Pasta and chips substitutes?

[ilovewispas]

I've got pretty good at swapping out elements of my good at family dinners so that I'm having lower calories.

I swap out rice for cauliflower rice. I have portobello mushrooms instead of bread for things like egg on toast at weekends.

I'm a bit stuck with pasta though. What are shop bought (ideally available in Tesco, Sainsbury's, M&S or Waitrose) alternatives to pasta (spaghetti and shells) please?

Also, for chips?

Chips I have made carrot or parsnip chips in an air fryer when I was trying to cut carbs.

Making spaghetti from courgettes. For spag bol you can use cooked white cabbage.

Not exactly same…
but microwave (for convenience) bags of Quinoa, mixed pulses/rice.

Still something like 140 cals for half a bag. But lots and lots of nutritional value.

You can get butternut spaghetti in Sainsbury’s I think. I’m sure you can get courgetti somewhere too.

Maybe noodles would be a good try?
www.healthline.com/nutrition/shirataki-noodles-101

Celeriac makes nice chips and mash etc. there’s a good Jamie Oliver recipe where he sort of sautés it in a pan then cooks it in stock and it’s really nice.
I don’t bother substituting pasta, I just have bolognese with salad, chilli with salad etc.

Buy ready-made polenta in a block. Then chop into slices or chip-sized pieces. Fry it (dry fry or use Frylight or i presumeyou could use an airfry) or you can cook in the microwave (instructions on packet to do this). It's a really simple way.
I use polenta as a pasta substitute and it's so filling.

I use slim noodles to replace pasta. Sold in local Sainsbury's.

I eat cous cous a lot but I have no idea how it compares nutritionally; I just prefer it!

There are low carb noodles which are pretty bland so could substitute as spaghetti also use bulgar wheat other that that lots of vegetables- roasted cauliflower & broccoli, peppers etc

Konjac noodles for spaghetti. Look for angel hair ones. Bland as and need a damn good rinse out the packet but decent with a bolognese

Pasta - small bits of broccoli. Any and all substitutes are dreadful.

You can buy 'pasta' made from lentils. Look at the gluten free options.

a very small portion of brown pasta or the pasta made from lentils. If we having a piece of baked salmon or chicken, we just have veg and salad with it - no need for any carbs

Get a spiraliser and make courgetti spaghetti. Very quick and easy and works out much cheaper than using the pre-done bags long term.

Lentil based pastas are good too.

I just have a small portion and fill the rest of my plate with vegetables.

Ive found with stuff like that it's much more sustainable to reduce portion sizes rather than swap out. Fill the rest of the plate with salad and just enjoy a small portion of the spag Bol!

you run the risk of creating the association that some perfectly healthy in moderation foods are actually 'bad' or 'treat' foods which is not a good way to maintain sustainable weight loss.

Courgetti is good but I don't think you need to cut out chips and pasta compote have a healthy diet

I make big potato wedges instead of chips. Large potatoes make 6 wedges, leave skin on, toss in a small amount of oil, far fewer calories but still get that crispy outer fluffy inner texture.

The Hairy Bikers did a lasagne that involved replacing the lasagne sheets with leeks cut open lengthways and flattened out.

Roasting butternut squash is a good one, you can cut it into chips and season with paprika

Roasted Green beans with a little olive oil and sea salt are a good chip alternative.

I've never found anything that really gives you the pasta experience that isn't pasta. The no carb pasta is revolting, stinks and had a really odd texture and spiralised courgette looks, feels and tastes like courgette. So I just accepted that, I'd still have bolognese but as a topping on roasted sweet potato or with a heap of asparagus, mushrooms and green beans.

I've found quite a few. I like Iceland frozen cauliflower rice packets. I prefer a courgette into thick ribbons using a potato peeler. Sainsbury’s have quite a few carb free pasta alternatives in the pasta isle.

Make home made chips, just potatoes and fry light.

Noodles for me are my pasta alternative

I used thinly sliced white cabbage instead of pasta if having a bolognese or chilli. I also keep a bag of frozen broccoli florets that I can use instead too to bulk out meals

Chickpea pasta tastes really good.