I need me some PASTA!

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Replies

  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    Just keep in mind that the difference between whole grain and regular pasta is minimal. They're both low GI and WW has a few more g's of fibre, which over the course of the day, heck the meal if your adding veg and other ingredients means absolutely nothing. WW is a diet industry darling that have people completely fooled. If it were actually whole grain it could never be rolled out and made into pasta......it's refined just as much except the bran was left on and the consistancy is very similar.....I like my fiber to come from something that resembles fiber.

    This is true, except that the GI / GL of pasta is relative to cooking time. Pasta cooked beyond al dente has a high GI. And with wholegrain, even though the fiber is processed, our bodies still can't absorb it so those carbs don't count and help keep other things passing smoothly through our system.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,222 Member
    Just keep in mind that the difference between whole grain and regular pasta is minimal. They're both low GI and WW has a few more g's of fibre, which over the course of the day, heck the meal if your adding veg and other ingredients means absolutely nothing. WW is a diet industry darling that have people completely fooled. If it were actually whole grain it could never be rolled out and made into pasta......it's refined just as much except the bran was left on and the consistancy is very similar.....I like my fiber to come from something that resembles fiber.

    This is true, except that the GI / GL of pasta is relative to cooking time. Pasta cooked beyond al dente has a high GI. And with wholegrain, even though the fiber is processed, our bodies still can't absorb it so those carbs don't count and help keep other things passing smoothly through our system.
    Sure, the more you cook any starch the higher the GI......heat is basically digesting the protein. Put a piece of bread in your mouth and don't chew, soon you'll taste the sugars and it will get sweeter.
  • captainamy11
    captainamy11 Posts: 15 Member
    I just had a Lean Cuisine Lasagna with Meat Sauce and it was WONDERFUL! I'm stocking up on those!
  • mtaylor33557
    mtaylor33557 Posts: 542 Member
    Awe, I actually prefer whole grain pasta. You have to cook it a little longer, but it just holds up so well to red sauce to me.

    It's all I ever use!

    I didn't know there was so much widespread dislike of it!
  • Goosiesnougs
    Goosiesnougs Posts: 420
    Spaghetti squash
  • auroranflash
    auroranflash Posts: 3,569 Member
    Nothing replaces good ol' pasta, nothing. An Italian would rather jump head first into traffic than eat whole wheat pasta....just make sure you understand the portion and the other ingredients your putting in and enjoy the real thing. Last weekend I made some ricotta, spinach, pinenut ravioli with a butter sage sauce, there's no [diet or healthier] pasta that's going to compare. Diet and healthier are diet industry terms to seperate you from your money while giving you less. lol

    Wow, talk about some truth. Damn. I have never thought about it that way (the last sentence) .... :drinker:
  • JCDF
    JCDF Posts: 25
    Looking for any suggestions on low - calorie noodles or substitutes that you might use when you are in the mood for pasta. I tried wheat noodles and I would rather eat cardboard IMO.

    Just seeing if I am missing out on something awesome, or if I'll have to stick with the cardboard :wink:

    How about trying another brand? I use whole wheat pasta and fix it el dente. I have gotten so used to it that regular white pasta seems to lack flavor to me now. I fix the whole wheat pasta el dente because that keeps it in the low glycemic, anti inflammatory range.

    And I don't load up my plate with it. Just a serving.
  • there are soy noodles that are really good after you boil them and everything I get them at a place called the fresh market but just look for soy noodles they are in a bag in the cold stuff at the store
  • mummum2
    mummum2 Posts: 415 Member
    make sure you understand the portion and the other ingredients your putting in and enjoy the real thing.

    Bingo!

    Losing weight is all about portion control. If you want pasta, have pasta. You just have to learn how to eat reasonable portions.

    ^this from me also^ enjoy!!
  • Stagezz
    Stagezz Posts: 124 Member
    I cut up fresh cauliflower steam it and put sauce on it...It is actually really good!
  • mfaine
    mfaine Posts: 84 Member
    I like Ronzoni Healthy Harvest, my son says he even prefers it to ordinary semolina. I'm going to try Shirataki noodles this weekend but I can't say if I'll like them.
  • nowornever47
    nowornever47 Posts: 333 Member
    Dreamfield pasta claims to be lower carb and lower calorie than regular pasta, with 130 calories per serving according to their estimates (which is different from the box). It tastes like regular pasta to me, but I'm not sure about the calorie content. Also there are some Asian noodles, Miracle noodles I think, that have few to zero calories. I haven't been able to find them around here, but I'm sure someone else can tell you more about them.

