THIS is what a serving of pasta looks like...
Replies
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The only thing sadder is learning the correct serving size of peanut butter
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sugaraddict4321 wrote: »What's interesting is how the same company varies serving sizes depending on the market. In the USA, a standard serving of pasta is 2 oz dry (56 grams). In western Europe, the standard serving size on the box is 85 grams - or just over 3 oz - if there's even a serving size listed. I wonder why they change up serving size depending on the market?
Often the food labels in Europe only give info per 100 grams, so you don't know what a "recommended" serving size is. However, at least that makes tracking very easy because it's all metric and if you weigh your food in grams it's easy to figure out how much you're consuming.
Here are two images of a very popular pasta brand as an example
USA:
Europe:
Also notice that in the USA they measure in milligrams of sodium, whereas in western Europe they use grams of salt. The RDA for salt in Europe is higher than in the US. A gram of salt contains about 413 mg of sodium.
For us, in Italy a serving size of pasta is 100g. Then you add your sauce, vegetables, seafood, meat, legumes, etc. I cook for 3 men everyday and almost always make pasta (I've learned a million ways--without meat, because my husband doesn't eat meat, except for fish). I prefer a half portion for myself--50g. Everyone in the family is a normal weight or thin. Pasta is a staple here, and I always chuckle at the pasta threads on MFP. They are so alarming. Pasta in the correct proportions does not make you fat. There...I finally said it.20 -
I think 2 oz is a reasonable amount, as I don't eat pasta alone. With a bunch of veg, some meat, maybe salad on the side, it is part of a satisfying meal for me.
Before I weighed food, I'd eyeball pasta and end up making more than I wanted (it obviously looks like less before cooked, which is what messed me up), and then I'd eat it anyway since it doesn't save that well. Not doing that anymore and realizing I'm satisfied with 2 oz has been helpful for me, and I still have pasta when I want.9 -
Yeah, scary isn't it? To think I used to eat big bowls of pasta without a second thought. Nowadays I prefer spaghetti squash- a lot less calories, a lot less carbs, and I can eat a bowl of it without guilt. Think I'll make it this weekend.
The portion sizes are just out of control, especially in restaurants. I'm pretty sure the servings are triple if not quadruple in size.6 -
I remember first measuring that out years ago and it being so depressing
Skip forward to today and my pasta dinner last night: 3 oz of whole wheat pasta (more filling for me), 1 cup of fresh spinach mixed in along with tvp, sauce and nutritional yeast. Super filling and filled with great nutrients. Love it!5 -
snowflake954 wrote: »sugaraddict4321 wrote: »What's interesting is how the same company varies serving sizes depending on the market. In the USA, a standard serving of pasta is 2 oz dry (56 grams). In western Europe, the standard serving size on the box is 85 grams - or just over 3 oz - if there's even a serving size listed. I wonder why they change up serving size depending on the market?
Often the food labels in Europe only give info per 100 grams, so you don't know what a "recommended" serving size is. However, at least that makes tracking very easy because it's all metric and if you weigh your food in grams it's easy to figure out how much you're consuming.
Here are two images of a very popular pasta brand as an example
USA:
Europe:
Also notice that in the USA they measure in milligrams of sodium, whereas in western Europe they use grams of salt. The RDA for salt in Europe is higher than in the US. A gram of salt contains about 413 mg of sodium.
For us, in Italy a serving size of pasta is 100g. Then you add your sauce, vegetables, seafood, meat, legumes, etc. I cook for 3 men everyday and almost always make pasta (I've learned a million ways--without meat, because my husband doesn't eat meat, except for fish). I prefer a half portion for myself--50g. Everyone in the family is a normal weight or thin. Pasta is a staple here, and I always chuckle at the pasta threads on MFP. They are so alarming. Pasta in the correct proportions does not make you fat. There...I finally said it.
Om nom nom! Pasta made with love! I wish I could get the right ingredients here. Actually, I might cook pasta alla gricia tomorrow, even though the quality of pecorino here is a bit sad, and I can't get ceropegia. I'll improvise with what I can get
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sammidelvecchio wrote: »The only thing sadder is learning the correct serving size of peanut butter
Yea - true - but Peanut butter doesn't actually count if you eat it from a spoon - only if you spread it on bread or crackers10 -
Great info!!!0
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just_Tomek wrote: »Keto_Vampire wrote: »Never been a fan of grains for this reason - very calorie dense food.
Would opt for higher volume yet still satisfying carbs like rice & potatoes
...but rice is a grain...
Pretty sure what he is getting it is that grains are along the same lines. Calories for amount you get, not worth it.
Grains are well worth it, in my opinion, because I find them very filling. They're more filling than skinless chicken breast, which has a higher calorie density than many grains and is often not worth it if it wasn't for the protein.7 -
A serving is just whatever the manufacturer decided to put on the label. I would only eat 210 calories of pasta as a side...210 calories of pasta wouldn't constitute a meal for me.4
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just_Tomek wrote: »Keto_Vampire wrote: »Never been a fan of grains for this reason - very calorie dense food.
