How to Eat Pasta and Not Feel Guilty

Losing weight entails a lot of sacrifice, including changing what you eat.  But you don't have to give up pasta altogether.  I love pasta.  I dream of alfredo sauce and tender tortilini.  My favorite family recipe is anchovie and pasta.  So how do you enjoy Italian food without all the extra carbs?  Follow a few simple steps and you can welcome good old Italian classics back into your life.

1)  Dress up SmartOnes:  Weight Watchers offers frozen meals with a set point value, including a chicken and brocolli rigatoni meal.   Use it as your "pasta" fix without consuming too many carbs.  Add extra protein; like chicken, anchovie, turkey, or tuna.  Throw in a few of your favorite veggies and you have a full size meal.  If you're craving a special treat add artichoke hearts or a little bit of feta cheese.

2)  Use More Protein:  One of the big disadvantages of Italian food is the amount of empty carbohydrates.  The pasta can add up fast.  According to www.dietbites.com, one cup of cooked pasta has 34.9 carbohydrates.  While the Department of Health and Human Services recommends about half of our daily intake, or about 300 grams, should be carbohydrates, your choice of carbs should be varied.  There's a simple way to versify your whole wheat pasta.  Even out the balance by adding more protein.  One of my favorite meals is a little bit of tortilini with some chicken breast.  Other good sources of protein include turkey, seafood, low-fat cheese, and beans.   

3) Measure your Serving:  Check the pasta package for the serving size.  Doing this means you will know exactly how many calories and carbs you're consuming.  Double check to see if the calorie counts are different depending on whether the pasta is dry or cooked.  If you're cooking for one, measure out the dry serving size.  If you're serving multiple people, use this simple trick.  Serve yourself an amount equal to the size of your fist.  Limit yourself to one serving only.

4)  Balance the Meal:   Think moderation in all things.  Plan ahead to have a healthy salad or side vegetable.  Remember, you'll eat less if you eat some veggies first.  Skip creamy sauces like Alfredo.  Instead use a little bit of olive oil and a few seasonings.  Or use a light vinegeratte.  If you're worried about calorie count, surf the web and find a simple do-it-yourself recipe. 

We all know placing foods in the forbidden zone guarantees future binges and feelings of guilt.  Enjoy pasta as one of many foods in your diet.  Remember, it's there to nourish you, nothing more.  Use this transition in your life to stretch yourself.  Take a few cooking classes.  Get together with some of your friends and have a recipe swap.  Food can still be an enjoyable part of your life.  Even pasta.

Sources:

http://www.dietbites.com/Carbohydrates-In-Foods/pasta-cereal.html

http://www.projectswole.com/diet/how-many-carbs-should-i-eat-in-a-day/

Comments (1)

jjmyles said:

	... great tips!
	report abuse vote down vote up

February 18, 2010
Votes: +1