Zucchini as spaghetti with a hearty meat sauce
If you’d like me to post how to make the zucchini spaghetti and meat sauce, please let me know. It is so easy and really delicious. I just don’t know what you hotties want to see or not, so I’m open.
It’s Day 3! Typically Day 2 is the killer, but I keep myself pretty busy and I am so driven to do this I am not about to screw this up.
Are you getting ready for this weekend? If you live in the US, it’s Labor Day Weekend, a huge holiday for last-hurrah type outdoor cooking, since fall will be autumning pretty soon. Whether you live in the US or not, there are so many options for cooking out!
I have included 20 recipes that are 5 net or less (desserts 6 net or less) that are perfect for backyard barbecues and picnics and anywhere you share with others (or yourself). I hope you’ll give some a try, take a walk after dinner, and enjoy your long weekend.
Now onto what I had yesterday… First of all, here’s the plan I’m following and here is the introduction post to the Mid-Year Resolution Challenge.
While you look at what I’m doing, be sure to do your thing. I am thrilled to provide some ideas, but I’m not the person you should necessarily look to for dieting advice (I’m not a paid nosh-a-titian). I am, however, here with you to cheer you on and help you hold your pants on when your drawers try to drop due to weight loss.
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Wednesday, August 28
I ate this:
Breakfast: Blackberries (4), 10 slices pepperoni, 1 slice American cheese, Diet Coke
Lunch: Zucchini pasta with Just the Beef Chili, a sprinkle of shredded Parmesan cheese + Diet Hansen’s Root Beer
Snack: Hormel Pepperoni Stick + Diet Coke
Dinner: Baked Potato Salad and Coleslaw
Notes: I’ve had so much energy the last two days that I have been on cooking overdrive. I love the energy I have!
I exercised:
I had an upset tummy so I watched Top Chef and went to bed. Boo! Boo silly tummy!
Today I learned:
Little steps make better habits.
Starting out on an eating plan after taking some time off means sometimes undoing some bad habits. I began a diet soda habit I had given up for awhile. Still, I’m not going to sweat it. I am going to make small, healthy changes.
1. I am keeping soda intake to 4 or less per day, maximum, and for meals.
2. I am drinking water in between meals, and always keep a chilled glass of water with me. I also try to drink at least 16 ounces of water after working out.
Two little changes from “all soda all the time.” Eventually I won’t need the fizzy anymore, or it will become a more rare occasion. For now, though, I am enjoying what soda gives me in terms of the fizzies, and I know that by keeping cold water on hand at all times, I am slowly making the change to less sweeteners and a sweeter life.
What one little change are you making to improve your health?
Great job, Jamie!
I need to buy some zucchini since I want to try those noodles. I have a good idea what to make these with.
We can do this!
The noodles are positively amazingsauce.
Yes please post your zucchini spagetti and meat sauce recipe! Yummy!!
Will do!
Did I miss how you make the zucchini noodles?
I haven’t posted the how-to because I didn’t know if anyone was interested in how I do it. I’d be happy to show you if you’d like!
I received my veggie slicer machine a few weeks ago and have been waiting for a recipe like this. Can’t wait for you to post it so I can make it. I have some zucs in my fridge just waiting for this dish 🙂
I will def post it. It’s really easy. A quickie (I’ll post a full-fledged later): I boiled the noodles in water for 4 minutes, let drain and vavoom.
I just shredded my zucchini and put it on a plate for 2 minutes in the microwave! Easy!
You can’t beat that kind of simplicity! Love it.
I would also like to know how you make those awesome looking zucchini noodles. 🙂
I’m on it!
I love that you post what you’re eating! I know we need to find our own way but it provides me with ideas! I’m off to make some chili to top my zucchini noodles 🙂 And the cauliflower is defrosting for “potato” salad. Thank you for taking the time to post!!! My biggest hindrance to LCing is that I get stuck and lack variety. Boredom is a plan killer!
I’m on day 3 as well. Yesterday, I felt b-a-d. Shaky, weak, light-headed. Didn’t know what was going on with me until I checked Atkin’s book. Completely normal and I am not dying. lol Feeling much better today!!!
Day three is seriously usually the worst. Thankfully, by days four and five, things start looking up again.
I am so glad you’re feeling better.
Thank you. I just made the chili and zucchini. Serious love going on here!!!!
Yeah! I am so glad! I am going to share another way you will like as well! I need to buy another zuke…
@Karen: “I felt b-a-d. Shaky, weak, light-headed.”
