I want to try some different food products that will make this weight loss easier. For example, I recently tried shirataki noodles instead of regular pasta. My budget is about $100 so I want to try a couple new things! Any suggestions?


Edit: So, no replies, but I thought I'd edit this to add some things I found, just in case anyone else was looking for something like this. Some of this stuff is pretty well-known, but if you've never heard of it, this should be helpful!

-- Kelp Noodles. (I hated these. If you like seaweed chips and stuff, you might like these, but they're really crispy, hard to chew, and taste super brine-y.)
-- Cauliflower Tater Tots. (Yes, yes, yes! They taste somehow like mashed potatoes...)
-- Veggie Sticks. (If you want to mindlessly munch on crunchy, salty things, it's easy to get used to these, and they're kind of like way-healthier potato chips.)
-- Black Bean Salsa. (I know this is just a regular food and not some diet version of something, but it was SO easy to liven up wraps and stuff with this, and because it's kind of "moist," it can easily replace things like mayo and other condiments in sandwiches and the like.)
--Vegan/vegetarian meatball. (Forget Gardein, get Nate's! MUCH better texture and doesn't taste like you're eating a giant bean ball. Kind of crumbly/soft, though.)
-- Beyond Burger. (It smells like dog food and has a weird dog food-y aftertaste, but oh my god, it's a veggie burger that actually tastes and feels like meat! Awesome!)

I'll post more as I come across things! Still looking for a better noodle alternative--let me know if you kow of any!

Mmm, thanks for the reminder about black bean salsa, I love that.

For noodles, sometimes I'm cool with the ubiquitous veggie "noodles" like zucchini or spaghetti squash. Usually though, when it's actual pasta that I want, I just have pasta. Nothing else really feels like an adequate substitute to me at those times. I'll usually use either Barilla's "Plus" or Ronzoni's "Smart Taste" varieties. That additional protein or fiber is a godsend for me. It prevents the rebound hunger traditional pasta can often trigger in me.

Sometimes I'll have "regular" pasta but usually I'll just do that when it's really worth it, like at a good restaurant or shop where the pasta is homemade.

If I'm not craving pasta in particular, but simply flavors of certain pasta dishes, then I'll make a veggie alternative. I made something similar to this zucchini ricotta bake last night bc I was craving the Italian flavors of tomato sauce and cheese. It was yum! https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/...i-ricotta-bake

Any new finds you've enjoyed?

Buckwheat pasta is a good substitute for ordinary pasta. Sometimes I also have rice noodles with vegetables.

I think I need to give up on shirataki noodles. I'm fine with the taste, but I just can't get over that rubber-band texture. I'm thinking you guys are right about the pasta... My marinara sauce is only, like, 2 points on WW, so I feel like I can spend a little on the pasta itself. It's just tough--in the past, I've been able to sit down with a giant bowl of pasta, and go back for seconds (and, yeah, thirds...). Lately, I've been all about Skinny Pop popcorn. It's not that much different than any other "skinny" version of a product, but I just find it delicious and I like that for a handful of points, I can have a whole bowl of it. Trying Skinny Girl popcorn next... We'll see how that goes. I'll edit the list at some point and try to figure it out. I need to try rice noodles! Missing fried rice so much...

Ruby: You NEED to try cauliflower "fried rice!" It is sooo good. If you Google you will find a ton of different recipes.

I agree.. I don’t like cauliflower, but the cauliflower fried rice is awesome. And the bonus is some stores sell cauliflower rice, so it’s less work