Oh Pasta - you have scorned me!

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Louiselesley
Louiselesley Posts: 166 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Being Northern Irish I am expected to love potatoes but I kinda hate them. HATE. I take them once a week to please my Mother and plaster them in gravy or curry sauce.

Point is that I am a pasta or noodle eater through and through. I've always assumed pasta and noodles where a healthier option than the insane amount of potato (chips, fried or mash) that my family eats but as soon as I created an account on here I found that pasta alone has a pretty high calorie count. I really was NOT expecting that! I always, always thought it was a really healthy option -.-

In fact when you add the home made sauces and sometimes meat, it normally ends up the same as my Mothers processed meals. I know that it is obviously healthier but I was really surprised at how high in calories pasta meals are.

I'm just wondering if anyone else had;

A) A food that scorned them or..

B) Any advice on healthy pasta meals.

It is probably really easy to tell from my diary that I have a really really simple diet. I don't eat a lot of different foods (I could happily eat the same thing for lunch and breakfast every day) and when I eat food, I prefer it plain - I'm talking pasta with a sauce, maybe the odd time with meat or a vegetable -.-


*cringe* if you look at my diary please ignore my weekend >_<

Replies

  • Bramble1
    Bramble1 Posts: 13
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    Most food has scorned me :( i am struggling to lose weight if i eat anything that isn't salad and fruit...sob sob sob.
  • Diannerv
    Diannerv Posts: 195
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    I will agree about the pasta, I was measuring it out which I didnt know you measured it dry and I could only have 1/2 a serving because thats all I had allowance for. More of a side dish for me than a main meal and I swear a 1/2 serving was about 10 noodles!!! :sad: I dont eat it very often but I have to work it in if I want it. The same goes with rice. I cant think of anything that really scorns me. Peanut butter gets me cause who can just eat 2 tablespoons, I eat 2 tablespoons as I am passing thru the kitchen with a spoon in my hand straight from the jar! :laugh: Good luck! Yeah you need some new foods in your diary, :wink: I would starve.. hee hee hee... Altho I was curious what some of those foods were.
  • fteale
    fteale Posts: 5,310 Member
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    Since starting exercising and low carbing, I simply cannot eat pasta or white bread any more. It makes me throw up after a tiny amount.
  • sylvia1970
    sylvia1970 Posts: 134
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    Portion size is the key. Don't omit pasta but reduce you amount. Also I would knock that high calorie Mr kipling cakes and those chocolates out of your diet as you should really be aiming for 40g of fat a day, whether or not you've exercised that day. Think about the salt intake too as you'll retain water and feel bloated.

    And don't miss on meals

    good luck
  • eating4balance
    eating4balance Posts: 743 Member
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    Healthy Spaghetti Recipe:

    7 oz or half box of dry whole wheat spaghetti (or linguine)
    1 can tomato puree or sauce or 3 cups (low sodium preffered)
    1 pound 96% lean ground beef
    Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, sugar (if you wish :smile:)

    1. Cook the pasta according the instructions. About 8 minutes.
    2. Brown the ground beef at the same time, drain and mix with tomato sauce.
    3. Add seasonings to your liking and microwave the spaghetti sauce for about 3 minutes or until hot.
    4. Drain the spaghetti and serve with sauce.

    1/10 of recipe is about 200 calories
    That is (71 g of cooked pasta) and a 1/2 cup of sauce


    Enjoy!! (I also have a healthy fettucine alfredo recipe somewhere, not sure exactly here I put it though....)


    As for food that scorned me, that would be "fat free" ice cream, salads, bread and granola.
  • sassyg
    sassyg Posts: 393
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    I find pasta awesome calorie value. A 2oz dry serve of spaghetti is WAY more than I can eat, and I like it with a tomato-based sauce, I add a bit of meat for the family but I can take or leave it personally, a little bit of permesan on top... nom nom nom for about 300 calories
  • Louiselesley
    Louiselesley Posts: 166 Member
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    Portion size is the key. Don't omit pasta but reduce you amount. Also I would knock that high calorie Mr kipling cakes and those chocolates out of your diet as you should really be aiming for 40g of fat a day, whether or not you've exercised that day. Think about the salt intake too as you'll retain water and feel bloated.

    And don't miss on meals

    good luck

    Portions!! Portions scorn me LOL. I hate measuring things but I really need to start.

    And if you look at my diary you'll see I don't eat chocolate but a friend from American send over Hersheys kisses and who am I to deny a present? I'm also loosing weight so I dont worry about my Kiplings!

    I normally don't go over in fat either.

    But sodium. ARGH. I struggle to reach even 1000 Sodium a day when I'm meant to having like 2.5k? Thats ridiculous!! None of the foods I eat are salty. Guh!
  • Louiselesley
    Louiselesley Posts: 166 Member
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    @ alleyhays - thank you for the recipe!


    & thanks for replying everyone else. It's odd being confronted with facts about what you are eating after spending so long believing it otherwise.
  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
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    Bout ye, Louise, another Norn Irn bod here ;-)

    I started my new eating regime back in December - by halving the carbs. Yes, all that pasta, rice and bread, doesn't matter whether it's brown or white. I cut the "usual" amount in half. It's not bad in that you don't feel deprived of any food. And make up teh gap on your plate with a huge portion of salad or leafy veg!

    best of luck on your journey
  • sarahlasvegas
    sarahlasvegas Posts: 73 Member
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    Is the 200g the raw pasta weight or cooked?

    I guess you need to check it is recording it right.

    The cream has been loads of your daily calories - could you try low fat schoosy cream?

    It takes time and practice to get into new habits - I ate a 590 calorie sandwich today - gutted cos im hungry now!!
  • sassyg
    sassyg Posts: 393
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    But sodium. ARGH. I struggle to reach even 1000 Sodium a day when I'm meant to having like 2.5k? Thats ridiculous!! None of the foods I eat are salty. Guh!

    that's a good thing - that sodium is a max not a target, and some say should be more like 1500 mg

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