Pasta, how I loathe thee...

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  • Captain_Wobbles
    Captain_Wobbles Posts: 240 Member
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    embrace the pasta OP. I'll take death before i give up pasta. pic related:
    Capture_zpsa77653ac.jpg

    last months 900+ calories of glory so good i didnt even use a plate. And I STILL met my macros
  • ddkphotos
    ddkphotos Posts: 304 Member
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    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
    baileysmom4 Posts: 242 Member
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    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
    BoxerBrawler Posts: 2,032 Member
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    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
    MysteriousMerlin Posts: 2,270 Member
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    Weight it dry!

    Also, this is awesome: http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/fettuccine-alfredo-00420000014471/
  • JTick
    JTick Posts: 2,131 Member
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    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
    BoxerBrawler Posts: 2,032 Member
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    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
    BigT555 Posts: 2,067 Member
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    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
    Supertact Posts: 466 Member
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    Dry. It says it.
  • KylaDenay
    KylaDenay Posts: 1,585 Member
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    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
    LessHeavyVeggie Posts: 208 Member
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    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:

    Zucchini-Spaghetti-GIF.gif

    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
    Naughty_ZOOT Posts: 4,311 Member
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    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
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    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
    timrpm Posts: 57 Member
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    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
    hj1119 Posts: 173 Member
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    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
    amandzor Posts: 386 Member
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    For these reasons, I do not pasta.

    I love it, but it's just not worth the calories.
  • Bustergirl14
    Bustergirl14 Posts: 69 Member
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    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
    curlygirl513 Posts: 199 Member
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    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
    rides4sanity Posts: 1,269 Member
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    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
    thatgirlkellib Posts: 150 Member
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    spaghetti squash the best replacement I have for for regular noodles....by far and they are so tasty:happy:

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