Lasagna is a classic Italian dish that typically consists of layers of pasta, cheese, meat and/or vegetable fillings, and tomato sauce. It’s a hearty, delicious, and comforting meal. But like many pasta dishes, lasagna can also be high in calories, especially if made with high-fat meats and cheeses.
Vegetable lasagna is often seen as a lower-calorie alternative, using veggies instead of meat. But how many calories are actually in a serving of vegetable lasagna? The answer depends on the specific ingredients used. In this article, we’ll break down the typical calorie counts in vegetable lasagna recipes.
Calories In Pasta
The base of any lasagna is the pasta. Traditional lasagna uses wide, flat lasagna noodles. Depending on the brand, a 2-ounce dry serving of lasagna noodles contains 200-250 calories. Once cooked, that pasta swells in size and one 2-ounce dry serving makes about 1 cup of cooked pasta.
So the pasta in a 9×13 pan of lasagna contributes around 200-250 calories per serving. You can slightly reduce the calories by using thinner noodles like linguine or angel hair pasta. But for the most part, the pasta calories will be fairly consistent no matter what type you use.
Calories In Sauce
The next key component of lasagna is the sauce. Traditional meat lasagna would use a meaty bolognese sauce or a tomato-based sauce. Vegetable lasagna swaps this out for a red sauce relying on vegetables for flavor.
Tomato-based pasta sauce adds around 60-80 calories per 1/2 cup serving. If you make your own sauce, using tomato paste, diced tomatoes, onions, garlic, and seasonings, the calorie count will be on the lower end. Some jarred pasta sauces have added oil, sweeteners, or cream which increases the calorie content.
A vegetable-based sauce gets most of its calories from the olive oil or other fats used to cook the veggies. Limiting oils will keep the calorie count lower. Figure around 50 calories per serving of vegetable sauce.
Calories In Cheese
No lasagna is complete without melted, gooey cheese. Traditional lasagna calls for full-fat ricotta and mozzarella. However, for a veggie lasagna, you can use lower-calorie options.
Part-skim ricotta has about 70 calories per 1/4 cup versus 110 calories in whole milk ricotta. Low-moisture, part-skim mozzarella contains around 80 calories per ounce instead of 110 calories for whole milk mozzarella. Grated parmesan adds another 25 calories per tablespoon.
In total for a 9×13 pan, the cheese contributes about 250-400 calories depending on the types used.
Calories In Vegetables
The vegetables are what make veggie lasagna so much lower in calories than meat lasagna. Leafy greens, mushrooms, peppers, carrots, broccoli and many other veggies have almost negligible calorie counts.
For example, a 1/2 cup of spinach only contains 10 calories. 1/2 cup of broccoli florets has around 15 calories. So loading up the lasagna with vegetables adds nutrients and fiber without spiking calories.
Putting It All Together
Now let’s put all the components together. Here is the calorie breakdown for a standard 9×13 pan of vegetable lasagna:
| Ingredient | Calories |
|---|---|
| Pasta (12 oz dry) | 600 |
| Sauce (4 cups) | 200 |
| Cheese (1 lb) | 400 |
| Vegetables (4 cups) | 100 |
| Total: | 1300 |
For a 9×13 pan that is cut into 12 equal servings, each slice of veggie lasagna contains approximately **108 calories**.
This is just an estimate since ingredients vary between recipes. But it provides a general idea of the calorie content of homemade vegetable lasagna. Let’s compare this to some other common lasagna options:
– Meat lasagna with beef and pork – Around 300 calories per serving
– Chicken lasagna – Around 200 calories per serving
– Seafood lasagna with shrimp – Around 175 calories per serving
So at 108 calories per serving, vegetable lasagna is one of the lightest lasagna options you can make. It provides all the comfort that lasagna offers without the high calorie count of meat variations.
Ways To Reduce Calories Further
If you want to lighten up vegetable lasagna even more, there are a few easy ways to cut calories:
– Use no-boil noodles instead of traditional pasta. They reduce the amount of oil needed for cooking.
– Choose low-fat dairy options like fat-free ricotta and part-skim mozzarella.
– Use pumpkin puree or white beans to add thickness to the sauce instead of higher fat dairy.
– Increase the proportion of vegetables to pasta and cheese. Load up on spinach, broccoli, mushrooms and other veggies.
– Replace some of the cheese layer with roasted vegetables like eggplant or zucchini.
– Opt for tomato sauce instead of cream-based sauce to save calories.
– Use lean ground turkey instead of fatty beef in meat lasagna.
With some minor tweaks, it’s possible to make a serving of vegetable lasagna with only around 90-100 calories. The possibilities are endless for lightening it up!
Nutrition Benefits Of Vegetable Lasagna
At less than 110 calories per serving, vegetable lasagna makes for a healthy main dish option. Here are some of the key nutrition benefits it provides:
– High in fiber from the vegetables and pasta. This promotes good digestion.
– Packed with vitamins and minerals from multiple servings of veggies per piece. Spinach provides Vitamin A, C, K, iron, and folate for example.
– Contains calcium from the cheese and protein from part-skim dairy options.
– Red or tomato-based sauce offers antioxidants like lycopene which may reduce disease risks.
