Or is it just shearing the tops off the cauliflower? I think cauliflower is awesome BTW - a Vege but very close to a carb in so many ways.

    Also, can you expand on the baked cauliflower with cottage cheese? Sounds great too!
  • Christine1110
    Christine1110 Posts: 1,786 Member
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    I like omelettes...and stir frys. You can make pizza with cauliflower and also mashed cauliflower is yummy.
    We have sweet potatoes sometimes.

    Good luck
  • livestar
    livestar Posts: 140 Member
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    roasted vegetables.
    sauteed vegetables
    mashed vegetables
    beans
  • raevynn
    raevynn Posts: 666 Member
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    Yams.

    Brown rice.

    Quinoa is good... I second that one.

    Brown rice couscous

    Baked squash.

    Steamed greens.

    Broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, peas, cabbage, sauerkraut, ...
  • brandiuntz
    brandiuntz Posts: 2,717 Member
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    Any kind of vegetable or combination of them. Spinach, asparagus, artichokes, broccoli, sweet potatoes, etc, etc. Look up recipes for steaming, roasting, grilling, or baking different vegetables and try them out. You'll find things you like.

    One of my favorite quick sides is to saute some fresh spinach in a little olive oil with garlic.

    I don't like salads, so I almost never have them. Too many other great ways to eat my veggies. :smile:
  • superstankazz
    superstankazz Posts: 193
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    Great ideas! Thanks everybody! Keep 'em coming, please!
  • tammyc226
    tammyc226 Posts: 158 Member
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    cauliflower rice! it looks like rice but has minimal calories in it. Baked cauliflower with cottage cheese

    zucchini, beans (not refried), mm let me think more :D

    Is cauliflower rice something you make or buy? Or is it just shearing the tops off the cauliflower? I think cauliflower is awesome BTW - a Vege but very close to a carb in so many ways.

    Also, can you expand on the baked cauliflower with cottage cheese? Sounds great too!


    Hi Peta

    here is the link to the discussion on cauliflower rice - you make it from the tops. It sounds great but I haven't tried it yet. I met to the fruit/veg shop today & forgot to buy cauliflower to give this idea a try. Doh!

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/447445-want-a-25-calorie-per-cup-replacement-for-rice
  • firesoforion
    firesoforion Posts: 1,017 Member
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    What I did for dinner tonight (would work great as a side dish too): Half a bag of frozen spinach, 1/4 cup of low fat ricotta cheese, 1 tbsp of parmesean cheese, a little bit of nutmeg (optional). Puree it in a blender. Pour it over roasted broccoli, top with walnuts, and broil until it's all toasty.
  • Jenlwb
    Jenlwb Posts: 682 Member
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    Definitely Quinoa, esp if you feel like something filling but better for you than pasta/rice. So easy too, just rince it, then boil with double the quantity of water for 15 mins. Add a bit of stock if you prefer. I like to mix in chopped coriander/cilantro and lime juice with mine. Freezes well in portions too.
  • AlexPflug
    AlexPflug Posts: 132 Member
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    I love to just sautee up some favorite veggies. I toss in a tsp or so of Worcestershire sauce and a tad of garlic. I generally like zucchini, onions, bell peppers, and matchstick carrots. Add whatever seasonings you want and make a yummy, fresh, and filling side dish. I also make a big plate of this for lunch with a couple fried egg whites over top for less than 200 calories.
  • cartea01
    cartea01 Posts: 156 Member
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    I love slicing up veges and baking them without oil to make "crisps"... Carrot, parsnip, sweet potato (yams). Also I love grilling capsicum, tomatoes. Throw some mixed herbs over the top and its yummy!
  • dmpizza
    dmpizza Posts: 3,321 Member
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    grilled tomatoes
  • pinkess
    pinkess Posts: 12 Member
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    Cous cous and butternut squash mash are the two that i eat a lot.
  • balfonso
    balfonso Posts: 370 Member
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    Butternut squash or lentils
  • dls06
    dls06 Posts: 6,774 Member
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    Portion Control. If you make sure it fits into your day you can have potatoes. I usually bake a small potato (4-6 oz) only.
  • Peta22
    Peta22 Posts: 377 Member
    Options
    cauliflower rice! it looks like rice but has minimal calories in it. Baked cauliflower with cottage cheese

    zucchini, beans (not refried), mm let me think more :D

    Is cauliflower rice something you make or buy? Or is it just shearing the tops off the cauliflower? I think cauliflower is awesome BTW - a Vege but very close to a carb in so many ways.

    Also, can you expand on the baked cauliflower with cottage cheese? Sounds great too!


    Hi Peta

    here is the link to the discussion on cauliflower rice - you make it from the tops. It sounds great but I haven't tried it yet. I met to the fruit/veg shop today & forgot to buy cauliflower to give this idea a try. Doh!

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/447445-want-a-25-calorie-per-cup-replacement-for-rice

    Thanks so much Tammi :) I've copied the recipe and I'll definitely be trying it soon!!
  • katkins3
    katkins3 Posts: 1,360 Member
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    I like to bake asparagus. Just spray them with a bit of Pam and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and black pepper. Bake at 375 for 15 min. or so depending on how you like them. (This also works well with sliced turnips, parsnips, kohlrabi, carrots or all or them mixed together.)

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