Would opt for higher volume yet still satisfying carbs like rice & potatoes
...but rice is a grain...
Pretty sure what he is getting it is that grains are along the same lines. Calories for amount you get, not worth it.
The quote clearly is intending to distinguish rice from grains.
Whether one finds rice more satisfying than other grains or potatoes more satisfying than grains is a personal thing. I find pasta as satisfying as rice for the calories. I tend to find potatoes more filling for the calories, but I also like having a variety of starchy carb options, so still enjoy pasta and rice and various other options too.
I don't get the idea that the amount of pasta in a 2 oz serving isn't worth it, but again that's a personal thing and people can differ.11 -
Maybe don't put it in a 3-4+ cup serving bowl? Then it won't look like quite so pathetically little.
I eat a 2 oz dry measured spaghetti portion ( ~5.65 oz or so cooked) with 6 oz of meat sauce and fresh grated Parmesan in a regular (i.e., not special or child sized) 7.5" diameter soup/cereal bowl (8 oz liquid capacity, 20 oz if impractically overflowed to the rim). It always looks like plenty to me when I make, serve, and eat it.
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grinning_chick wrote: »Maybe don't put it in a 3-4+ cup serving bowl? Then it won't look like quite so pathetically little.
I eat a 2 oz dry measured spaghetti portion ( ~5.65 oz or so cooked) with 6 oz of meat sauce and fresh grated Parmesan in a regular (i.e., not special or child sized) 7.5" diameter cereal bowl (8 oz liquid capacity, 20 oz if impractically overflowed to the rim). It always looks like plenty to me when I make, serve, and eat it.
Alternatively, have 3 or 4 oz of pasta with a leaner sauce, whichever makes the meal more enjoyable.9 -
@ecjim I like the way you think! But it could get me in trouble.... LOL1
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Yes! It's crazy how little some things end up being!
I always load up my pasta dishes with lots and lots and lots of veggies (one of my favorites is a mediterranean pasta dish - roast zucchini, onion, garlic, tomato, +/- broccoli; some feta cheese, some black olives, a dash of olive oil, some fresh chopped basil or cilantro, some salt; you could easily add in some chicken, canned tuna, or baked fish of your preference!), which helps.
Sometimes it's so much that I end up splitting it in half and saving some for lunch the next day, so that single serving of pasta goes a long way!
I've also got a spiralizer, and with zucchini coming back into season shortly (hooray!), I'm looking forward to all the zuke pasta dishes. Zucchini + marinara and veggie meatballs, or alfredo sauce, or cheese sauce with onion and garlic.... mmm, I can't wait. =] You can eat oodles of that stuff for a fraction of the calories!4 -
It's funny because we often tell people to weigh their pasta and that they'll likely be disappointed when they see serving sizes weighed, but when someone does just that and posts about their results it seems like everyone just wants to argue with the point of the post.
I remember the first time I cooked 2 ounces of pasta by dry weight and I was similarly disappointed. Did I find ways around it so that I still include pasta in my diet? Sure did. But not everyone is going to find it worth the calories and it was absolutely an eye opener for me the first time I did it. I'm glad @NCK96 posted and hopefully others who are just starting out will see it and recognize the importance of weighing their portions, too.22 -
Yep, when I was first diagnosed with diabetes learning the size of a serving of pasta was very depressing! Especially since when I was growing up my family always ate about three times what a typical American would put on a plate. Like, a whole package of spaghetti per person. My husband was legit horrified the first time he ate with my folks, asked for half the amount my mother served us, and then used to sneakily throw most of it away.
With diabetes I’m limited by the number of carbs so I can’t just solve the problem by having two or three servings. One serving of wheat pasta is about as much as I can tolerate without spiking my glucose levels, and i can’t have anything like garlic bread as a side. And some places put a lot of sugar in marinara sauce which can also be a problem. However, I’ve learned to have a large salad and a side of spinach, sometimes a side of cottage cheese if I’m really hungry, and extra meatballs! These days I feel quite satisfied with a portion of pasta which would have made me cry two years ago.2 -
diannethegeek wrote: »It's funny because we often tell people to weigh their pasta and that they'll likely be disappointed when they see serving sizes weighed, but when someone does just that and posts about their results it seems like everyone just wants to argue with the point of the post.
I remember the first time I cooked 2 ounces of pasta by dry weight and I was similarly disappointed. Did I find ways around it so that I still include pasta in my diet? Sure did. But not everyone is going to find it worth the calories and it was absolutely an eye opener for me the first time I did it. I'm glad @NCK96 posted and hopefully others who are just starting out will see it and recognize the importance of weighing their portions, too.
You must be new here.
(yes. I know she isn't.)7 -
snowflake954 wrote: »sugaraddict4321 wrote: »What's interesting is how the same company varies serving sizes depending on the market. In the USA, a standard serving of pasta is 2 oz dry (56 grams). In western Europe, the standard serving size on the box is 85 grams - or just over 3 oz - if there's even a serving size listed. I wonder why they change up serving size depending on the market?
