You CAN still eat pasta and still lose weight – expert reveals how
PASTA is often demonised in weight loss plans, from keto to paleo.
As a high-carb food, it gets a bad rep because too much of it will likely lead to weight gain.
But, like any food, it’s okay in moderate amounts and as part of a healthy diet.
Australia-based dietician explained why pasta is seen as a food “associated with weight gain” while in Italy, it’s eaten daily.
She wrote for her blog: “In its basic form, pasta is relatively uncomplicated nutritionally. It consists primarily of carbohydrates and some protein coming from its wheat base.
“Despite its relative simplicity, pasta gets a bad rap nutritionally for a number of reasons – its high carbohydrate nature means that it is an energy dense food.
"Perhaps most importantly the issue with pasta, particularly in Western countries is the enormous serving sizes.
"Unlike the entrée sized portions served in Italy along with plain tomato or olive oil sauces, we tend to serve jumbo sized plates of pasta along with rich, heavy sauces.
"As you can see, it is not the pasta that is the problem. It is the way we eat it."
Susie explained that it's not the pasta that's the problem, but the way we eat it, having huge portions and heavy sauces.
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Therefore, these trips and tricks will help you lose weight WITHOUT banishing pasta completely:
1. Wholemeal pasta
Susie said: “A serve of wholemeal pasta contains slightly less carbohydrate than regular pasta along with a massive 16 plus grams of fibre per serve compared to almost no fibre in regular wheat pasta.
“This means that wholemeal varieties are likely to be much more filling which means you are also likely to eat a whole lot less of it, if you can stomach it.”
Fibre is an essential part of the diet, but most Brits simply don’t eat enough.
It can help with weight loss, so opting for high fibre foods is a win.
2. Pulse pasta
“Made from a range of different legumes including chic peas, lentils and peas, pulse pasta is higher in fibre than regular pasta and as such slightly lower in carbohydrates,” Susie said.
“It is again likely to be more filling than regular pasta if you can tolerate it as a number of people find difficulty digesting the fibres found in legumes.”
3. Low-carb pasta
If you chose to watch your carb intake, there are some varieties that claim to be lower in carb, but higher in protein.
It is not the pasta that is the problem. It is the way we eat it
Susie Burrell
Protein, typically found in meats, eggs and pulses, is great for weight loss because it keeps you feeling full for much longer than carbs and fats, and helps muscles recover after exercise.
Susie said: “Unlike regular pasta these varieties tend to be much heavier, meaning you do not need as much to feel satisfied.”
4. Spiralised veg
Some pasta replacements are a far cry from the real thing, using ribbons of vegetables instead.
Susie said: “In recent years you may have also noticed a shift towards low carbohydrate alternatives to pasta including spiralised vegetables like zucchini [courgette] and pumpkin now available to major supermarkets and konjac spaghetti.”
“Courgetti”, butternut squash noodles and “calurice” - to replace rice - can often be found pre-made in supermarkets.
They give another opportunity to get vegetables and their vitamins and minerals into the diet.
However, because they are much lower in calories and carbs than the real deal, you may find yourself hungry soon after.
5. Real pasta, but portioned
If all the above options sound soul destroying, you can still eat standard white pasta.
Susie said “there’s not one food that will make you fat”, but it “comes down to the way you eat it”.
She said people in Western countries have "enormous serving sizes", adding: “A serve of cooked pasta is just a cup (think entrée size), not the 3-4 cups we are often served.
“In fact a couple of cups of cooked pasta contains almost the entire amount of carbohydrate a sedentary person requires for an entire day.
“So while this makes pasta a fabulous fuel source for elite level athletes, for the rest of us it becomes a food we can easily overconsume.
“Like any one food, consuming it occasionally, once or twice a week will pose no issue, especially if you are active."
You could always continue eating your favourite pasta but in smaller portion sizes. Try a plate of half pasta, half vegetables or salad.
6. Change the sauce or meat
If it’s the pasta you can’t get rid of, try changing the meat or pasta sauce added to it to cut down on calories.
Heavy creams, fatty meats like beef, canned sauces and cheese may be the problem.
Susie said: “Ideally we need to skip the heavy sauces in favour of lighter options such as seafood and vegetables with a little olive oil.
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"In most cases our favourite pasta comes lathered in high calorie, high fat sauces including carbonara, boscaiola and pesto which can contain as much as 60-80g of fat in a single serve. It is the mix of carbs and fat that links pasta to weight gain."
Try making the sauce yourself, by cooking and blending vegetables in chopped tomatoes with plenty of herbs.