Pasta, how I loathe thee...

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  • SpicesOfLife
    SpicesOfLife Posts: 290 Member
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    hmm i see people complaining about one serving being too little, but who says you can only have one? have 2 servings then and make it fit your calorie goal. 100g (2 servings) really isnt that bad calorie wise, and can be very satisfying with a delicious homemade sauce. :)
  • Matiara
    Matiara Posts: 377 Member
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    hmm i see people complaining about one serving being too little, but who says you can only have one? have 2 servings then and make it fit your calorie goal. 100g (2 servings) really isnt that bad calorie wise, and can be very satisfying with a delicious homemade sauce. :)

    Agreed.

    This thread is interesting, as I've always found one serving of any pasta to be quite satisfying (of course including sauce/toppings/mix ins). I feel stuffed after eating one serving of spaghetti mixed with one serving of meat sauce.
  • rebeccaplatt21
    rebeccaplatt21 Posts: 175
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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.

    excellent, thank you! ^^
  • msiamjan
    msiamjan Posts: 326 Member
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    I try to beef up my pasta with veggies, like green beans or broccoli, so the meal feels heartier.

    This is what I do as well. I mix some steam veggies in, and then put sauce on top of it all. For me it makes the pasta go much further.
  • Willowwisp23
    Willowwisp23 Posts: 17
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    It used to seem a disappointing amount when I first starting weighing my food but I tend to add a load of oven roasted veg (like courgettes, cherry tomatoes, peppers etc) and then stir in a tomato sauce it makes quite a satisfying meal. I usually melt a little cheese on top too.
  • RHachicho
    RHachicho Posts: 1,115 Member
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    Yeah Pasta is one of those foods that is basically pure calories. It's good for you if you keep it under control. But I'm avoiding it while losing weight. Once I get to my target and want to build some muscle on the other hand we may become re acquainted.
  • conklil
    conklil Posts: 81 Member
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    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!

    Yum, must try this....thanks.
  • wildskies
    wildskies Posts: 129 Member
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    I've always loved pasta and before joining MFP I had it with dinner pretty much every night. Once I looked and saw how many calories it has I scrambled to find an alternative. I tried Miracle Pasta and really like it, so much so that I haven't had real pasta in close to 2 months and don't crave it at all. I generally do a mix of Miracle Pasta, whipped cream cheese, tomatoes, garlic, onion, and then add whatever else sounds good. Light alfredo sauce instead of the cream cheese is good too. Or do it like fried rice but with the pasta (I'm not fond of the texture of the Miracle Rice). Throw in some shrimp, scallops, turkey sausage, or other meat and you can easily make a main dish for very few calories.

    Like others have said, zucchini pasta is excellent too but I find it's sweeter tasting than regular pasta so it doesn't work quite as well for me. But it is great served under chili or other sauce that has a saltier or at least less sweet taste than some.
  • SpicesOfLife
    SpicesOfLife Posts: 290 Member
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    I've always loved pasta and before joining MFP I had it with dinner pretty much every night. Once I looked and saw how many calories it has I scrambled to find an alternative. I tried Miracle Pasta and really like it, so much so that I haven't had real pasta in close to 2 months and don't crave it at all. I generally do a mix of Miracle Pasta, whipped cream cheese, tomatoes, garlic, onion, and then add whatever else sounds good. Light alfredo sauce instead of the cream cheese is good too. Or do it like fried rice but with the pasta (I'm not fond of the texture of the Miracle Rice). Throw in some shrimp, scallops, turkey sausage, or other meat and you can easily make a main dish for very few calories.

    Like others have said, zucchini pasta is excellent too but I find it's sweeter tasting than regular pasta so it doesn't work quite as well for me. But it is great served under chili or other sauce that has a saltier or at least less sweet taste than some.

    well, miracle pasta may make you feel full but as far as i can see there is nothing in it but fiber. you are missing all the vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals that you find in real whole grain pasta. it also doesnt provide energy since it doesnt have calories.

    i can see having it once in a while when you really want to pig out on "pasta" but i would not replace the real thing completely.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    hmm i see people complaining about one serving being too little, but who says you can only have one? have 2 servings then and make it fit your calorie goal. 100g (2 servings) really isnt that bad calorie wise, and can be very satisfying with a delicious homemade sauce. :)

    Agreed.

