Pasta, how I loathe thee...

Mischievous_Rascal

What a timely post - I had pasta last night for the 1st time since starting to use MFP. I also weighed the pasta after cooking and was sad to see the amount that was 2 oz. I'll weigh pre-cooking next time. 2oz cooked was so sad I upped it to 4 oz cooked (counted the calories, but perhaps I put too many since the measure should have been dry) and was satisfied - although it tasted so good I'd have loved to have more, but I resisted. I put a chicken breast and some sauce with it. Would have had a side salad, but my calories for the day wouldn't allow for more.

Sorry, but that last sentence is just nuts to me. A cup or so of homemade salad with a half tablespoon of dressing is about 50-60 calories. If you're still hungry have a salad. Even use "light" dressing if you have to. Moderation is key, not over restriction.

OP: I usually eat 1.5 servings of pasta and just bulk up my sauce with lots of meat and veg. That's my dinner tonight, actually.

shrinkingshreya

I could never, ever give up pasta. Most of my life I ate it 4 times a week I scaled it back to 2 times a week and I usually eat a 4 oz portion and fit it into my daily goals. But your right! It is sadly small when you eat it in moderation. I knew deep down inside I could never give it up so I found a way to make it fit into my goals.

HeidiCooksSupper

One way to make pasta go further is to toss it with vegetables. While the pasta is boiling, saute veggies like mushrooms, bell pepper (I like red but green or any other color is fine), etc., and add them to bulk up the pasta. Another trick is to throw some green beans or other frozen veg in with the pasta part way through the boiling so the pasta and veggie mix is ready at the same time.

Lately, I've been experimenting with making fresh pasta that replaces some of the flour with beans. My most recent batch of orrecchietti made with chick peas, spinach, egg, and whole wheat flour worked out pretty well and has about 3/4 the calories and carbs of regular spinach pasta. And, no, it doesn't taste very much of beans.

sheedy17

Have you ever tried spaghetti squash? Much healthier and you really can't tell the difference, its a nice sub for pasta fans

elisa123gal

rice and pasta are in the same boat… about the same amount of calories per 2 ounces uncooked. I just use that small amount or just don't eat it. sad i know.

WaterBunnie

100g dried pasta is around 350 calories. I have that as a portion sometimes - not so bad when you've earned exercise calories for it.

SteampunkSongbird

Weigh it dry. The increase in weight for pasta/rice is just water, which doesn't affect calories, so weighing before is the accurate way. I think a standard portion of pasta is about 70-100g (dry); since learning about portion control, I discovered I was eating over double the amount of pasta I ought to have been!

Creiddylad

I did 'Slimming World' a couple of years back and on their plan you could eat as much pasta as you liked. Just the pasta that is - not the sauces/cheese or whatever that goes with it. I could never get my head around that - how it could be unlimited on their plan and classed as a 'free food' but it is? You have to follow certain rules and guidelines about your overall day's food intake and what you eat alongside the pasta, but yes - the pasta itself is not restricted.

I lost weight too! Didn't stick with it though - going to the classes and the weigh ins etc., it just wasn't my thing,

wizzybeth

Actually I read that 2oz of dry pasta = about 5 oz cooked. This thread may help:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/216638-uncooked-pasta-to-cooked-pasta

BusyRaeNOTBusty

Yes you are supposed to weigh it dry but that's of course difficult when you are cooking for a family, unless you want to cook your portion separate.

This is useful, it tells you the approximate cooked volume for the dry weight for each pasta type:

http://www.barilla.com/faq?p=measuring

Captain_Wobbles

embrace the pasta OP. I'll take death before i give up pasta. pic related:


last months 900+ calories of glory so good i didnt even use a plate. And I STILL met my macros

ddkphotos

I've learned to make and eat spaghetti squash... if you tell yourself enough times it tastes just like pasta then you might believe it... But the calorie and carb count make it so that I'm never going back to the real deal...

baileysmom4

I can't do the spaghetti squash but love to make zuchini noodles with a julienne peeler. Comes out about the same as spaghetti noodles. Then I have one serving of the pasta and as much zuchini noodles as I want mixed with it. Can't hardly tell the difference between the squash and the pasta. I even use zuchini to make lasagna and its better than real lasagna with noodles!

