Pasta, Gnocchi or Risotto?

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christineluksis
christineluksis Posts: 14
in Food and Nutrition
I'm going out to an Italian restaurant tonight and need to know which has fewer calories:

-Mushroom Risotto
-Potato Gnocchi in tomato basil sauce with melted mozzarella
-Egg noodle pasta with porcini mushrooms and a rose sauce

I only have 600 calories left for today, so obviously i'm going to go over... just wondering what my best bet would be! (Of course I want the pasta the most and it's probably the most calories)!

Thanks for your help!

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  • christineluksis
    christineluksis Posts: 14
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    I'm going out to an Italian restaurant tonight and need to know which has fewer calories:

    -Mushroom Risotto
    -Potato Gnocchi in tomato basil sauce with melted mozzarella
    -Egg noodle pasta with porcini mushrooms and a rose sauce

    I only have 600 calories left for today, so obviously i'm going to go over... just wondering what my best bet would be! (Of course I want the pasta the most and it's probably the most calories)!

    Thanks for your help!
  • Ms_Lady
    Ms_Lady Posts: 31
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    Italian can be tricky--especially with the sauces and noodles! I usually stick to minestrone and a nice salad with plenty of tomatoes, olives and a "hint" of parmesan cheese! Good luck to you! Maybe the restaurant has a website where you can view their menu items????:ohwell:
  • FitnessGeek
    FitnessGeek Posts: 487
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    I'd say...

    no to the gnocchi.

    maybe to the risotto (is it made with cream or cheese? if so, I'd pass on that as well)

    yes to the egg noodle pasta.


    Just try to remember that a serving of cooked pasta is 1 cup. Just to be safe, you may want to order to go boxes as soon as you get your meal. Divide the food in half before you even eat it.

    Sticking to small portions, you can eat just about anything.
  • Nich0le
    Nich0le Posts: 2,906 Member
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    the worst is definitely going to be the potato with the mozz but the others may not be healthy either. Choose what sounds good to you at the time adn enjoy life a little just get on a walk in before or after dinner or plan on giving a little extra this weekend to make up
  • Cerabell18
    Cerabell18 Posts: 124
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    It's a tough call when it comes to restaurants because you never know what they put in their food. What I usually will do if I can't get the nutritional info is order a dinner salad (dressing on the side) and then whatever I want. I will only eat 1/4 or 1/2 of the entree and take the rest home with me for lunch the next day.

    As far as the choices you gave, I would probably get the egg noodles with rose sauce because it sounds pretty good :smile: Don't be afraid to ask about the menu items, your server should be knowledgeable about everything on the menu. If you want the rose sauce on the side, then get it on the side so that you can control how much of it you eat. If you get the gnocchi, you can probably have the no or only a little cheese so that you can control that too. Ask if they put butter, or oil, on the pasta before the sauce. If they do, you can ask for them not to do it. Also, you can create items as well...say the egg noodles with mushrooms, but instead of the rose sauce, the tomato basil sauce.

    Or...if you have time, try to get some exercise in before dinner to give yourself some more calories to burn. After dinner, maybe recommend going on a nice nighttime walk :smile:
  • bluroses
    bluroses Posts: 90 Member
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    Portion size is a big factor, too! I just did some quick googling to get averages. Looks like your "average" calorie count for mushroom risotto is 150 cal/cup; for potato gnocchi it is 250 cal/cup (that's *not* counting the sauce and cheese); for egg noodles it is 220 cal/cup (100g of porcini mushrooms adds another 26; no idea about the sauce - depending on if it is tomato based or cream based it could add a ton or not so much). SO... the pasta might not be too horrible IF you keep portions in check. Maybe you could ask them to package up half of it to take home before you even get the food. And, if it's possible to get the sauce on the side, that might also be helpful. FINEASWINEIN09's suggestion to get a green salad is a great one. It can help you feel more full with less pasta. I would suggest you just pay attention to your portions and enjoy your treat.
  • christineluksis
    christineluksis Posts: 14
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    Thanks for the responses everyone! Lucky for me, there was a grilled salmon special (salmon is my favourite restaurant meal) so i went with that and veggies!

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