Lose Weight With This Amazing Squash Recipe

For a long time I have been on the constant lookout for low calorie dinner options.  I must say, after trying many recipes, this has become my absolute favorite!  I love pasta and spaghetti as most people do, but always feel as though I gain about 10 pounds after having a big pasta dinner.  My goal was to find something to substitute pasta that was low calorie and would help me with my fitness goals.

I had heard about spaghetti squash before but had never actually cooked with it.  I looked up its nutritional value online for my own curiosity and was pleasantly surprised!  Here is what I learned:

1 cup of cooked spaghetti squash=  42 calories and only 0.4 grams of fat!

That is quite a healthy food compared to one cup of cooked spaghetti which yields 221 calories, 1.3 grams of fat, 43 grams of carbs.

What about the taste of spaghetti squash you ask?  Simply fantastic.  I am actually finding myself liking the squash more than I do pasta now.  It fills you up and you won't find yourself hungry the rest of the night!  Better yet, this recipe I'm about to share is less than 200 calories!  That's right, a dinner under 200 calories that leaves you feeling full and satisfied.

So let's get cooking!  First things first though, what is a spaghetti squash?  I actually found myself in the middle of the grocery store looking around having NO idea what I was even looking for!  To make things easier, I have provided a picture.

TA-DA!  And here we have it.  Bring this bad boy home and you're ready to go.  Here are the ingredients that you will need for your squash dinner:

• One large spaghetti squash (which makes about 4 cups cooked)
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup boca crumble meat or any lean ground meat of your choice
• 2 tbs Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1/4 cup onion

Pre heat your oven to 360 degrees.
Take a knife and slice the squash in half (from stem to stem).  Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and strings in the middle.


Put tin foil on the bottom of a baking pan and place the squash face down.  I usually bake it for about 40 minutes or until the squash feels soft when poked with a knife.

Meanwhile, heat up a skillet on the stove and cook the onion, the garlic, and the meat of your choice.

When the squash is done, take it out of the oven and use a fork to "comb" out the strands of squash from the middle.  It should look something like this:



Add the squash strands into the pan with the onions, garlic, meat, and tomato sauce.  Season with the salt and pepper and stir together.  Top with Parmesan cheese and enjoy!
(For a little extra treat I like to sprinkle on some low fat mozzarella cheese and have it melt onto the top).

So there you have it.  A low calorie dinner which yields less than 200 calories per serving.  Feel free to experiment with other toppings as well such as fresh tomatoes or zucchini!