Whole Wheat Pasta and Weight Loss

whalenmich7295
whalenmich7295 Posts: 21 Member
edited September 22 in Food and Nutrition
Hey Everyone - Just wanted to get some feedback on this.

They say that standard "white" pasta is terrible for weight loss. Empty calories, bad carbs, high in caloric value (compared to lean protein). At any rate, they say if you are going to eat Carb-laden food, make sure it is whole wheat. So, is there a health correlation between whole wheat pasta, and weight loss... or should the starchy goodness be avoided all together (like potatoes)?

thanks; Mike

Replies

  • squatchman
    squatchman Posts: 3
    Whole wheat pasta would have more dietary fiber than the regular stuff, and I probably wouldn't touch the garbage that would come from a box of kraft mac and cheese for a variety of reasons.

    If you can't reconcile the texture of whole wheat pasta like me, then check your grocer for the fortified white pasta. Dreamfields or Barilla Plus come to mind. High fiber and protein content. Just control your portions.

    Still... switching to wheat pasta would certainly cause me to eat less of it.
  • DoreenN
    DoreenN Posts: 60
    It all depends on how much pasta you are eating. Yes the whole wheat pasta is better for you because its whole grains and has higher fiber. But I still lost weight eating "white" pasta. My thing is I didn't eat it everyday like I used to.
    The whole thing about dieting and weightloss is portions and moderation, and overall healthy eating. High fiber high protein foods are the way to go. But I did go on a low carb diet and completly gave up potatos.
    Def switch to whole wheat bread though if you arent already
    -Doreen
  • jamie1888
    jamie1888 Posts: 1,704 Member
    It depends on your own personal preference or goal.... yes, whole wheat pasta or brown rice pasta, etc is better for you than white pastas. But, there are some that try to follow a "clean" eating type of diet where anything "processed" isn't good for you. So, for the clean eaters, they probably avoid the pastas all together. Those whole wheat pastas (just watch out for the "blends", make sure you get 100% whole wheat or 100% brown rice) are fine in my opinion and can get you some fiber into the day if you need it.
  • TateFTW
    TateFTW Posts: 658 Member
    There are 2 ways of discerning different types of carbs. One is simple verses complex. The other is the Glycemic index. Complex vs Simple has to do with how easy a carb is to digest. Simple carbs act like sugar, easily digested, which gives you a quick source of energy that comes and goes quickly. "White" carbs, such as pasta, white bread, and white rice are simple carbs, while wheat flour based items and vegetables are complex carbs. Complex carbs are good for healthy, sustainable energy, where as simple carbs can act sort of like candy, giving you energy for a little while, then leaving you feeling drained and hungry.

    The Glycemic index (or GI index) has to do with how quickly a carb source is released into the blood stream as sugar. Many times higher GI numbers coincide with a designation of "simple", while lower GI values often go along with a complex carb, but not always. A higher GI number means the carb source is quickly released as sugar, creating a spike in blood sugar. This is important to know if someone were to be suffereing from diabetes. A blood sugar spike can also mean a spike in digestion levels, which can make you hungry sooner, similiar to simple carbs.
  • jillybeanruns
    jillybeanruns Posts: 1,420 Member
    It really is all about calories in vs. calories out. I don't believe in 100% cutting out anything...unless you eat butter by the cupful or something (eeek). Watch your portions of pasta, I used to measure it out and now that I have a scale I weigh it. Pasta is a tough one because you think you're not eating much when you throw it in the pot, but 2 ounces is a pretty decent-sized serving. I eat whole wheat pasta when I can just because it's less processed and has more fiber but white pasta is fine. I eat pasta 2ish times a week and had no problem losing weight and I'm pretty healthy!
  • bkmush
    bkmush Posts: 27
    I'm another believer in all things in moderation :) I typically use whole wheat pasta just because we prefer the taste, it's all my kids have ever had so no sense ruining a good thing, I use it as a side dish though rather then an entree just because it is easy to rack up the calories.

    I also eat white potatoes all the time :) Low in calories, high in potassium, and very yummy!
  • Cytherea
    Cytherea Posts: 515 Member
    You can obviously eat it, just like you can eat anything, but in moderation. I switched to whole grain, personally, although every so often I really want white pasta and you know what? I have it! I stick to the 2 oz serving (weighed out) and I don't worry about it. The only reason you'd have to cut it out completely would be if you were to cut out all pasta or all carbs completely.
  • ncqueenbee
    ncqueenbee Posts: 147 Member
    I used to eat white pasta then switched to whole wheat which wasn't a big deal as long as i only ate it on occasion, but sometimes I just crave pasta. So someone turned me on to Spaghetti squash. When cooked, and the insides scraped out, it has the look and texture of pasta only it's a vegatable. Hence low cal, low carb. You can dress it up just as you would pasta. Delicious!
    Just google Spaghetti Squash..there are several examples on how to cook it.
  • Fineraziel
    Fineraziel Posts: 140
    I eat Catelli Healthy Harvest whole-wheat pastas (macaroni, spaghetti, lasagna, etc.) for a few years and I really like the taste.:smile: In fact, I just dont see the difference with regular pasta. Even my husband (who dislikes everything that is "healthy") couldnt tell the difference, so now I conversed him to whole-wheat without he knew it ! :tongue:
  • potluck965
    potluck965 Posts: 529 Member
    I've never tried whole wheat pasta, but unless you are going to eat too much of it everyday I don't see any problem with eating regular "white" pasta.

    The trick is in the measuring. It was a huge revealation to me when I got a food scale.
  • lutzsher
    lutzsher Posts: 1,153 Member
    I have adopted the philosophy of "my body is a temple" so prefer to only put things in it that are of some dietary benefit. Any "white" carbs are just empty calories and turn to sugar once digested. They have no nutritional value so I choose not to consume them. It has been amost 2 years since I have had any white bread, white pasta, white rice, etc.
    I still beleive in the "everything in moderation" rule, but also do not eat anything processed or any carbs but complex ones.
  • joan41
    joan41 Posts: 170 Member
    other than walking and drinking water, this is the biggest change we have made. We have switched to whole wheat. Whole wheat pasta, whole wheat bread. I still eat regular Jiff peanut butter most days for lunch, and Welches Grape Jelly on a whole wheat sandwich round. I have lost 46lb since July 12th. The BIGGEST that we have made is whole wheat. I'm convinced it makes a difference. I like the idea that our bodies are a temple. I do want to please God with my food choices too!
  • virginiagomes
    virginiagomes Posts: 110 Member
    There are 2 ways of discerning different types of carbs. One is simple verses complex. The other is the Glycemic index. Complex vs Simple has to do with how easy a carb is to digest. Simple carbs act like sugar, easily digested, which gives you a quick source of energy that comes and goes quickly. "White" carbs, such as pasta, white bread, and white rice are simple carbs, while wheat flour based items and vegetables are complex carbs. Complex carbs are good for healthy, sustainable energy, where as simple carbs can act sort of like candy, giving you energy for a little while, then leaving you feeling drained and hungry.

    The Glycemic index (or GI index) has to do with how quickly a carb source is released into the blood stream as sugar. Many times higher GI numbers coincide with a designation of "simple", while lower GI values often go along with a complex carb, but not always. A higher GI number means the carb source is quickly released as sugar, creating a spike in blood sugar. This is important to know if someone were to be suffereing from diabetes. A blood sugar spike can also mean a spike in digestion levels, which can make you hungry sooner, similiar to simple carbs.
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