Pasta is a fan favorite when it comes to comfort food. And while we all love lasagna or gooey mac and cheese every now and then, we could do without the unnecessary carbs. These fun veggie noodles are so tasty, you won't even miss the carbs. Keep reading for some delicious recipes and helpful tips.
The Basics
Vegetables that make great noodle substitutes are zucchini, sweet potatoes, cucumbers, spaghetti squash, carrots and radishes. You can easily make veggie noodles at home with a vegetable peeler, a julienne cutter, a Veggetti or a Spiralizer.
Zucchini Shrimp Scampi
Shrimp Scampi is amazing, but all that butter and carbs can really add up. For a skinnier version, use a Spiralizer or veggie peeler to make noodles out of zucchini, which take on a noodle-like texture when cooked. Get the delicious recipe here.
Tip #1: How To Cook Voodles
There are many ways to cook voodles. Saute your noodles in olive oil for three to five minutes. Simmer them in water for two to three minutes. Add them directly to your sauce while it's cooking, or place them in a bowl, cover with a paper towel and microwave for two minutes.
Spaghetti Squash Mac And Cheese
While mac 'n cheese may be a comfort food, the calorie count is anything but comforting. This recipe uses spaghetti squash, instead of normal noodles, broccoli and low-fat cheese to get the same great taste without the unnecessary calories.
Tip #2: No Need To Cook The Veggie Noodles
Why spend an extra 5 minutes cooking the noodles? Veggie noodles can be enjoyed raw, making them perfect for a refreshing summer salad. The next recipe uses raw voodles in all their fresh and crunchy glory.
Fresh Coodle Tuna Salad
Tuna salad just got a fresh makeover and we are loving it! Swap out those macaroni noodles with crunchy coodles, cucumber noodles. This dish makes for a quick and easy lunch idea for days when you want to eat healthy, but are so over boring salads. Get the recipe here.
Tip #3: How To Avoid Watery Sauce With Zoodles (Zucchini Noodles)
Zucchinis are made of 90% water, and a lot of that water is lost during cooking. But there's an easy way to avoid watering down your sauce when you cook with zoodles. Cook the zoodles and sauce separately, drain the zoodles, then add them to the sauce.
Pumpkin Spice Sweet Potato Noodle Waffles
If you can get your kids to eat veggies for breakfast, then you should win "Mom of the Year." They might sound a little weird, but trust us, this is a recipe you need to try! Find the recipe here.
Tip #4: Pat Dry Coodles (Cucumber Noodles)
Cucumbers are 95% water. If you want your sauce to stick to your cucumber noodles, lay them on a paper towel and pat dry with another paper towel before adding to the sauce. The same process works well with zucchini noodles too!
Swoodle Caesar Salad
This is not your average caesar salad! This recipe combines kale, swoodles (sweet potato noodles) and roasted chickpeas for a salad that is anything but ordinary. This dish contains 13 grams of protein and 300 calories. Oh and did we mention it's vegan?
Tip #5: Don’t Throw Out That Veggie Core Yet!
If you use a Spiralizer or vegetable cutter, you are often left with a core. Instead of throwing it away, chop it up at add it to an omelette, soup or salad. You could also dip the leftover veggie core in hummus or your favorite veggie dip.
Voodle Pad Thai
Spicy, peanut-y Pad Thai is the perfect dish, except for one thing. It isn't very healthy. Substitute normal carb-filled noddles out for radish, carrot or zucchini noodles. This recipe actually uses all three vegetable noodles for a delicious, crunchy twist.
Tip #6: How To Store Your Veggie Noodles
Most veggie noodles will stay fresh for about two to four days in the fridge before they start to wilt. Just make sure to store them in an air tight container.
Chicken Zoodle Soup
Even the most comforting food of all can be made with vegetables instead of noodles. This cozy soup is perfect for the cold winter months, or anytime you are craving something warm and soothing. Get the recipe here.
Roasted Garlic Parmesan Carrots
This dish is so delicious and colorful, it's hard to believe it only takes five ingredients. All you need is rainbow carrots, olive oil, garlic, onion powder and parmesan cheese. Get the full recipe here.
