Pasta is the devil

2

Replies

  • kayemme
    kayemme Posts: 1,782 Member
    What about quinoa? Not sure if I spelled that correctly, but I was too lazy to look it up. I've heard it's high in protein. Has anyone tried it?

    its a bit higher in carbs, but pretty tasty! i like it.

    higher in carbs as compared to what?

    plus it's super good for you. if you must have a grain, make quinoa the one.
  • Jill_newimprovedversion
    Jill_newimprovedversion Posts: 988 Member
    I've been fortunate, I've found Nickels' 35 cal bread, so I haven't had to give up bread- even make paninis out of it

    and Ronzoni Smart Taste Pasta is 170 cal per 2 oz serving, 40 carbs, 5 g fiber, 6 g protein (which is A LOT of pasta, 1/6 of the package)

    so I haven't given up pasta either.

    I've gone to baking from scratch, using 50% white whole wheat flour and 50% all purpose and adding ground flaxseed meal
    to pizza doughs

    Spaghetti squash
    and
    shredded zucchini are good pasta swaps too- using marinara sauce or a light Italian dressing


    and as far carbs being the devil, throw some holy water on it - it'll cast out any demons and send them into your neighbor's pig farm
    Then sit down, and thank God for your *SANCTIFIED* food.
  • Sharyn913
    Sharyn913 Posts: 777 Member
    Everyones body reacts differently to carbs....
  • kmm7309
    kmm7309 Posts: 802 Member
    Whole wheat pasta and bread, sweet potatoes and the like.

    Seriously, don't avoid the carbs, but make them count. Complex carbs will help you feel full quicker and longer than refined carbs. My doctor told me to cut back my carbs to about 125 a day. This is a good number to strive for. I'm not trying to judge the atkin's diet, but I found it to be hard to sustain for me, a person who eats pasta and potatoes at every meal. 125 carbs/day was much easier for me to attain.
  • Pooks1n1Schmoops
    Pooks1n1Schmoops Posts: 199 Member
    I've tried substituting some things for higher carb stuff. The really difficult part is my teenage boys. I can't even imagine the mutiny on my hands if I tried to replace pizza crust with cauliflower lol.
    Sweets aren't really my go to thing. It's always been carbs. Brea, pasta, potatoes. I could exist on carbs alone. Ok, maybe cheese too. Does anyone know of any substitutes for carbs that are actually satisfying?

    i am/was in the same boat. i have found that fiber is my friend.

    therefore, i try to find other things that will work "in place" of bread & pasta, excepting when i'm at a party. so for instance, i use zucchini as a "noodle" replacement, cauliflower as a "pizza crust" and drink a crap ton of water. keep an eye on the recipes section of the forums. there are a lot of great "replacements"

    the summertime is a perfect time to start replacing or eliminating simple carbs from the diet because there's so much available so inexpensively.

    you might feel a little crappy at first, but then you start to feel SUPER good.
  • Railr0aderTony
    Railr0aderTony Posts: 6,803 Member
    I know I know. I'm looking for a magical no calorie carb. Anyone? LOL

    Miracle noodles, I love them, 0 calories and extreamly filling
  • elisabeisme
    elisabeisme Posts: 308 Member
    Ricotta gnocchi. Solves the pasta craving but with less carbs.
  • MFPBrandy
    MFPBrandy Posts: 564 Member
    I'll have to try some of these, thanks! I guess i didn't realize quinoa was higher in carbs. Maybe it was the protein I was thinking of. So far I've been eating almost the same things, just watching my portions. Last night I was at a birthday party and they had red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting. I ate two bites of the cake (sans frosting). It was a nice sweet taste and I didn't feel like I was bad. I did log it!
    Quinoa is healthy food; I love it. Carbs aren't bad; your body needs them for fuel. They key is having good carbs that are real grain, not overly-processed, nutritionless flour. I don't understand pasta cravings...pasta on its own tastes like nothing. It's the stuff that goes ON pasta that I crave, and I just put it on veggies instead. If you like the idea of pasta, a lot of people make "noodles" out of zucchini or other squash--I've seen some that look just like spaghetti. If you really need the pasta, maybe go with a whole-grain option and cut the amount of pasta in half, filling in th rest with veggies? Just some ideas....
    Now BREAD...I can't help you there. There's not much better than hot, crusty bread righ out of the oven, slathered in butter. Which is why the only bread I have in my house is deli oats or the occasional sandwich.
  • JosieRawr
    JosieRawr Posts: 788 Member
    What about quinoa? Not sure if I spelled that correctly, but I was too lazy to look it up. I've heard it's high in protein. Has anyone tried it?