    I was going to say the same thing - Dreamfields, in a black box! Does NOT taste grainy like whole wheat pasta, but better for you.... right now I think it only comes in penne & angel hair but I love it! Then I use the heart healthy sauce & fat free parmesan - lower calorie... & you can get your pasta fix for sure!!! I even added some roasted red peppers to mine the other night... yumm!!
    I think it's like 190 cal for a cup and a half cooked penne..... but they measure it dry, go figure!
  • Vince_1964
    Vince_1964 Posts: 359 Member
    Just eat it!! Try to do so as part of a meal instead of your main course ... maybe with some lean chicken, fish, or veggies, and a salad. A 2 oz serving only has 220 calories
  • try zero calorie zero carb noodles, in my opinion they taste really good, they're also known as shirataki noodles. nothing beats zero calorie food :D
  • SuffolkSally
    SuffolkSally Posts: 964 Member
    Seeds of Change brand - either the half white/half wholewheat or the spinach variety. Proper pasta, make sure it's al dente - it's not that high calorie, 50g is quite a good portion once you've added whatever sauce you're having with it
  • natalece18
    natalece18 Posts: 1
    Hi I understand your comment about wheat noodles. And I'm anxious to hear responses. Wheat pasta sux..!
  • medaglia_06
    medaglia_06 Posts: 282 Member
    Miracle noodles... 0 calorie, o carb. Not as good as regular pasta, but a substitute just the same :)
  • jenilla1
    jenilla1 Posts: 11,118 Member
    Just keep in mind that the difference between whole grain and regular pasta is minimal. They're both low GI and WW has a few more g's of fibre, which over the course of the day, heck the meal if your adding veg and other ingredients means absolutely nothing. WW is a diet industry darling that have people completely fooled. If it were actually whole grain it could never be rolled out and made into pasta......it's refined just as much except the bran was left on and the consistancy is very similar.....I like my fiber to come from something that resembles fiber.

    This is true, except that the GI / GL of pasta is relative to cooking time. Pasta cooked beyond al dente has a high GI. And with wholegrain, even though the fiber is processed, our bodies still can't absorb it so those carbs don't count and help keep other things passing smoothly through our system.

    In regards to the comment about fiber and carb count, I read somewhere recently that for every gram of fiber in something, you are allowed to subtract a gram of sugar because the fiber slows the carb absorption. That's why low fiber processed crap spikes your blood sugar and high fiber foods don't. For example, if you ate something with 5 grams of fiber and 9 grams of sugar, it would be as if you had only consumed 4 grams of sugar.
  • SuffolkSally
    SuffolkSally Posts: 964 Member
    Just keep in mind that the difference between whole grain and regular pasta is minimal. They're both low GI and WW has a few more g's of fibre, which over the course of the day, heck the meal if your adding veg and other ingredients means absolutely nothing. WW is a diet industry darling that have people completely fooled. If it were actually whole grain it could never be rolled out and made into pasta......it's refined just as much except the bran was left on and the consistancy is very similar.....I like my fiber to come from something that resembles fiber.

    This is true, except that the GI / GL of pasta is relative to cooking time. Pasta cooked beyond al dente has a high GI. And with wholegrain, even though the fiber is processed, our bodies still can't absorb it so those carbs don't count and help keep other things passing smoothly through our system.

    What a delicate description!
  • chi18
    chi18 Posts: 95 Member
    I am another pasta lover. I once saw a picture online that has always really stuck with me, it was in an article about healthy recipes or something. And they had two servings of pasta: one was "unhealthy" and it was a ton of pasta with a couple of veggies, and the other was less pasta with a ton of veggies. And both servings looked the same size, they filled the serving dish the same amount. It was just that with the "healthier" option you still got to eat your pasta, you were just filling up on veggies more than simple carbs. So I've tried to keep that image in mind. I did it the other night, I made a little farfalle and tossed it with olive oil, some onions, garlic, black pepper, and a bunch of broccoli and peas with some diced red bell pepper. Super tasty, filling, and I got to eat pasta (my number one comfort food).
  • skywa
    skywa Posts: 901 Member
    fresh pasta tends to be lower carb i noticed. likely because its a lot less dense than the hard kind you have to boil for 8-10 mins.

    also tofu/yam noodles are AWESOME. you just got to learn how to prepare them properly (a lot of ppl get turned off because they dotn use them properly).
  • mzhokie
    mzhokie Posts: 349 Member
    I love whole wheat pasta but I get that not everyone does. To me it has a nutty flavor. I buy Belallo whole wheat pasta. I make a roasted veggie pasta dish that is a ton of veggies cut up, oven roasted. Then the "sauce" is balsamic vinegar, olive oil, garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, lots of chopped up fresh basil. OMG! Fantastic. I now make it with about half the pasta and twice the veggies.

    You can use a mandolin to make long shreds of zucchini to act as pasta. Saute them up for a minute or two then add a marinara sauce. Cooking them with a little minced garlic, chopped onions and then a tomato sauce is yummy.

    Zucchini is my veggie substitution even though spaghetti squash works too.

    But if you are really craving it, make a small cup of pasta and eat it. Work around the calories. That's how I still enjoy the whole wheat pasta. I adjusted my recipes or only make it as a side to my dinner.
  • KBGirts
    KBGirts Posts: 882 Member
    I made this with whole wheat pasta and it tasted great (to me). You don't have to use whole wheat though. The other ingredients are healthy.


    http://www.inomthings.com/?p=1756
  • LilacDreamer
    LilacDreamer Posts: 1,364 Member
    I like Trader Joes frozen pasta's (Penne Arrabbiata, Rigatoni Siciliana)
    A serving or 2 def. doesn't break the calorie bank, so to speak. yeah the sodium is a little more than I'd like it to be, but if I typically have enough of my sodium goal left over where it won't matter too much.
  • Deltafliers
    Deltafliers Posts: 201 Member
    I have a new FAVORITE pasta! Brand name: Ronzoni - Garden Delights.

    They are enriched with tomato, carrot, and spinach (not that much of a taste difference from regular pasta, but yummy unlike whole grain); The pasta is very colorful and contains "a full serving of vegetables per 4oz portion".