Low Calorie Pasta Salad
Make ahead and chill this low calorie pasta salad for your next potluck!
Attending social events, parties, or neighborhood BBQ’s is part of summer. I never want to get to the point where I avoid socializing because the food FOMO is so overwhelming. In fact, I don’t just want to attend the parties, I also want to eat food with my friends and family!
There is a way that you can enjoy food while socializing and still meet your weight loss goals. When you are invited to a summer BBQ or potluck, it’s always a good idea to bring a dish that serves two purposes.
- One, that it tastes great and everyone loves it.
- And second, that you can have at least one dish at the party that supports your weight loss goals.
This pasta salad covers both. Everyone loves it AND you’ll have something healthy to eat for yourself.
What makes this pasta salad low calorie is to use the light version of Italian dressing, and add as many low calorie veggies like cauliflower as possible.
Low calorie pasta substitutions!
While I made this pasta salad with traditional pasta, you can lower the calories significantly by selecting some of these pasta substitutes!
- Healthy Noodle (a new gluten free product at Costco that is only 25 calories per serving!)
- Livivia – another low calorie, gluten free pasta for 15 calories per serving!
The Low Calorie Pasta Salad Recipe:
Low Calorie Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 6 ounces wacky mac pasta
- 1 cup small black olives, pitted
- 1 medium cucumber
- 1 head chopped cauliflower
- 2 medium tomatoes
- 1 medium green bell pepper
- 1 medium red bell pepper
- 2 ounces crumbled feta cheese
- 3/4 cup Italian dressing
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions
- Chop veggies
- Mix all ingredients together and chill for 2-4 hours.
- serve cold
Nutrition
I’ve made this pasta salad twice now, and both times I loved it so much that I ate it for days following the activity. We made it to bring to girls camp for one of our lunches. All the girls ate it and loved it.
The second time I made it was for a Sunday night dinner. I should have made it for our neighborhood 4th of July BBQ, but I made potato salad instead, since we had all those ingredients already.
And that’s it! Let me know if you try this low calorie pasta salad and if it was well received by others. And don’t forget. Rather than avoiding social situations, embrace them as an opportunity to share a healthy dish with your friends and family. Also, let it be a chance to practice being around food without feeling like you have to eat it all!
READ NEXT –> 31 Clean Eating Dinner Ideas for the Whole Family
Thanks for this recipe! Have been looking for tasty low calorie salad options, and this checks all boxes! Did you make the Italian dressing at home or was it store bought? If you made it at home, can you please help share the recipe? Thanks!
It was store bought! I’ve been loving the Olive Garden Light Italian dressing. Very low calories!
Loved this salad. So good.
I love, love, love pasta salad and can’t wait to try this! Thanks for the great recipe!
So easy and fresh!
Great recipe! Will definitely make again!
Cannot wait to make this! I love that it is low calorie!
This is going to become our go to pasta salad this summer!
Can’t wait to try this!
I love pasta salad and really need this lower calorie option. Will be looking for that pasta!
This was delicious and super easy to make!!
Love an easy pasta salad and low calorie is even better!
Love this! I also added some sausage for extra protein. This a great lunch or light dinner especially after a good workout. Perfect for those work from home folks!
I am in Australia and I am trying to find a low calorie pasta that I can use. The only veggie pasta here is approx 200cals per serve
Hi! For this pasta salad, the pasta was almost 200 calories. The low calorie pastas I spoke about however, I have heard of people getting it in Australia. Looks for SHIRATAKI PASTA at any of your grocery stores. Here’s an Amazon option. https://www.amazon.com.au/Miracle-Noodle-Shirataki-Spinach-7-Ounce/dp/B007JINB0W
YUMMY!!
Hi there. I know you say serves 6. What does that equate to? Hoping to avoid portioning it out 🙂 just made it and it looks fantastic!
Hi Nicole! It makes in total a little over 6 cups, so each, 1 cup serving should be equivalent to 73 calories!
Thank you! It was so delicious