    It's worth trying, I love pasta... Quinoa is pretty good and versitile(from rice like dinners to oatmeal like breakfasts) I am a recent user, but I like it and found that it satisfied me much more than white pasta and fulfilled my carb craving with a smaller serving, i was full.
  • kayemme
    kayemme Posts: 1,782 Member
    and as far carbs being the devil, throw some holy water on it - it'll cast out any demons and send them into your neighbor's pig farm
    Then sit down, and thank God for your *SANCTIFIED* food.

    heh. cute!

    i don't avoid carbs so much, but i do avoid simple carbs (anything refined) or not so much avoid, but carefully monitor. for me, it's a bit of a trigger. i have a bit more than i need here and then before I know it, I'm face down in a bag of chips.
  • MizSaz
    MizSaz Posts: 445 Member
    If it's a trigger food for you, that's one thing. Otheriwise, eating pasta isn't bad, eating a whole box of pasta is. Like anything else, everything in moderation. They do make whole wheat and low carb pastas as well. I haven't tried to the low carb, because it IS pricier, but the whole wheat isn't bad at all.
  • Alansugar1
    Alansugar1 Posts: 15
    Disagree...... take a look at the diets of prisoners. They may have 'some' choice, and whilst we all do not envy their surroundings, their physiques are the envy of many. Moderation, moderation is the key. Try not to beat yourself up too much if you have had a portion or two of pasta.
  • kayemme
    kayemme Posts: 1,782 Member
    What about quinoa? Not sure if I spelled that correctly, but I was too lazy to look it up. I've heard it's high in protein. Has anyone tried it?

    It's worth trying, I love pasta... Quinoa is pretty good and versitile(from rice like dinners to oatmeal like breakfasts) I am a recent user, but I like it and found that it satisfied me much more than white pasta and fulfilled my carb craving with a smaller serving, i was full.

    also try using vegetables in place of noodles in lasagnes or other casseroles. it's a way to healthy it up without even noticing.
  • Trechechus
    Trechechus Posts: 2,819 Member
    I will let Bones answer this on for me...

    tumblr_lp2epd7QrL1qbhtrto1_500.gif
  • kayemme
    kayemme Posts: 1,782 Member
    Disagree...... take a look at the diets of prisoners. They may have 'some' choice, and whilst we all do not envy their surroundings, their physiques are the envy of many. Moderation, moderation is the key. Try not to beat yourself up too much if you have had a portion or two of pasta.

    they also work out all day.
  • kayemme
    kayemme Posts: 1,782 Member
    Ricotta gnocchi. Solves the pasta craving but with less carbs.

    oh, god, ricotta gnocchi is SO DELICIOUS. i made it a while back and completely forgot about it. ridiculously filling, too.
  • Pooks1n1Schmoops
    Pooks1n1Schmoops Posts: 199 Member
    Don't toy with me. Are they real????
    I know I know. I'm looking for a magical no calorie carb. Anyone? LOL

    Miracle noodles, I love them, 0 calories and extreamly filling
  • kayemme
    kayemme Posts: 1,782 Member
    I've tried substituting some things for higher carb stuff. The really difficult part is my teenage boys. I can't even imagine the mutiny on my hands if I tried to replace pizza crust with cauliflower lol.


