Sometimes when I talk to patients and they tell me they have lost weight or made efforts to be healthier (yay!), one of the first things they tell me is that they’ve cut out carbs… specifically pasta.
This hurts my heart because:
(1.) I love carbs!
(2.) Carbohydrates are the brain’s first source of fuel.
(3.) I have generally found that eliminating food groups is something that people have a hard time maintaining in the long run.
and
(4.) Pasta can easily be incorporated into a well-balanced diet.
So here are some tips to lighten up your pasta dishes:
The best way to think about building a healthy, filling, pasta dish is to think of the protein and vegetables as the stars of the show… the pasta is just an accessory. Here are a few simple ways to do this:
– Start out with a smaller serving size of pasta. For me, this is ~1 cup (if you have higher calorie needs then you may want more than this). Measure your pasta with a measuring cup if you are not sure how to eyeball 1 cup.
–Add AT LEAST the same amount of vegetables as pasta (if not more). I don’t count the sauce in this if I’m using marinara. I try to add 1.5 cups of extra vegetables to my pasta dishes. Some of my favorite veggies to add to pasta are:
- Mushrooms
- Green peppers
- Onions
- Zucchini
- Broccoli
- Summer squash
- Spinach
These types of dishes are actually great to add those extra veggies you have laying around in the fridge. Whatever I use is usually sautéed in Italian seasoning and garlic before I toss it over my pasta.
– Complete your dish with a lean protein, such as grilled chicken or 93/7 ground beef. I like to make sure I have what is considered to be 1 full serving of my protein (~3oz. or the size of a deck of cards depending on the meat).
– Be mindful of what’s in your sauce. As a general rule of thumb, creamier sauces (like alfredo or butter sauces) are going to be higher in fat and calories. When picking out jarred or canned sauces, look for ones with simple ingredient labels that are not loaded with sodium. I have tried to be better about making my own marinara sauce because it really cuts down on the artificial ingredients and salt content in my pasta dishes. Marinara sauce is not too hard to make… and your house will smell amazing while it’s cooking!!!
– Making lasagna? Lighten it up by adding layers of vegetables in place of some of the noodles. Eggplant is great for this! I also like to add spinach and butternut squash to my lasagna.
Do you have any tips to making your pasta dishes a bit healthier?
What is your favorite pasta dish? Mine is good ole spaghetti!
Confession… I actually gave up pasta for years because I had this mentality about carbs. Introducing pasta back into my life last spring was the best thing that ever happened to me. Before last April, it had been about 10 years since I had eaten pasta. No joke. I am still mindful of the type of pasta I eat and what I prepare it with, but now I have it at least once a week. I love a good pasta tossed in olive oil, basal, and garlic. Mmmmm
You are not alone! I swear I talk to patients every single week who tell me they don’t allow themselves to eat pasta. For me, the key is to really load the dish up with vegetables, especially my favorites. When I start out with just a little bit of pasta, I always think to myself “Is that it?!” But then after I add the veggies and protein, it’s more then enough to make a great meal.
I hate when people hate on good carbs like pasta! I’m not a dietitian or anything, but I’m a food freak and I know a thing or two when it comes to what’s healthy haha :)
In December last year I was talking to one of my best friends, she was talking about how she was sad about having gained so much weight and how she didn’t feel good about herself and that she was planning on going on this soup-diet. Previously she had lost weight by not eating carbs, then gained the weight back plus some extra when she started eating it again. I told her to throw the stupid soup idea out the window – start eating whole grain pasta, switch white carbs with whole grain, eat lots of veggies and all that fun stuff (and eat ENOUGH!), and I helped her get into running. Long story short. Next time I saw her, just over 5 months later (her university is a 10 hour train ride away so I don’t see her very often), she had lost 20lbs just because she had kept following the simple tips I gave her about running and eating MORE and SMARTER. She was so happy and grateful for the things I’d helped her with. You have no idea how proud I am of her! And yes, she has kept the weight off and is still living healthy – because it’s not that hard if you just start.
It’s so sad when people think it’s better to eat very little and not eat carbs and all that. If what they want is to lose weight and keep it off they need to realize they can’t just go on a stupid diet, they need to change their lifestyle – which means they have to do something they can live with for the long run.
Whenever people follow my simple tips they are always surprised that it’s actually working haha. How hard is it? Too little food will mess with your mood and metabolism, right amount of food will make you happier and give you a better metabolism. The right carbs will give your body more enery, more energy will make your workouts better, better workouts means better muscles and a positive mind. So simple!
I love pasta! It’s more or less my favorite carb, you can do so much with it and it really fills you up + it gives me lots of energy for running! I like it with veggies, I like it in salat, I just really like pasta no matter what. Tagliatelle, penne and macaroni are my faves. Only whole grain, I’m a whole grain-aholic haha :)
Sorry for the extremely long comment haha, I’m just a huge fan of pasta ;)
Definitely agree with you so much about eating smarter. I appreciate your passion for pasta :)