    This thread is interesting, as I've always found one serving of any pasta to be quite satisfying (of course including sauce/toppings/mix ins). I feel stuffed after eating one serving of spaghetti mixed with one serving of meat sauce.

    Agreed. Lots of Italian restaurants are huge offenders when it comes to insane portion sizes, though, so perhaps that's one reason why people think the actual serving sizes are so small.
  • Keepcalmanddontblink
    Keepcalmanddontblink Posts: 718 Member
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    I weigh it raw. It gains volume when you cook it, and unless you are cooking it in calorie heavy broth, water won't add calories. Like someone said, even weighing it raw, its still a disappointing amount. I always double my serving and make room in my calories for it.
  • shortntall1
    shortntall1 Posts: 333 Member
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    I dont eat it anymore..spaghetti squash only.
  • maeganmoo
    maeganmoo Posts: 10 Member
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    I just can't live without pasta. It is my favorite! This substitute mung bean pasta helped me keep it in my diet within my calorie and high protein macro range. 20 grams of protein, 4.5 grams of fat, and only 187 calories per serving!!!!! Yay! And yes I think it is pretty good!!!!
    http://www.amazon.com/Exas-Fettuccine-Mung-Bean-7-05-Ounce/dp/B004UB9P38/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1405639605&sr=8-1&keywords=mung+bean+pasta
  • judymc6981
    judymc6981 Posts: 2
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    I too find if I eat it I want more. Here is a trick that works for me... I make my usual tomato + meat sauce but serve it over canned green beans. I usually use French Cut . the flavor is in the sauce, sprinkle with parmesan. quite yummy and a way to get a couple extra servings of veggies.
  • Iwishyouwell
    Iwishyouwell Posts: 1,888 Member
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    Pasta is one of those foods, when eaten, is best in large quantities.

    I don't crave pasta very often, even though I enjoy it immensely. So the occasional times that I do have it I make sure to eat as much as my heart desires. I can't fathom measuring out some puny little single serving and being satisfied with that.
  • IIIIISerenityNowIIIII
    IIIIISerenityNowIIIII Posts: 425 Member
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    You weigh it prior to cooking, thank God.

    I eat pasta several times a week. Usually I will add large vegetables into the mix so it bulks it up and looks more satisfying visually.
  • Ludka13
    Ludka13 Posts: 136 Member
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    Pasta is weighed uncooked, then cook it, otherwise you're weighing water. Before I got my food scale I was measuring my spaghetti using those things with holes in them. Turns out I was getting 2.85 ounces not 2 ounces, so that little bit was adding up and stalling my progress. Since I got my food scale I busted my plateau.
  • FindingAmy77
    FindingAmy77 Posts: 1,266 Member
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    You weigh pasta dry before cooking. It's still a disappointing amount though, unfortunately.

    yep, you don't get much for 200 cals or so. I plan around it when i absolutely want to make spaghetti. I eat low cal during the day so i can have two portions. Its a lot of calories but so worth it. I found that adding in lots of vegies and diced tomatoes to the sauce makes up for the small amount of one portion of pasta. I also pair it with a salad and use the texas toast for my garlic bread or don't even make bread at all so we can have a bigger salad on the side. I also started making zucchini lasagna where you don't even need pasta. Apparently you can make zucchini noodles or use spaghetti squash too but i haven tried it. My best advice is next time just plan to make it a 800 calorie meal or so and eat around it for breakfast, lunch and snacks.
  • djwife03
    djwife03 Posts: 333 Member
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    i eat whole wheat or mutlgrain pasta, and I love it. Just made spaghetti last night. while the serving size is disappointing, I made mine lean ground turkey, and had low fat cottage cheese, and broccoli as my sides.

    Side note: when I weigh food, i am surprised how small the portion looks! LOL! I often think, "how will this satisfy me?!!"
  • sarahharas5
    sarahharas5 Posts: 256 Member
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    Has anyone used a spiralizer? I bought one and you can spiralize zucchini and treat it like pasta. I'm not going to lie, it's not the same as pasta but better than nothing! I made it for my sister and we both thought it was pretty yummy :)

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