Wheat & Pasta bad- please explain

2

Replies

  • sweetgrasswoman
    sweetgrasswoman Posts: 99 Member
    WOW I just read everyone's replies and learn about wheat and pasta within 20 minutes- Thanks for the advice everyone it really helped! Now I know where Im at- in moderation within my calorie limit
  • Ah, so the argument on noodles begins and/or continues yet again. Personally, I can read the package, and most noodles will be filled with carbs, which are meant to supply your body with energy. I don't know it all, but I have to assume that whatever your body does not use, it stores, and most things get "stored" as fat, if it is not pushed into the muscles for recovery, like proteins. Combine that with the salt that is in those Mac n Cheese packets, or Hamburger Helper varieties, and -voila!- Obesity City.

    Scientifically speaking, isn't there a direct link between obesity, poor people, and the cheapness of pasta?
  • TheVimFuego
    TheVimFuego Posts: 2,412 Member
    I've come around to the "Everything in moderation unless it causes you a problem (allergy, cravings, etc)" angle.

    I've read Wheat Belly, I've read Taubes, I've done the Paleo thang. I've done keto. I've read a whole HEAP of low carb/primal/paleo studies/books/whatever, I've watched the Ancestral Health stuff, I love a good rant against the evils of the food industry/big pharma/the ****-eyed food pyramid/plate (which is still grain-flogging BS).

    I've ranted on here about the evils of wheat, I've sworn that I can live without bread, pasta, legumes, milk, whatever long term and that it's all just mass-produced, processed, calorie-dense, nutrient-poor fodder.

    And do you know what? Very recently I realised that simplicity and sustainability has to win out. I was over-thinking it.

    Low carbing was great for getting my metabolism and sense of appetite/sweetness/satiety back in line but long term it's a more balanced approach for me, including everything.

    I would say that a 30 day elimination wouldn't do anyone any harm even if they suspect they don't have wheat/gluten-based issues though. It's only a month, if you don't feel any different then back on it ....
  • Vim, every time I see you picture, for some reason, I always picture you sayin, "Now, look here, sonny."
  • TheVimFuego
    TheVimFuego Posts: 2,412 Member
    Ah, so the argument on noodles begins and/or continues yet again. Personally, I can read the package, and most noodles will be filled with carbs, which are meant to supply your body with energy. I don't know it all, but I have to assume that whatever your body does not use, it stores, and most things get "stored" as fat, if it is not pushed into the muscles for recovery, like proteins. Combine that with the salt that is in those Mac n Cheese packets, or Hamburger Helper varieties, and -voila!- Obesity City.

    Scientifically speaking, isn't there a direct link between obesity, poor people, and the cheapness of pasta?

    The problem with noodles/pasta/etc is that they are very easy to overeat. Check out what a standard serving is according to the nutritional information and measure it out. Most people eat way more. And if you eat more of that then it pushes the protein-rich stuff out.

    It's all a balance.

    If you are worried about the carbs spiking blood sugar and all that insulin jazz then consider the meal as a whole, the fat/protein in that meal will go some way to slowing the effects of the pasta down.
  • msbunnie68
    msbunnie68 Posts: 1,894 Member
    I go for the "unless you are allergic to it, everything in moderation" school of thought.

    MFP is supposed to be a tool to help bring about a lifestyle change, not a restrictive diet plan that is tossed to the side once your weight is lost. Do that and you will find yourself on the diet yo-yo.

    So eat well, eat your faves just be mindful of portion sizes and calorie intake and log it in.
  • TheVimFuego
    TheVimFuego Posts: 2,412 Member
    Vim, every time I see you picture, for some reason, I always picture you sayin, "Now, look here, sonny."

    Hehehe, I'm sure some people say less kind things when they see my picture.

    I had a bacon sandwich this morning with Heinz ketchup, I can report that it isn't a bad way to start the day.

    Hell, I might even head for the shops and get some dazzling white bread later. ;)
  • RixxyRikaa
    RixxyRikaa Posts: 71 Member
    It's not bad for you unless
    a. you eat it in excess
    b. you have a gluten sensitivity

    Over here, everyone seems to want to follow this gluten-free trend without even knowing about celiac disease.. Gluten in wheat isn't going to hurt you unless your microvilli are getting affected. I feel like so many people don't do their homework and spend too much time watching Dr. Oz.
  • One of my favorite go-withs at breakfast is chopped up potatoes in about 3 tbsp of light margarine in a skillet. Add in some steak seasoning (Mccormicks Montreal can go on almost anything), and you have a nice side dish with only about 350 cals and about 500 mg sodium, depending on, of course, ketchup.
  • MaraDiaz
    MaraDiaz Posts: 4,604 Member
    There is only one reason I avoid wheat and pasta, and also sugary foods. Because they give me insane cravings for lots more food. I hate craving!
  • aippolito1
    aippolito1 Posts: 4,894 Member
    No, no. Wheat is not fattening, and neither is pasta in general. Processed carbs (white rice, white pasta, white potatoes, sugary vegetables) turn into glucose which turns into fat... just ration it. I still like white flour tortillas better than wheat and I HATE brown rice so I still eat white steamed rice. I just try not to eat more than one white "starch" in the day, so it doesn't all add up.

