Cauliflower Mac ‘n’ Cheese

Classic mac ‘n’ cheese is a favorite among college kids. One way to enjoy this cheesy, warm meal while still eating healthily is to substitute cauliflower for noodles. Cauliflower is rich in vitamins and minerals; it contains roughly 70 percent of an average person’s recommended daily Vitamin C. Substituting is easy — simply boil the cauliflower until it is tender, then prepare a traditional macaroni and cheese sauce to go with it. You get the cheesy taste you crave with the added bonus of getting your vegetables.

Spiralized Squashor Zucchini

This swap is surprisingly easy and delicious. Using a spiralizer tool, such as the Zoodle or the Veggiti, one can turn vegetables into noodle-like strands. The spiralizer can be used on zucchini, squash, potatoes, cucumbers, carrots and other hearty vegetables. This device allows you to easily incorporate healthy vegetables into your diet. Though many vegetables can be spiralized, using zucchini or squash will give you the most pasta-like result. Once the vegetables have been made into noodle form, they simply have to be fried or boiled and then served with any type of topping or sauce.

Quinoa

Though often thought of as a grain, quinoa is a type of seed. It is high in protein, magnesium, fiber and iron, and has a delightful nutty taste too. There are three main types of quinoa seeds: black, white and red. It is best to try white quinoa when you want a pasta-like dish because it has the most neutral flavor. Before cooking quinoa, be sure to rinse it thoroughly. Add the quinoa to a pot of water with a little bit of salt and bring it to a boil. Once it is boiling, turn the heat to the lowest setting and cook the quinoa for 15 minutes. Then cover the pot and remove it from the heat for five additional minutes. The quinoa should turn out fluffy and ready to eat, or it can be topped with your favorite pasta sauce.

Eggplant Lasagna

Lasagna, traditionally a hearty pasta dish, can be made even better by transforming it into a healthier, noodle-less dish. Eggplant contains a lot of fiber, which is good for regulating your digestive system. To use it in place of lasagna noodles, thinly slice the eggplant into thin slices, coat the slices with cooking oil spray and put them in the oven for about 10 minutes at 400 degrees. Flip the slices over and cook for an additional 10 minutes. Then the slices will be ready to be put in the lasagna.

A version of this article appeared in the Tuesday, Feb. 17 print edition. Email Amanda Morris at [email protected].