the spinach swap

i just came across this interesting tip on how to cut some carbs from your life.  it's called the spinach swap.

let's do some math to see approximately how many calories the spinach swap will save you...

the serving size for whole grain penne pasta, for instance, is 2 oz.  that will run you 200 calories.  half a bag of baby spinach is only 20 calories!  in that example, substituting spinach for pasta reduces your calorie intake by a whopping 90%.  even when you take into account the olive oil that you saute the spinach in (80 calories for two teaspoons), you're still reducing your calorie intake for that meal by 50% by consuming 100 less calories than with the pasta.  plus, with spinach you're automatically upping the nutritional value of your meal with antioxidants, iron, B vitamins, and omega-3 fatty acids.

have you ever heard of or tried the spinach swap?  if so, what did you think of it?  does it really act as a yummy substitute for pasta?  i will have to try it for myself!

p.s. - one of the comments on lauren's post mentioned using spaghetti squash as another alternative to pasta.  a cup of spaghetti squash only has about 40-45 calories.  i've personally tried this and can attest that it makes for a super tasty meal.  even for a self-proclaimed lover of carbohydrates like me, i didn't feel like i was missing out on anything!