Pasta...it makes me mad!!

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24

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  • TheVimFuego
    TheVimFuego Posts: 2,412 Member
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    i use dreamfields. less carbs =]

    I know you are keen low carber so just letting you know that I've read that the Dreamfields stuff will spike insulin in pretty much the same way as regular.

    http://www.dietdoctor.com/the-dreamfields-pasta-fraud
  • RunMyOregonBunsOff
    RunMyOregonBunsOff Posts: 862 Member
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    I like the brown rice or whole grain pasta and have about 2 oz (dry) but I start off with a salad that is at least the size of my pasta and then I feel full and I'm not done before my husband has even put a dent in his.
  • devil_in_a_blue_dress
    devil_in_a_blue_dress Posts: 5,214 Member
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    I grew up in a house where my mom made way too much food at every meal -- overeating was the norm, food was there -- you could never eat too much because there was always more. So I am committed to making single servings for meals - unless I am batch cooking, and I pack away food pretty much immediately.

    Here is what happens in my house on pasta nights (it is me, my husband, and our 3 year old). First, I make my own sauce in huge batches and keep it in the freezer. I like my own sauce because I can add a TON of veggies. Next, I weigh out 4 servings of pasta -- (we favor fettuccine noodles at 200 calories a serving) and when serving it, it is divided out into 3 equal portions (our daughter's portion is then divided in 2 for her lunch the next day). I make a pound of ground turkey meatballs (I end up with 10 or so). I eat 2, husbands eats more -- I don't love meatballs as much as I love pasta, so I don't have envy. I also make a salad and broccoli with pasta night -- both, always.

    Sure, you may think 1.33 servings of pasta won't be enough for your husband, but guess what? Meatballs. Veggies. Or! He can have a snack when dinner is over. Which my hubby sometimes does -- that's not the end of the world.
  • Cristofori44
    Cristofori44 Posts: 201
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    So first off, I think either you have a big appetite or you're overestimating a little bit the pasta calories. I have a food scale at home and a cup of mostacciolli comes out to around 2.85 ounces or about 285 calories. And that's a cup, and for me, even being of Italian-American heritage--which has distorted the way food is eaten in Italy--it was more than enough with a meal that also came with some sauce and cheese on the pasta (80 cals) and 5.oz. of salmon and some veggies. I would have been happy at 3/4 a cup or in the range of 200-240 cals.

    The cup certainly did fill my bowl, almost a bit too much.

    The other poster is right that different kinds of pasta could have different calorie counts, though both on my Barilla fettucine and mostaccioli Iist 100 calories per ounce. Maybe different counts for other brands.

    Typically in Italy a small amount of pasta with a little bit of sauce is had with a small portion of protein and a side of veggies. And a glass of wine. Fruit for dessert, usually, sometimes a small portion of gelato. No one portion of the meal is huge but in the end it all adds up and makes a satisfying and balanced meal.

    Finally, it's not like you can't never have 350 calories of pasta with a meal--if people are really hungry they should eat; I could have eaten a horse after a 900-calorie burn the other day, I was very under my net cals and low on carbs so I had that cup of pasta instead of the half or 3/4 cup. But as a routine matter, you do want to balance out the meal so you don't go overboard on any one thing.

    Enjoy your pasta like all things--with moderation and balance. Have a little of this, a little of that. Mangia bene, vivi felice!
  • gramacanada
    gramacanada Posts: 558 Member
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    While we are talking about pasta....weigh it before cooking or after???? I have always wondered .....

    Weight is before cooking.
  • stuffinmuffin
    stuffinmuffin Posts: 985 Member
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    I have 100g servings of pasta and they seem fine to me (come in at about 350cals). I had 150g the other night and it was vast!!! Portion sizes can be shocking at first when you realise the calorie amounts but you really do get used them.
  • zophiel67
    zophiel67 Posts: 181
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    Before. Most containers say dry weight when you look at the nutrition facts.

    I agree with what others have said. Switch to whole grain pasta and add lots of veggies to bulk up a serving size. I'm not a huge fan of using veggies as the noodles, but that's totally personal preference. And I haven't tried the miracle noodles. Anything claiming to be a "miracle" makes me a little leery.
  • Rilke
    Rilke Posts: 1,201 Member
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    3.5 oz is the size of your fist? Are you weighing it after it's cooked? Because 3.5 oz of *cooked* spaghetti is only about 150 calories.
  • skinnyminni1985
    skinnyminni1985 Posts: 24
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    I used to love pasta, I would eat it almost every day, but always felt sluggish and bloated. I havent eaten any pasta for about 6 weeks now, and the difference is amazing, mainly not feeling bloated all the time! I just substitute it for lots of veggies or a small portion of cous cous made with a vegetable stock cube (yum) - i crave it occasionally, but the thought of eating it now just reminds me of how full I felt all the time! I am talking about wholewheat pasta by the way, I havent eaten white pasta for over 4 years!
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
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    Before I started MFP I was never really a huge pasta eater to begin with. I like to have it as a meal every now and again but prior to logging never paid a bit of attention to what I was consuming. Now since joining every time I log it in I seriously want to throw the computer...3.5 oz at 380 calories....really? That is a portion (a double portion I might add) the size of my fist while my husband eats a dinner plate full and I sit and cry inside because I dont even remember consuming my meal because it was so damn small. Does anyone know of any brands or alternatives to pasta that are a little more forgiving in the calorie department?