BoxerBrawler

Having a Sicilian mother who is an amazing cook you can imagine that I grew up eating pasta with loads of Italian bread A LOT!

The problem I have with pasta is the fact that I am hungry again and craving more carbohydrates right after I eat it, regardless of how much I eat. The same holds true (for me) with cereal, oatmeal, bread, rice, etc.

I only have it once in a great while and honestly I don't really miss it, or how it makes me feel. My head and mouth are like YUM but my body says NO!

I too ramp up my gravy (for you Italians that know it's gravy and not sauce!), with many fresh veggies, herbs, spices and lean meats... the way a proper gravy should be. Sometimes I skip the pasta entirely and just eat the gravy, yum! I also would consider pasta as a small side dish vs. a main meal. I'd rather have meat and veggies.... maybe a couple of bites of pasta on the side once in a while.

MysteriousMerlin

Weight it dry!

Also, this is awesome: http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/fettuccine-alfredo-00420000014471/

JTick

Have you ever tried spaghetti squash? Much healthier and you really can't tell the difference, its a nice sub for pasta fans

No.

Pasta is this awesome, delicious food that brings happiness into my heart. Squash is a gross vegetable that needs to be extinct. :sick:

BoxerBrawler

Have you ever tried spaghetti squash? Much healthier and you really can't tell the difference, its a nice sub for pasta fans

No.

Pasta is this awesome, delicious food that brings happiness into my heart. Squash is a gross vegetable that needs to be extinct. :sick:

I have made zoodles and pasta out of vegetables, I've made cauliflower crust and zucchini crust pizza. I have eaten miracle noodles as well. The problem with those items is the eater always goes into it expecting it to be exactly like the real thing. It's not... sure, it's a healthy alternative but for me personally if I want pasta or pizza and I try to substitute it just leaves me feeling even less satisfied than before.

BigT555

Have you ever tried spaghetti squash? Much healthier and you really can't tell the difference, its a nice sub for pasta fans

No.

Pasta is this awesome, delicious food that brings happiness into my heart. Squash is a gross vegetable that needs to be extinct. :sick:

I have made zoodles and pasta out of vegetables, I've made cauliflower crust and zucchini crust pizza. I have eaten miracle noodles as well. The problem with those items is the eater always goes into it expecting it to be exactly like the real thing. It's not... sure, it's a healthy alternative but for me personally if I want pasta or pizza and I try to substitute it just leaves me feeling even less satisfied than before.

this
dont replace, reduce

Supertact

Dry. It says it.

KylaDenay

You would weigh it dry. Every time I have weighed out my single 2 ounce portion of pasta it usually fits in a 1 cup measuring cup when cooked.

I also eat 1.5 servings of it. I like to get the barilla plus or market pantry plus since it has more protein. I seem to be okay with that portion when it is paired up with meatballs/meat sauce and veggies/salad.

LessHeavyVeggie

Have you tried courgetti spaghetti? (aka. zucchini noodles but doesn't sound as cool)

- Thin strips of courgette/zucchini in place of the spaghetti. Hugely lower in calories but same effect. I've had this a few times and it works really well. Use whatever sauce/veggies etc. you want with it. Some have it raw, but I prefer to sauté it with my other veggies/sauce. You can get fancy equipment or just use a peeler or a box grater like this:



Original post: http://www.topwithcinnamon.com/2013/06/lazy-girls-zucchini-spaghetti-no-fancy-tools-required-with-peas-creme-fraiche-and-pesto.html

Or just have a smaller amount of pasta (weigh it dry) and bulk it up with veggies - my thinking has now changed to think of it as veggies with some pasta, instead of pasta with some veggies.