These symptoms indicate not enough sodium. To relieve the ‘Atkins flu’ during the first coupla weeks, drink a cup or two of salty broth daily And if you get cramps at night, take magnesium for the 1st month. You won’t have to suffer through or tough it out, which makes sticking to the plan so much easier!
Recipe please!!!
Absolutely! Will do. Thanks!
Yes, please post the zucchini spaghetti recipe. When we go to business lunches at work, we usually go to Champps, and I always get the “Shrimp With Clam Sauce Over Summer Squash.” It looks very similar, and I luuurve it — but it has 26 net carbs, and I’d love to make it a bit lower at home.
I will definitely show you a few ways to prep the veg and an amazingly easy marinara. I’ll have that up very soon!
Yet another request for the zucchini spaghetti recipe pretty please! Being a fairly new low-carb, paleo-type eater I need lots of help for that sort of thing. My family is hankering for pasta and I’m NOT…
Carol, it helps to hear you say that. Sometimes I think, “I wonder if people will think I’m a dope for sharing such an easy recipe.” And then my other self thinks, “But new people read this site, too.” Thank you for speaking up and letting me know which self makes more sense.
Hi! Please post the courgette (zucchini) recipe – mine are just coming into season in Nottinghamshire and I am in need of recipes. Great food blog by the way. X
Perfect, Amy! Will do. I’m working on it now.
All I want to know is what do you slice the zuccini with and can you buy it at Walmart. Also, Little suggestion: if you like the fizz, have you tried drinking carbonated water, or water with gas, as they say in Europe?
Helga, you can use either a potato peeler or a julienne peeler. I’m not sure if WM had the julienne peeler, but I bought mine from amazon.com.
Tell me to be quiet if I am butting in, but it sounds like you are gradually weaning yourself off of sodas. I too had to do that, just because I wanted to. I switched over to the flavored carbonated water. Even with that the flavors were too strong so I watered that down to half, just needed that carbonation! Then after quite some time on those, I switched over to green tea, they are flavored as well! It was hard but now have a diet soda about once or twice a year and no longer crave them. By the way, really enjoyed your chia brownies, thank you!
p.s. Are you kidding about the meat sauce? Yes please, if you would not mind posting it. Looks yummy! Thank you.
Awesome!
You are so not butting in! I am not proud of my soda fixation, but I’m definitely making a slow shift. I love your idea and am thinking about giving it a try. I also love unsweetened iced tea, so that might be another option. Oh. And water. 😛
I did the same thing. I used to buy the orange carbonated water (no sugar or sweeteners) in 12-packs, but it got so expensive that I bit the bullet and bought a sodastream. You still get your water, but the bubbles make it so much better and less boring!
I am a recovered Diet-Coke Aholic! LOL. I drank 8-10 cans a day. Decided to quit cold turkey and have been three years without it. I have to say that have missed it every day of those three years. I know that if I have one I will slip back into drinking way to much of it 24/7. Now I stick to coffee in the am, make my own ice tea and water. It is an addicting thing. Good luck.
Oh and please share your recipe. Thanks.
Thanks for sharing your struggles, too, Lori! Will do.
Admittedly I never had a big soda habit, but what I really prefer now is just sparkling water. Which is weird because I used to hate it. And now I love it. Sometimes, but rarely, I use a very small squirt of MiO “water enhancer”. (This contains Splenda and Ace-K, so I guess that defeats the purpose…)
I love how tastes change. Sparkling water sounds nice! I have hear people really like the Mio. It sounds like yours is another good review!
I would love to know how you made your zuch noodles. I saw them make some on The Chew the other day, but they made them wide and flat with a flat peeler. I like the looks of yours! Our zuchs have slowed down a bit, but we had a pretty unlimited supply for awhile from the garden.
I gave up soda a long time ago (was never a big thing for me) and now it’s mostly water and coffee (I’ll give up the coffee when I give up the ghost). Good luck with your soda withdrawl.
I will post the pasta tomorrow! I am putting the finishing touches on the post now.
I’ve been behind on reading your blog and just found this new challenge. I can’t tell you how much I needed this! I sooo appreciate you sharing all this. Hoping inspiration will come for me!!
It will come for you Kristin. Sometimes you have to take it minute by minute, day by day. Within a week you start to feel like you can do this again! So the inspiration will come; sometimes you just have to give it a nudge.