    You must have a very large fist. I weigh out 2 oz dry (a portion) and it takes up almost an entire large dinner plate.

    But if you don't feel like you're getting enough bang for your calorie with pasta, don't eat it.

    I eat Ronzoni Smart Taste. It's 180 calories per serving and the lowest I've found, which is also high in protein and fiber.
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
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    Skip breakfast/lunch/snacks, eat more pasta, profit
  • confettibetti
    confettibetti Posts: 405 Member
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    I would say go with the wheat pasta and bulk up a single serving with a protein or a veggie...
  • auroranflash
    auroranflash Posts: 3,569 Member
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    do what the "Hungry Girl" does ...... have your serving of pasta, but bulk it up with all kinds of veggies :drinker:

    While I probably do still eat too big a serving size (hey, food scale's comin' in tomorrow :wink: ) I love to bulk up my pasta dishes with tons of veggies. Pan-seared cauliflower, broccoli, peas, carrots, mushrooms (:love: ) olives, asparagus, diced or sauteed onions, zucchini, squash, eggplant, .... :love: :love: :love:

    It's all about finding a balance. You can still have what you love, just try to meet your calorie goal for the day or week and don't stress the small stuff. :heart:
  • Sharyn913
    Sharyn913 Posts: 777 Member
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    i use dreamfields. less carbs =]

    A study was done on that where they tested the blood sugars and what not over the course of X amount of hours and it was almost identical to normal pasta. It all boiled down to false advertising. I can look for the link later when I get home from work.
  • auroranflash
    auroranflash Posts: 3,569 Member
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    Before I started MFP I was never really a huge pasta eater to begin with. I like to have it as a meal every now and again but prior to logging never paid a bit of attention to what I was consuming. Now since joining every time I log it in I seriously want to throw the computer...3.5 oz at 380 calories....really? That is a portion (a double portion I might add) the size of my fist while my husband eats a dinner plate full and I sit and cry inside because I dont even remember consuming my meal because it was so damn small. Does anyone know of any brands or alternatives to pasta that are a little more forgiving in the calorie department?

    You must have a very large fist. I weigh out 2 oz dry (a portion) and it takes up almost an entire large dinner plate.

    But if you don't feel like you're getting enough bang for your calorie with pasta, don't eat it.

    I eat Ronzoni Smart Taste. It's 180 calories per serving and the lowest I've found, which is also high in protein and fiber.

    ^ I can vouch for the Ronzoni, it's really good.
  • ElizabethRoad
    ElizabethRoad Posts: 5,138 Member
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    OP, you have hundreds of calories left every day. Most days you are eating under 1000. What is the problem here? Eat more pasta!
  • _Mimi_
    _Mimi_ Posts: 233
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    Sorry, I did not read all the responses. Check out Fiber Gourmet. They cut the calories and add fiber...and it tastes pretty good.

    Also, make sure when you do have pasta it is whole wheat pasta. The only ingredients should be whole wheat flour and water. The calories are still high, but you will feel fuller, and they are better carbs.

    I LOVE spaghetti squash. Use that in place of pasta.

    Add things like french cut green beans, matchstick carrots, pretty much any veggie to bulk it up.

    Have a beautiful, huge salad.

    The first couple of times I had pasta I wanted to cry too...now a portion size really looks like a portion to me. I think I am finally getting over my portion distortion. yay!!
  • UsedToBeHusky
    UsedToBeHusky Posts: 15,229 Member
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    I eat wheat pasta... but honestly, 380 calories isn't that bad. Most people come on this site thinking that they have to cut back as many calories as possible to lose weight, and that is just not the case. Actually, the more you cut back calories, the less likely you are going to be able to continue and maintain weight loss. If you are at or anywhere near 1200 calories, I would recommend you consider raising your calorie goal. Then, you can have a healthy pasta dish and not have to feel bad or ashamed about it.

    Honestly people, if eating anything makes you feel any negative emotions, then you are just continuing to have a bad relationship with food which is what put you here in the first place.
  • thrld
    thrld Posts: 610 Member
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    do what the "Hungry Girl" does ...... have your serving of pasta, but bulk it up with all kinds of veggies :drinker:

    Oh that's what I do. I love chunky veggies in sauce on my spaghetti! I don't even need meat if the veggies are chunky!
    You got to go bigger than chunky veggie sauce. Put a 1/4 cup of broccoli florets in, or 1 cup of cooked spinach. Add 1/4 cup of diced red peppers and carrot curls. Chop up a roma tomato and put that in too. And 1/4 cup of cannelli beans. Use the same amount of spaghetti, but make the bowl 2x bigger with veggies.
  • macpatti
    macpatti Posts: 4,280 Member
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    Skip breakfast/lunch/snacks, eat more pasta, profit

    This is soooo my plan when I make pasta!

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