    don't tell them: they'll never know. i couldn't believe it myself :)
  • kiwi1254
    kiwi1254 Posts: 5
    Dr. Oz actuallt said the Hodgkin's MIll Flax Gluten free pasta was a good substitute. I tried it and it was good, but you have to cook it twice as long as the instructions say.
  • JosieRawr
    JosieRawr Posts: 788 Member
    In the carb battle, just don't forget that certain cells in your body can ONLY run on carbs(glucose) such as your red blood cells and brain cells, and if you don't provide them your body will have to make them, which has a negative affect on your metabolism and pH. I still love my carbs but I'm trying to get the majority of them from healthier less processed sources(though i had basically a peach Popsicle for breakfast)
  • AmyFett
    AmyFett Posts: 1,607 Member
    eat tortilla shells instead of bread if you have a sandwich or something. Sweet potatoes over 'regular' potatoes.
  • nehushtan
    nehushtan Posts: 566 Member
    Consider this speculation on Dreamfields pasta:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/404465-dreamfields-pasta-calorie-speculation
  • kiwi1254
    kiwi1254 Posts: 5
    It is adi that even though it's high in carbs, you're body treats it more like a protein. It's good and really filling too.Don't use too much as it swells up.
  • Pooks1n1Schmoops
    Pooks1n1Schmoops Posts: 199 Member
    Lol I've found my face in that position before. Not so much with chips, but you get the idea. I'm just starting out so I need to read up on some things. I guess I thought carbs were carbs. Obviously fruit and veggie carbs are better.
    and as far carbs being the devil, throw some holy water on it - it'll cast out any demons and send them into your neighbor's pig farm
    Then sit down, and thank God for your *SANCTIFIED* food.

    heh. cute!

    i don't avoid carbs so much, but i do avoid simple carbs (anything refined) or not so much avoid, but carefully monitor. for me, it's a bit of a trigger. i have a bit more than i need here and then before I know it, I'm face down in a bag of chips.
  • JosieRawr
    JosieRawr Posts: 788 Member
    Are you talking about movie prisoners? Just like in the "outside" world, prisons have a variety of builds, those you work out(just like those that bust their butts in the gym) may have enviable bods, but those who don't will be in a similar body composition as our couch potatoes...
  • brneydgrlie
    brneydgrlie Posts: 464 Member
    Glass noodles (also called bean threads). The noodles are made out of bean starch and water. You soak the dried noodles in hot water for a few minutes, then drain and add to stir fry. Yummy!
  • Hope502012
    Hope502012 Posts: 98 Member
    Sweets aren't really my go to thing. It's always been carbs. Brea, pasta, potatoes. I could exist on carbs alone. Ok, maybe cheese too. Does anyone know of any substitutes for carbs that are actually satisfying?

    I have been amazed by the way cauliflower can be substituted for carbs. Grated and lightly steamed or microwaved with a tablespoon of water is terrific instead of rice or pasta and yes - it is filling! Mashed in place of potatoes is also great - especially with a little low fat creamed cheese. Have you tried rice cakes instead of bread as they are low in calories [and don't make me bloat like bread does] I've also found that a small slice of cheese spread with yeast extract emphasises the flavour and keeps those cravings at bay. All the very best of luck :]
  • DesireeLovesOrganic
    DesireeLovesOrganic Posts: 456 Member
    I don't think carbs are the devil either. I am vegan so I eat lots of quinoa. I love it, it's easy to over eat though because a serving size (160 cal) is only 1/4th cup (pre-cooked.) I mix it with black beans, bell pepper, jalapeno, avocado and tomato a lot and chuck it in an organic corn tortilla. If I eat pasta I do eat only organic whole wheat pasta or brown rice pasta. My kids don't even notice the difference if I use brown rice pasta. I would use a measuring cup to serve yourself though, that keeps me in check cause it's less than you think, not a plateful. I love the organic hakubaku whole wheat udon noodles, I cook those with some cashews and tons of veggies (broccoli, zucchini, mushrooms, etc) and some Braggs liquid aminos (like soy sauce) + some nutritional yeast, yum!

    I eat around 200 carbs a day (lot of fruit and veggies too.) I don't personally count them, I just aim for whole organic foods within my calorie range but I notice on MFP that it ends up being around 200 a day.
  • Pooks1n1Schmoops
    Pooks1n1Schmoops Posts: 199 Member
    This is hard. That made my head hurt lol. And I'm a smart person!
    Consider this speculation on Dreamfields pasta:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/404465-dreamfields-pasta-calorie-speculation
  • devil_in_a_blue_dress
    devil_in_a_blue_dress Posts: 5,214 Member
    Sweets aren't really my go to thing. It's always been carbs. Brea, pasta, potatoes. I could exist on carbs alone. Ok, maybe cheese too. Does anyone know of any substitutes for carbs that are actually satisfying?

    I love carbs too. I've learned to just enjoy them in smaller portions because there is no satisfying sub for me. Now I just mix in a ton of veggies, protein, and some dairy into them so I am getting a plate full of food.

Categories