Often the food labels in Europe only give info per 100 grams, so you don't know what a "recommended" serving size is. However, at least that makes tracking very easy because it's all metric and if you weigh your food in grams it's easy to figure out how much you're consuming.
Here are two images of a very popular pasta brand as an example
USA:
Europe:
Also notice that in the USA they measure in milligrams of sodium, whereas in western Europe they use grams of salt. The RDA for salt in Europe is higher than in the US. A gram of salt contains about 413 mg of sodium.
For us, in Italy a serving size of pasta is 100g. Then you add your sauce, vegetables, seafood, meat, legumes, etc. I cook for 3 men everyday and almost always make pasta (I've learned a million ways--without meat, because my husband doesn't eat meat, except for fish). I prefer a half portion for myself--50g. Everyone in the family is a normal weight or thin. Pasta is a staple here, and I always chuckle at the pasta threads on MFP. They are so alarming. Pasta in the correct proportions does not make you fat. There...I finally said it.
Om nom nom! Pasta made with love! I wish I could get the right ingredients here. Actually, I might cook pasta alla gricia tomorrow, even though the quality of pecorino here is a bit sad, and I can't get ceropegia. I'll improvise with what I can get
Today I made pasta with crab. I boiled 500g of linguine al dente, and heated up olive oil, threw in a peeled garlic clove, crab claws in pieces, pepper flakes, a can of peeled tomatoes, and salt. It was fantastic. This amount was for 3 men and myself.8 -
This is why, when I eat pasta, I make sure I have room in my calories for 2-3 servings!10
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It does show why you need to weigh your food. Eyeballing and guessing what a portion looks like and how many calories to log just doesn't work10
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All those calories for just that and that’s not included the toppings/dressings. Hell naw.
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That tiny serving of pasta goes a long way when you add roasted veggies, spinach, tomatoes, spiralized veggie noodles, herbs and spices. I have learned to eat a half cup portion of grain or pasta and bulk up my meal by adding low calorie, high nutrition extras. Adding a little olive oil helps make it satisfying, too.7
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sugaraddict4321 wrote: »What's interesting is how the same company varies serving sizes depending on the market. In the USA, a standard serving of pasta is 2 oz dry (56 grams). In western Europe, the standard serving size on the box is 85 grams - or just over 3 oz - if there's even a serving size listed. I wonder why they change up serving size depending on the market?
Often the food labels in Europe only give info per 100 grams, so you don't know what a "recommended" serving size is. However, at least that makes tracking very easy because it's all metric and if you weigh your food in grams it's easy to figure out how much you're consuming.
Here are two images of a very popular pasta brand as an example
USA:
Europe:
Also notice that in the USA they measure in milligrams of sodium, whereas in western Europe they use grams of salt. The RDA for salt in Europe is higher than in the US. A gram of salt contains about 413 mg of sodium.
In Australia most of our pasta packets list 125g as the serving size. I checked my Barilla though and it's 85g here too. Such a difference!
I usually just eat 50g-75g and add it to a big bowl of beans and vegetables in sauce.1 -
Bleh, sorry typed grain, meant wheatKeto_Vampire wrote: »Never been a fan of grains for this reason - very calorie dense food.
Would opt for higher volume yet still satisfying carbs like rice & potatoes
...but rice is a grain...
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kristingjertsen wrote: »That tiny serving of pasta goes a long way when you add roasted veggies, spinach, tomatoes, spiralized veggie noodles, herbs and spices. I have learned to eat a half cup portion of grain or pasta and bulk up my meal by adding low calorie, high nutrition extras. Adding a little olive oil helps make it satisfying, too.
Yeah, it's quite filling IMO with a sauce with lots of veg and some protein source. I think people have portion distortion to some degree, but one of the things I was pleasantly surprised by was how satisfied I was by the 2 oz serving. I don't find that my pasta meals have more calories than any other dinner.8 -
Once you start regularly eating the recommended serving size you'll either adjust to feeling full and satisfied after the 2 oz or you can have 3 oz to feel satisfied and have the extra cals. You'll find what works for you
Keep it up!!4 -
sugaraddict4321 wrote: »What's interesting is how the same company varies serving sizes depending on the market. In the USA, a standard serving of pasta is 2 oz dry (56 grams). In western Europe, the standard serving size on the box is 85 grams - or just over 3 oz - if there's even a serving size listed. I wonder why they change up serving size depending on the market?
Often the food labels in Europe only give info per 100 grams, so you don't know what a "recommended" serving size is. However, at least that makes tracking very easy because it's all metric and if you weigh your food in grams it's easy to figure out how much you're consuming.
Having lived all my life in Europe, my mindset has always been on the 100g nutritional information. That allows me to do a transparent and straightforward comparison.
Here, "serving sizes" from manufacturers are optional information that they sometimes print on their labels/boxes, but I disregard them. Personally, I never cared about those suggestions, not even now that I'm watching my caloric intake and weighting food.
I'm a grown woman, I can decide on a daily basis what quantity of a given food I'm going to eat.
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I have retired my Philips Pasta Maker indefinitely.4
This discussion has been closed.
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