    Whole grains are your best friend. Go for whole wheat, rye, barley, brown rice (if you can stand it), whole oats, etc. They're high in protein, fiber, and are good carbs that take longer to digest, so they keep you full longer. :]
  • petiteLady89
    petiteLady89 Posts: 198 Member
    We eat Ezekiel breads and rice pastas in this house. I try to stay away from most processed or wheat foods. Just a personal decision.
  • californiagirl2012
    californiagirl2012 Posts: 2,625 Member
    I joined 4 days ago and just learned pasta and wheat is fattening? Can someone please explain to me how whole wheat, and whole wheat pasta is bad for you? Or how much is too much? Since my children were born Ive been buyin whole wheat bread and feeding them pasta, ofcourse I indulge too. How bad is it?

    All that matters is calories. Some people are gluten intolerant or have bad allergies with it.

    Eat what you want, eat what you like, mostly healthy. Don’t deprive yourself of foods you love unless there is a serious health risk. Depriving yourself of food you love and creating extensive good food and bad food lists at some point borders on a mental disorder. It will drive you insane.

    All that matters is calories. A healthy balanced diet within a calorie budget for a deficit that is right for YOU is all that matters for weight loss. Don't make it complicated.

    Exercise is for making your lean body mass pretty (especially lifting weights) for when the fat is gone. Losing fat with no muscle is ugly and cardio alone will not make you pretty. You cannot out exercise too many calories.
  • possibri
    possibri Posts: 158 Member
    No food is "all good" or "all bad." Many people, including myself, consider bread to be bad for dieting for many reasons. They're low in nutrients compared to other carb sources like fruits and veggies, and breads often have a high glycemic index. Many breads and pastas are sort of just empty calories which can lead some people to over eating. Some bread brands are marketed as "whole wheat" when in fact they actually are not much different from white bread.

    THIS


    And I find quinoa pasta to be a super filling alternative to other types of pasta... though still quite calorie dense.
  • StinkyWinkies
    StinkyWinkies Posts: 603 Member
    The only thing my doc had to say about this is (when I said I was trying out whole wheat pasta) "Don't over do that either, it's still a carb." With the diabetes, so am somewhat "restricted" on pasta, bread, rice, potatoes...But, considering that those food made up approximately 75-90% of my food intake at one time, I see his point.

    Moderation, m'dear. All things in moderation.
  • Verity1111
    Verity1111 Posts: 3,309 Member
    You'll get a ton of good/bad on wheat. May I suggest reading Wheat Belly? The bottom line is that wheat isn't bad...the GMO wheat of today is a Frankenwheat.

    Wheat is not GMO. They've worked on it but there is no GMO wheat available for farmers at this moment. Another fallacy put forward by Mr. Taubes to sell more books.

    WRONG - Almost all wheat is GMO, the dwarf wheat grown today is not what was grown prior to the 60's. The creator of it won a Nobel Peace prize for it because of the high yield and ending the threat of world hunger.
    I have bought bread that says no GMO no high fructose corn syrup no added sugars etc and was yummy whole wheat or whole grain bread, which is all I eat now unless someone else bought it and I dont have food at the time. Whole grain is best for you from what I know.
  • Kjngrrl
    Kjngrrl Posts: 53 Member
    i read wheat belly and frankly, it gave me the motivation (regardless if the facts are accruate or not) to cut out a food substance that was a trigger for me. When eating wheat based products, I overeat. Period. Cutting them out and replacing them with fresh veggies has made a world of difference in my satiety, my diet and my weight.

