Eat This! Zucchini Noodles (a 33 calorie way to bulk up your pasta)

I absolutely LOVE pasta in any shape or form.  After really taking the time to educate myself there are overwhelming studies that say that pasta is ok to eat, it has just gotten a bad rap. The primary reason is a simple misconception: that pasta is akin to bread made from wheat. In fact, pasta is made from DURUM, a wholly different species from “bread wheat” .  Durum is an older species and a hybrid of wild grasses; modern bread wheat is more domesticated.

The second reason why pasta gets criticized is the obvious …. what we tend to do to it!!! We typically over-process it and then top it with cheesy ,salty, fatty  ingredients. This is what has turned inherently healthy pasta into something far less desirable.

Now just like with anything you have to be reasonable when it comes to portion sizes. I have lost 32 pounds since September and I can 100% say it had to do with some small little tweaks like wheat for white(in everything from my pasta ,rice , bread and my  pizza crusts) But also by practicing a “bulking up” my food way of eating. I basically will take what would be a one cup serving and add a variety of low calorie veggies to EVERY single meal. This really helps keep you satisfied and full longer. So you are less likely to go for that second helping.

This brings me to my favorite way to take one serving of pasta and stretch it into 2 cups of pasta heaven!  Using various types of squashes have been all the rage for years especially with low carb dieters. But there is simply no substitute for the real deal. But my favorite and least offensive way to bulk up my pasta is by making zucchini noodles! They have a very subtle flavor and when tossed in with your favorite pasta and sauce are barely noticeable they just seem to blend in with the surrounding flavors.(SO MUCH SO MY TWO YEAR OLD DOESN’T EVEN NOTICE!) Another BIG PLUS…Each medium zucchini only has 33 calories!!!

There are many ways to make the zucchini noodles but I only make them one way…with a Vegetable Spiral Slicer(see photo). They run about 30 bucks you can get them anywhere and they are so easy that I even let the kids help turn the handle to make the spaghetti thin strands!

What I do is prepare my veggie or whole grain pasta by the directions and then the last minute of cooking I throw in the zucchini noodles into the boiling water with the pasta ,then strain and you are done! Toss with some olive oil garlic veggies and basil or top with your favorite tomato sauce and enjoy! Or on days when you are trying to cut down on calories because you blew it at breakfast...simply omit the pasta and just use the noodles with a fresh tomato sauce!