Naughty_ZOOT

I can't eat pasta because the grains spike my blood sugars so here are the things I do:

1. Spaghetti squash-cut in half and nuke in microwave upside down on a plate until soft.
2. Kelp Noodles -can eat raw as they come (shelf stable) or drop in boiling water for 2-3 min. Very neutral. Raw=crunchy texture and remind me of Easter grass by the way that they are all tangled up. Gluten free and preservative free. Find in health food stores or on Amazon.
Gold Mine brand
4 ounce serving contains:
6 calories, 0 fat, 0 cholesterol, 35 sodium, 1 carbohydrate, 1 fiber so 0 net carbs, 0 protein, 15% calcium and 4% iron
3. Zucchini shredded (courgettes in Europe)- see post by LessHeavyVegg showing that idea.

lemurcat12

One way to make pasta go further is to toss it with vegetables. While the pasta is boiling, saute veggies like mushrooms, bell pepper (I like red but green or any other color is fine), etc., and add them to bulk up the pasta.

I don't think of it as adding vegetables to the pasta, but always make sauces that include vegetables. Personally, I've always considered the pasta as more of an excuse for the tasty sauce (and made my own sauce) anyway, so I never see the problem with fitting pasta into my plan.

Super fast meal is just to sauté a variety of vegetables in olive oil, add some meat (I like smoked salmon, and shrimp is also an easy choice) and other extras (olives or pine nuts are common ones I might use) and top the pasta with it. Add a sprinkling of the cheese of your choice, if you like.

I also like a slower cooked plain tomato or meat sauce, and definitely add greens to the plain tomato one and lots of vegetables (zucchini, cauliflower, spinach, whatever is around, plus the more standard carrots, onions, peppers cut finely) to the meat sauce. One benefit is the sauce makes about twice as much and really doesn't have that many calories. Sure, sometimes I add the same sauces to winter squash -- I tend to use butternut or acorn -- but I see no reason why pasta would not be a good option as long as one sticks to a reasonable amount of it, of course.

timrpm

Good portion of pasta, nice and filling. It's the creamy sauces and masses of fatty meats on top which are deadly. Try a tomato garlic and herb sauce you can make for almost no time and money

Try wholewheat pasta. Bit more filling I find. And all pasta is good carb loading for those long runs.

Alternative filling foods - scrambled eggs. Any lean protein.

hj1119

The serving info is usually given for raw which is why your portion looks tiny. I was making this mistake in my logging. Generally speaking, 2 oz raw = 4 oz cooked. It's not as bad as you think.

This is nice to see. It's not as bad as I thought, but phew!

amandzor

For these reasons, I do not pasta.

I love it, but it's just not worth the calories.

Bustergirl14

I'm carb counting, working with a nutritionist, on doctor's orders to avoid becoming diabetic. There aren't any foods I can't eat per se, but working with a daily guideline of 45 carbs for each of my 3 meals a day and two 15 carb snacks per day. One cup of cooked spaghetti is my entire carb allowance for a meal so I have only had spaghetti twice in the last almost 3 months. Spaghetti squash is a good substitute.

curlygirl513

I know exactly what you mean! There's no way I could have just ONE tiny serving. I had to cut it out completely except for rare occasions.

Pasta is absolutely wonderful to eat. And yet when you are in a food program to lose weight and you have to face reality and see what constitutes an actual "serving" of pasta, well speaking for me, I choke up and am near to tears.

What a puny bit! Two ounces of spaghetti for 210 calories. I'm going to have to try having a couple servings with a healthy sauce soon. I'll see if I regret it too.

rides4sanity

I go for the 50/50 mix of spaghetti & spaghetti squash. Gives it better texture & taste than plain squash and i can have a big 'ole plate of it...

thatgirlkellib

spaghetti squash the best replacement I have for for regular noodles....by far and they are so tasty:happy: