Can you eat pasta while dieting? Or is it a carb catastrophe waiting to happen? It all comes down on how strategic you are about it…
Carb Catastrophe
If you’re trying to reduce the amount of carbs in your diet, pasta portion control can turn into a real disaster. A study that focused on portion size estimation clearly shthat people underestimate their pasta portion size by a whopping 156% on average. That means that your 2 cups of macaroni could contain 450 more calories and 85+ more grams of carbs than you ex-pected. Ouch!
Calorie Mayhem
Even though cooked pasta is not very calorie dense (around 200 calories per cup), it’s usually served with its infamous evil friend – the creamy and delicious Alfredo sauce that can contain anywhere from 400 to 1,000 calories per cup. You’ll always be better off sticking with tomato-based sauces and making sure your pasta dishes contain mostly veggies and protein foods.
Gluten-Free Choices
If you’re trying to reduce how much gluten you consume, consider trying pasta made with :
- Rice
- Quinoa
- Amaranth
- Any other gluten-free grain
Always avoid pasta made with corn or soy, unless it’s organic.
0 Carb, 0 Calories Pasta?
Miracles do happen. Used in Asia for years, Shirataki noodles contain virtually no carbs, no calories, and are gluten-free. They are made with devil’s tongue yam (an Asian sweet potato) fiber and water. If you’re a pasta lover, it’s about time you start cooking with these noodles every single day. The high fiber content will make you feel full without adding any carbs and calories to your diet.
The best place to buy these miracle noodles is online: From Here
They are NOT cheap, but are worth it if you’re a real pasta addict.
Preparing Shirataki Noodles
Shirataki noodles can be tricky to prepare the first time around. Follow these steps and you’ll get the best tasting noodles possible:
1. Cut package open with scissors, drain noodles in colander and rinse 1 minute under cold water. Drain.
2. Bring 1 quart water to a boil in a 2-3 quart saucepan; add ½ tsp. salt and noodles.
3. Simmer 2 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water. Set aside until ready to use.
4. For drier noodles, toss in a lightly oiled, hot, non-stick pan for 1 minute before serving or combining with
sauces.
Note: Shirataki noodles have no taste per-say. Make sure to season them with your favorite sauces, spices and some unrefined salt.
Summary
- Like bread, pasta is very easy to indulge on. Controlling your carbs is key to lose weight, so be very smart about it.
- If gluten is a problem for you, stick with gluten-free pasta made with rice, quinoa or any other gluten-free grain.
- If you’re a pasta lover trying to cut carbs, you need to try shirataki noodles. They contain 0 carbs and 0 calories – so you can literally eat them every single day without sabotaging your weight loss.
