How can I make pasta more filling?

dointime
dointime Posts: 103 Member
edited September 30 in Food and Nutrition
On occasion, I eat pasta for dinner with my boys. I love it, so I don't really want to skip it, especially since it's only once in a while. Unfortunately, I don't find it very filling, and it also makes me want to eat bad stuff later. Does anyone have any tips to make the pasta more satisfying/filling and keep away the cravings later? I usually just eat a small amount of pasta and have a big salad with it. I'm vegetarian, so adding meat is not possible. I am not a fan of TVP or soy crumbles in pasta either. Also, I don't find spaghetti squash to be an acceptable substitute for pasta. Now that I've given you all my rules, can anyone help?

Replies

  • randa_behnam
    randa_behnam Posts: 488 Member
    its quite surprising that your not finding pasta filling as this is one of the foods that tends to fill people up the most. If you cant add any meat then why not add veg? make a pasta bake with cheese and brocilli....or tuna and sweetcorn?
  • trud72
    trud72 Posts: 1,912 Member
    do it cold with tomatos.cucumber all the veggies you can think of,or hot with chillis,tomatos,veggies ect!
  • Fattack
    Fattack Posts: 666 Member
    Use brown or at the very least, egg-based pastas ( as in the pasta made from egg, not pasta served with eggs), they're lower GI, higher in fibre and will keep you fuller for longer.
  • seyran
    seyran Posts: 43
    Hi, I usually cook a vegetable pasta (not white pasta, those mixed with bran). But mix pasta almost half / half with vegetables and cheese (low fat). After eating any kind of pasta or bread I suggest drinking coffe or tea with a spoon of cinnamon. Which balances out insulin in blood (high insulin level is the reason why you feel cravings for bad things). Good luck :)
  • dointime
    dointime Posts: 103 Member
    What kind of veggies taste good in pasta? I've never had it other than with chunks of tomato in it. I don't eat any meat, not even fish. I guess I didn't mention it, but when I mean more filling, I guess I mean I want to bulk it up so I don't have to have as much of the actual noodles...
  • natskedat
    natskedat Posts: 570 Member
    I had the same problem, and was not willing to give it up. So here's what I've found that works for me.

    It's all in the sauce! I chop up around 2 cups of veggies and sautee them in a little olive oil. I use whatever veggies I have in my drawer (usually zucchini, red pepper, onion, carrots, celery, etc.). When the veggies are a little soft, I add about 1/2 a jar of pre-made marinara sauce. I load a small amount of pasta up with a heap of tomato-sauce laden veggies. It's been keeping me full for a few hours, providing a ton of veggies, and allowing me to enjoy one of my favorite meals.

    Hope this helps!
  • CassandraD82
    CassandraD82 Posts: 71 Member
    I feel the same way about pasta: I love it and no substitute will do for me!

    I have some ideas for you: first off, you are probably going to have to be sensible about your portion of actual pasta. And no garlic bread on the side! The rest of the meal is going to have to pad out the meal to make you feel content, if not actually full.

    I like to mix an equal portion of vegetables into my pasta - pumpkin and brocolini (or tenderstem brocoli) or green beens or peas work well. You can grate a carrot and stir that in too. Baby spinach leaves are an awesome way to pad out a pasta dish and they can be stirred in last minute. Or cherry tomatos.

    For sauces a tomato sauce is pretty healthy but when you are craving a creamy sauce I reach for the Weight Watchers extra extra extra light sour cream. I wish I knew about that stuff years ago! About 1/3rd cup per serve makes for a pretty indulgent sauce.

    My current pasta meal is a bit like this:

    1 SERVE (I cook for one sadly!)
    Cook some linguine or pasta of your choice - pull it off a bit early and get it cold fast

    Fry up quarter of an onion chopped finely with a smiggen of olive oil
    Add a tablespoon of ready made pesto to the pan
    Add in 1/3rd a cup of extra extra light sour cream
    Add in 1 serve of pasta (I aim for 200g cooked pasta)
    Add in 4 cherry tomatos, halved or quartered depending on how lazy you are
    Add in a giant handful of spinach. Then add in more.
    Add pepper and fresh nutmeg. Serve with parmesan.

    I've got another recipe I'm eating up like crazy at the moment but it's with salmon so I won't mention it!
  • FabiolaEnvy♥
    FabiolaEnvy♥ Posts: 730
    make a good pasta salad then :) ♥ whatever you want in it.
    then put a little of olive oil and balsamic for the flavor and taste. oh and put basil or Italian seasoning for the season :)

    you know what else i find very filling is pesto sauce.
    its great and healthy when eating pasta. :) ♥

    are you eating white pasta?
    i grab whole grain or whole wheat.
    that actually helps fill your up more.

    hope these helps :)
  • randa_behnam
    randa_behnam Posts: 488 Member
    any veg at all works with pasta, sweetcorn, peas, carrots, aubergines....you name it. if you want to eat less of the pasta itself then use it as a side dish and have a large salad as the main.
  • bitterbrownie
    bitterbrownie Posts: 369
    What kind of veggies taste good in pasta? I've never had it other than with chunks of tomato in it. I don't eat any meat, not even fish. I guess I didn't mention it, but when I mean more filling, I guess I mean I want to bulk it up so I don't have to have as much of the actual noodles...

    butternut squash
    peppers
    aubergine
    avocado
  • dointime
    dointime Posts: 103 Member
    Thanks for all the suggestions, there are some really good ideas here!!! I appreciate the help so I can still eat my pasta. :)
  • CassandraD82
    CassandraD82 Posts: 71 Member
    You could also make a bolognese style sauce heavy on the carrots and celery and with a little bit of soy-based mince.

