Pasta, how I loathe thee...

hj1119
hj1119 Posts: 173 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Yesterday, we had pasta for the first time since I got my food scale.

I'm shocked at what a single portion of pasta is. Shocked and disgusted. And disappointed. I AM supposed to weigh it cooked, right?
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Replies

  • BigT555
    BigT555 Posts: 2,067 Member
    depends on if the nutritional info says cooked or raw, raw is best because everyone cooks pasta differently

    pasta is my kryptonite though, i try to keep it to once a week because i almost always end up wanting more after eating it
  • drich1989
    drich1989 Posts: 95 Member
    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.
  • hj1119
    hj1119 Posts: 173 Member
    depends on if the nutritional info says cooked or raw, raw is best because everyone cooks pasta differently

    The nutritional info didn't specify :\
  • Ninkyou
    Ninkyou Posts: 6,666 Member
    Usually the weight is before cooking it unless otherwise specified.
  • Gel_W91
    Gel_W91 Posts: 53 Member
    You weigh pasta dry before cooking. It's still a disappointing amount though, unfortunately.
  • galenofedgewood
    galenofedgewood Posts: 146 Member
    One of my absolute favorite food is spaghetti with meatballs. /sigh

    Why does it have to be so high in calories? /cry
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
    I learned to make a better sauce and then cut back on the pasta part of the meal. Sometimes it's still hard, though.
  • Kitship
    Kitship Posts: 579 Member
    Nope, weigh it dry. The measurements are off when you cook it, based on how long you cook the pasta (how much water is absorbed, etc).

    Yeah, 2 oz of pasta is pretty skimpy unfortunately!
  • WelshPhil1975
    WelshPhil1975 Posts: 138 Member
    If I had to give up pasta I would be better off packing up and going home.

    I eat it regularly and within my calorie limit for the day, it is one of the main foods I couldn't do without.
  • eaglelakebill
    eaglelakebill Posts: 120 Member
    Weigh it dry and try to have a good workout the next day!
    I grew up on homemade sauce and pasta.
    It's hard not to fill the entire bowl and eat it all!
  • LSinVA
    LSinVA Posts: 60 Member
    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.
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
    The serving size for most pasta is 2 oz or 56g and that is dry aka uncooked.

    While it's not as much as I'd like to eat, it's not too bad with a good hearty sauce mixed in.
  • Bri_Becq
    Bri_Becq Posts: 146 Member
    I save pasta for my eating out dinners... I track this as well, but I don't lose my mind over these calories since it RARELY happens.
  • 777Gemma888
    777Gemma888 Posts: 9,578 Member
    Nope, weigh it dry. The measurements are off when you cook it, based on how long you cook the pasta (how much water is absorbed, etc).

    Yeah, 2 oz of pasta is pretty skimpy unfortunately!

    This^ ... I love my pasta far too much to not eat it. I burn a lot, so I can afford to eat it as often as I like to.
  • 17ChargerGirl17
    17ChargerGirl17 Posts: 441
    I don't eat pasta anymore, and it really wasn't hard to give up. I was never a huge pasta lover to begin with. However, I'm sure that the serviing size is very disappointing.
  • Athijade
    Athijade Posts: 3,300 Member
    i actually don't have an issue with a single serving. I just make sure my pasta is the side instead of the main or is mixed with so much other stuff that I don't need the pasta but as an additional item. So I fill my plate with chicken and broccoli with a side of pasta. Instead of when the chicken and broccoli were sides TO the pasta.
  • htimpaired
    htimpaired Posts: 1,404 Member
    I try to beef up my pasta with veggies, like green beans or broccoli, so the meal feels heartier.
  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
    2oz of dry pasta is a serving. I think the "wet" serving is given in cups, which really just isn't useful. It's more than you think (especially if you weighed 2oz after boiling), but not a ton. I've added more veggies to my sauce to fill it out. Super yummy, although it's almost more like an Italian stew/chili.
  • BigT555
    BigT555 Posts: 2,067 Member
    depends on if the nutritional info says cooked or raw, raw is best because everyone cooks pasta differently

    The nutritional info didn't specify :\
    as others have said raw for sure then.
  • jmcdonald2011
    jmcdonald2011 Posts: 181 Member
    I started eating spaghetti squash instead and made my own sauce using the recipe builder thingy on here. I now prefer the spaghetti squash over the real thing. and I have my sauce frozen so I can have it in an instant.

    I cant wait for fall - I have 3 spaghetti squash plants going
  • rsclause
    rsclause Posts: 3,103 Member
    I switched to Spaghetti squash for my pasta. Cook a half a squash in the micro and fork out the squash. Put veggies in a skillet with olive oil and then add them to Newman's Own sauce on top and you have a filling 260 calorie meal. I always lost weight the next morning.
  • 3laine75
    3laine75 Posts: 3,069 Member
    Weigh it dry - it's still depressingly small though.
  • TXGirl78028
    TXGirl78028 Posts: 37
    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.
  • contingencyplan
    contingencyplan Posts: 3,639 Member
    In order to ensure a full serving of pasta is big enough to constitute a proper meal, I make my own sauces and use chunks of vegetables, such as tomato and mushroom. It really adds to the density.
  • contingencyplan
    contingencyplan Posts: 3,639 Member
    depends on if the nutritional info says cooked or raw, raw is best because everyone cooks pasta differently

    The nutritional info didn't specify :\

    For things like rice and pasta it's ALWAYS dry unless otherwise specified.
  • futuresize8
    futuresize8 Posts: 476 Member
    Bump up the pasta by adding big chunks of vegetables (my favorites are red peppers, onions, mushroom and zucchini) that you saute with just a touch of olive oil.

    Add that to half the amount of rigatoni you'd usually use, some sauce and fresh grated parm (tastes stronger when it's freshly grated so you don't need as much) and some sauce.

    You won't be disappointed!
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    Yesterday, we had pasta for the first time since I got my food scale.

    I'm shocked at what a single portion of pasta is. Shocked and disgusted. And disappointed. I AM supposed to weigh it cooked, right?
    No!

    Weigh it uncooked. If it's cooked, you want about a cup for a single serving. And that should take up about a plateful spread out.
  • SrMaggalicious
    SrMaggalicious Posts: 495 Member
    I started eating spaghetti squash instead and made my own sauce using the recipe builder thingy on here. I now prefer the spaghetti squash over the real thing. and I have my sauce frozen so I can have it in an instant.

    I cant wait for fall - I have 3 spaghetti squash plants going

    ^^Same. I love spaghetti squash...now if I ever eat pasta, I literally feel hung over the next day...it does some crazy stuff to my body. I have an AWESOME sauce I eat with it...soooo yummy. and you can eat BUCKETS of it...
  • msf74
    msf74 Posts: 3,498 Member
    Dry weight usually.

    100g of uncooked pasta will have far more calories than 100g of cooked pasta.

    This is because much of the weight of cooked pasta is actually the water it retains in cooking.
  • JosieRawr
    JosieRawr Posts: 788 Member
    Nope- love it... work out for it... EAT it... yummmmmmmm. I do add spinach(added directly in) and veggie sides and other things to help stretch the meal out so that it takes longer to eat and helps give my full cues time to kick in... I don't even bother trying to have a small portion though, I'll just keep coming back.. I get one big portion with all of my add ons and chow down! :)

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