– Low in saturated fat, especially if using low-fat dairy products. Much less fat compared to meat lasagna.
– No cholesterol since it contains no meat or animal fat.
So veggie lasagna made with healthy choices gives you a well-rounded meal. It can be a nutritious option even for weight loss or heart health diets due to its low calorie and fat contents.
Tips For Serving Vegetable Lasagna
Vegetable lasagna makes a fantastic healthy meal for the whole family. Here are some tips for serving it:
– Allow lasagna to rest for 15-20 minutes before cutting so the slices hold their shape nicely.
– Add a green salad and garlic bread for a complete Italian-style dinner.
– For kids who won’t eat veggies, try blending sauteed vegetables into the sauce.
– Use cookie cutters to make fun shaped lasagna slices.
– Top with extra shredded cheese, parsley, or red pepper flakes for garnish.
– Let any uneaten lasagna cool completely before storing covered in the fridge for 3-4 days.
– Lasagna freezes very well for up to 3 months. Wrap tightly in foil or plastic before freezing.
– Reheat frozen lasagna still wrapped at 350F for 45 minutes to an hour until hot in the center.
– Individual lasagna portions can be frozen in ramekins for easy grab-and-go meals.
Vegetable lasagna reheats beautifully so leftovers can feed you all week long. It’s simple to make ahead for quick weeknight dinners or to feed a crowd at potlucks.
Full Vegetable Lasagna Recipe
Here is a tasty vegetable lasagna recipe to try at home:
Ingredients:
– 12 lasagna noodles
– 1 tablespoon olive oil
– 1 yellow onion, diced
– 3 cloves garlic, minced
– 2 carrots, peeled and shredded
– 1 pound mushrooms, sliced
– 2 (15-ounce) cans no-salt-added crushed tomatoes
– 1 (8-ounce) can no-salt-added tomato sauce
– 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
– 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
– 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
– 1 (15-ounce) container part-skim ricotta cheese
– 1 egg
– 3 cups baby spinach, roughly chopped
– 4 cups low-moisture part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded
Instructions:
1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles per package directions until al dente. Drain and rinse noodles with cold water.
2. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook 3-5 minutes until translucent. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more.
3. Add carrots, mushrooms, crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, basil, oregano, and pepper. Simmer 15-20 minutes until thickened.
4. Preheat oven to 375°F. Spread a spoonful of sauce over bottom of a 9×13 baking dish. Top with 4 noodles.
5. In a bowl mix ricotta, egg, and spinach. Spread half the ricotta mixture over noodles. Top with 1 cup mozzarella.
6. Add another layer each of sauce, noodles, ricotta mixture, and mozzarella.
7. Finish with a final layer of sauce and remaining mozzarella.
8. Cover tightly with foil. Bake 45 minutes until hot and bubbly. Uncover and bake 10 minutes more.
9. Let lasagna rest 15 minutes before cutting and serving.
This veggie lasagna is hearty, healthy and loaded with nutrition in every bite. Adjust the vegetables according to what you have on hand. Layering the ingredients helps keep the pasta from drying out when reheating leftovers.
Common Questions
Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about vegetable lasagna nutrition:
How many calories are in lasagna at a restaurant?
Restaurant or frozen lasagna tends to be higher in calories than homemade, often ranging from 500-800 calories per serving. The extra calories come from using full-fat cheese, sizable meat portions, large amounts of oil, and calorie-dense sauces. Stick to homemade veggie lasagna for the lightest options.
What is the healthiest lasagna recipe?
The healthiest lasagna uses part-skim dairy, lots of vegetables, and limits the amount of pasta and oil. Replace some noodles with extra spinach or mushrooms for even more nutrition. Turkey or vegetarian “meat” crumbles can sub for half the ground beef.
Is cheese or meat lasagna healthier?
Surprisingly, cheese lasagna can be healthier than meat lasagna if you use low-fat dairy options. Meat lasagna relies heavily on high-fat ground beef or sausage which drives up calories, saturated fat, and cholesterol. Stick to leaner proteins like turkey or beans.
Is lasagna high in carbs?
Lasagna can be moderately high in carbs, mainly from the pasta noodles. An average serving has around 45-55g of carbs. But this is offset by the high vegetable and protein content. Whole grain or veggie noodles can lower the carbs too.
Can lasagna be frozen and reheated?
Yes, lasagna freezes wonderfully for up to 3 months. Let cool completely before freezing in an airtight container. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating in a 350° oven until hot, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. The key is to reheat fully until the center is piping hot.
Conclusion
When made with lots of vegetables and part-skim dairy, homemade vegetable lasagna clocks in right around 100 calories per serving. This makes it a nutritious choice that doesn’t weigh down your diet. Be sure to watch portion sizes as lasagna is easy to overeat! Stick to one modest square with a salad as a complete meal.
If trying to lose weight, be mindful of other high calorie sides like buttery garlic bread or alcohol that can sabotage an otherwise healthy dinner. Made with care, vegetable lasagna can be a regular part of a healthy diet that still feels indulgent. Enjoy this hearty Italian classic guilt-free by lightening it up with veggies.