    From memory my dad used to cook his bolognese like so (I admit I prefer to keep the milk and wine in mine even if it is a bit naughty!)

    SERVES 4
    1 onion, chopped finely, fry it up in a tiny pool of olive oil... or use a non stick pan. Cook for at least 1-2 minutes
    Add some garlic
    Add 3 sticks of celery, finely chopped
    Add 3 finely chopped carrots
    Add mince/mince replacement, fry til browned
    Add in 2 cans of diced tomatoes
    Add in 2-3 tablespoons of tomato paste
    Add in 1 teaspoon of sugar/sweetner

    Let it cook down until it is a good consistency. To make this more healthy I would probably grate in some carrot and zuchini and add them after the mince. Mushrooms could be added too.
  • seyran
    seyran Posts: 43
    I only use brown pasta, I mix whatever vegetable I have in the fridge ;
    - Zucchini
    - tomatoes
    -spinach
    - green beans, broccoli
    - red-green peppers....etc (I avoid carrots as they have too much sugar in them)
    I put a bit of olive oil in the pan, add garlic, then I add the vegetables (without over cooking them), I add half a glass of water of boilinging pasta to the pan. It is important to keep the pasta "al dente"
    Than I mix everyting, add some low fat ricotta or similar cheese. I add some rosmarine e/o basilico e voila buon appetito !!!
  • Cazsmalley
    Cazsmalley Posts: 5
    Bulk your pasta out with veggies which are still healthy and low fat, but have more starch in them so you will feel fuller for longer, without feeling guilty.

    Obviously you can combine starchy veggies with other non-starchy veggies (as other replies have suggested), but if you put in 1 or 2 starchy veg, that will help you maintain a feeling of fullness.

    Good examples are peas, sweetcorn, sweet potatoes and roasted squashes.
  • dointime
    dointime Posts: 103 Member
    Thank you all for the suggestions! I will have to print this for next time I eat pasta!
  • cherrycoco
    cherrycoco Posts: 10
    You could try beans too - I love borlotti beans with spaghetti or in a pasta bake, with a tomato & veggie sauce. yummy, filling and full of protein.
  • gillster28
    gillster28 Posts: 14
    I love pasta nights because they usually involve a lot of veg! Im not vegetarian but would choose veg over meat any day of the week.
    Sometimes we have pasta shapes. I use a low cal spray to fry off mushrooms, onions, different coloured peppers etc and maybe add some mixed herbs and chilli while they're cooking. Once the pasta is ready everything gets flung together with a tin of chopped tomato and garlic.
    If i make too much the left overs go in a casserole dish and i grate cheese over the top.

    If im totally honest, i prefer the cheesy pasta bake ;-)

    If you prefer noodles why don't you buy thin noodles and do a Chinese stir fry?
    Then you can bulk it up with mushrooms, grated carrot, baby corn, sugar snap peas and spring onions. Oh and soy sauce.

    This has made me quite peckish, ha ha! hope it helped ;-)
  • smex14
    smex14 Posts: 48
    mix with peas and low fat cream cheese non nom nom :)
  • wickedcricket
    wickedcricket Posts: 1,246 Member
    yes, add veggies or a low cal creamy dressing. have you tried whole grain pasta? I love it & find it satisfies but doesn't 'stuff' me like regular pasta. It is surprising this doesn't fill you, most ppl consider pasta 'comfort food' and for me personally, it's something I have to watch closely. I'd eat it at every meal if I could. when i make pasta salad, I use plain yogurt instead of mayo. everyone loves it & can't taste the diff, even my grandkids eat it
  • sdolbey
    sdolbey Posts: 2
    If you make/ use any of the veggie based sauces reccommeded above, you could also consider mixing in some unflavoured protein isolate (there are veggie/vegan brands available). That would give your meal a good protein boost without affecting the flavour much, and the protein should make it feel more filling.
  • AlsDonkBoxSquat
    AlsDonkBoxSquat Posts: 6,128 Member
    Last night I had 1/2 cup cooked quinoa pasta with sauce 1/2 of sauted mixed veggies (squash, zuchinni, and roma tomatoes) and 4 oz of chicken breast . . . it filled up my bowl and I found it very filling. For me, if I'm feeling empty, the answer is to just add more veggies.
  • mmmillis
    mmmillis Posts: 3
    You can use olives, squash, Zucchini, even cucumber if you are making it cold. Add chunks of feta to help but no salt the feta is plenty salty enough
  • Punkedpoetess
    Punkedpoetess Posts: 633 Member
    I recommend veggies such as broccoli, carrots, tomatoes, onions, etc. Cheeses are also good in a small quantity. For your pasta I always recommend using whole grain, veggie, or multigrain pastas like ronzoni or barilla. They make great ones that fill me up a lot better than white pasta.
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