    If you can control your eating and lose weight eating wheat, good for you. I can't, so I don't eat it, thus it is bad for me.
  • Just to be blunt about it, wheaty stuff tastes like crap to me. People talk about "whole wheat" this and "whole wheat" that. Ok. Go out and spend half your grocery budget on it. "whole" is only good for you if you can afford the price tag that comes with it. Remember that. In my views, nowadays, it is not realistic for the lady (or man, in my case) who is looking to eat healthy on about 150-175 bucks per month....Some of yall are probably vegans and artists, too, I bet. lol
  • megsmom2
    megsmom2 Posts: 2,362 Member
    Unless you have a sensitivity to it (which isn't uncommon) wheat is a perfectly fine food. It is calorie dense, so you probably should limit it sensibly, but in reasonable amounts, by all means enjoy it. Whole wheat breads can be delicious...just watch the ingredient list for oils or sweeteners you may not want.
  • likepepsicola
    likepepsicola Posts: 117 Member
    Nothing is BAD, unless you have an allergy/intolerance. Some foods are more calorie dense than others and will tend to make you hungrier than others, crave more food, not fill you up as much, etc....but they are not fattening in and of themselves unless you consume too many calories overall.
  • toofatandy
    toofatandy Posts: 74 Member
    Its not that wheat is entirely bad but is a processed food.
    If you have it for breakfast as cereal, lunch as sandwiches or bagels and dinner in the form of pasta then the majority of your diet is wheat that is not good.
    We were biologically built as hunters and gatherers and no amount of hamburger chains can change our makeup.
    If it does not fall from a tree get pulled from the ground or killed you should not eat it.
  • TheVimFuego
    TheVimFuego Posts: 2,412 Member
    Its not that wheat is entirely bad but is a processed food.
    If you have it for breakfast as cereal, lunch as sandwiches or bagels and dinner in the form of pasta then the majority of your diet is wheat that is not good.
    We were biologically built as hunters and gatherers and no amount of hamburger chains can change our makeup.
    If it does not fall from a tree get pulled from the ground or killed you should not eat it.

    Look, I hear where you are coming from, and less processed stuff (and more variety) is a great aim but if I have a beat myself up about having a party pie or a slice of pizza at a morning tea then something is seriously wrong with my life.

    We can all be healthy without imposing thou shalt nots.
  • tsh0ck
    tsh0ck Posts: 1,970 Member
    what vim said.

    (no food is fattening/unhealthy unless eaten in excess. make it fit. enjoy life. lose weight. get healthy.)
  • Its not that wheat is entirely bad but is a processed food.
    If you have it for breakfast as cereal, lunch as sandwiches or bagels and dinner in the form of pasta then the majority of your diet is wheat that is not good.
    We were biologically built as hunters and gatherers and no amount of hamburger chains can change our makeup.
    If it does not fall from a tree get pulled from the ground or killed you should not eat it.

    I wish I could follow your thought, but this is a nation of 306 million people. It is essentially impossible to not process food to some extent to preserve freshness and zipline (as well as stock up) production to feed everyone. The 'chemicals' are used to allow time for us to research, purchase, store, and then eat the food. If food did not have this type of processing, your chicken would be $12/lb.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    Nothing is BAD, unless you have an allergy/intolerance. Some foods are more calorie dense than others and will tend to make you hungrier than others, crave more food, not fill you up as much, etc....but they are not fattening in and of themselves unless you consume too many calories overall.

    Basically ^^this
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
    I joined 4 days ago and just learned pasta and wheat is fattening?

    Eating above your TDEE is fattening regardless of the food source.
    Can someone please explain to me how whole wheat, and whole wheat pasta is bad for you?

    It's not, given no intolerance/allergy/etc.
    Or how much is too much? Since my children were born Ive been buyin whole wheat bread and feeding them pasta, ofcourse I indulge too.

    I'd say that if you're eating enough wheat or pasta to exceed your daily limit in calories, it's too much.
    I'd say that if you're eating enough wheat or pasta to push dietary fat or protein below your desired minimums, it's too much.
    I'd say that if you're eating enough wheat or pasta such that you're neglecting other nutrient rich carb sources such as fruit and vegetables, it's too much.

    Beyond that, enjoy your pasta and your wheat, and try not to make things too complicated.
  • what is TDEE?.......nm, I just googled it
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    You'll get a ton of good/bad on wheat. May I suggest reading Wheat Belly? The bottom line is that wheat isn't bad...the GMO wheat of today is a Frankenwheat.

    Wheat is not GMO. They've worked on it but there is no GMO wheat available for farmers at this moment. Another fallacy put forward by Mr. Taubes to sell more books.

    WRONG - Almost all wheat is GMO, the dwarf wheat grown today is not what was grown prior to the 60's. The creator of it won a Nobel Peace prize for it because of the high yield and ending the threat of world hunger.
    If you want to use that (wrong) definition of GMO, then EVERY food we eat is GMO. All fruits, vegetables, grains, and animals have been radically altered over the last 100 years. Pigs are not the same animal at all they were 75 years ago, neither are cows or chickens. So, if you want to use that (again, wrong) definition, then have fun starving to death because if you want to avoid what you call GMO, then there is not a single food on this earth that you will be able to eat.
  • Eat shirataki noodles. 30 kcal a cup. I eat it every day.
    I eat as well... but let's get real... aint the same at all!

    If you put the right sauce on it it can be pretty close. I put a little bit of some quality marinara sauce on it and I'm good.
  • itsjustdawn
    itsjustdawn Posts: 1,073 Member
    wheat and grains are just bad period.

    Research please