Nutritionist: How to lose weight by eating pasta

In Italy they eat it every day but elsewhere it is closely associated with weight gain and many diets prohibit it completely. So what's the point with the pasta? Is it really so bad for us?

Can only one food cause weight gain? Are some types of pasta better than others? And if you like your pasta, is there a way to appreciate it and not gain weight? All you need to know is right here.

Pasta that includes fettuccine, spaghetti, penne, tagliatelle, rigatoni, macaroni and linguine among other varieties is a high carbohydrate food made from wheat dough combined with water or eggs and molded in sheets or shapes before being cooked.

In its basic form, pasta is relatively simple nutritionally. It consists mainly of carbohydrates and certain proteins derived from its wheat base. A single cup of uncooked pasta contains 85 grams of total carbohydrates and up to 14 grams of protein and nothing else.

Despite its relative simplicity, pasta has poor nutritional nutrition for a number of reasons – its high carbohydrate nature means it's a dense energy food. In fact, a few cups of cooked pasta contain almost all the carbohydrate needed by a sedentary person for a whole day.

So even though it makes pasta a fabulous source of energy for top athletes, for the rest of us it becomes a food that we can easily consume more. Then it's about what we eat with pasta because we do not eat it on our own.

Rather, in most cases, our favorite pastas are savored in high-fat and fat-rich sauces, including carbonara, boscaiola and pesto, which can contain up to 60-80 g of fat. a single portion. It's the mixture of carbohydrates and fats that binds pasta to weight gain.

Finally and perhaps most importantly, the problem with pasta, especially in western countries, is the huge size of the portions. Unlike the main course portions served in Italy with plain tomato sauces or olive oil, we tend to serve giant pasta plates with rich and thick sauces. As you can see, pasta is not a problem. That's the way we eat it.

There are also many alternatives to pasta available in supermarkets just to make you more confused. The question is: are they better? Starting with whole pasta, one serving of whole pasta contains a little less carbohydrate than regular pasta, as well as 16 grams of fiber per serving compared to almost no fiber in ordinary wheat pasta.

This means that full varieties are likely to be a lot more filling, which means that you are also likely to eat a lot less, if you can stomach it.

Then there is the new pasta at the pulse. Made from a range of different legumes, including chickpeas, lentils and peas, pulse pasta is higher in fiber than regular pasta and, therefore, slightly lower in carbohydrates. It is again likely to be more satiating than regular pasta if you can tolerate it because a number of people are having trouble digesting fiber found in legumes.

Another relatively new type of pasta on the market is the lower fuels, the high protein pasta varieties contain higher amounts of gluten and fiber in the pasta that increase the fiber and protein and reduce the overall amount of carbohydrates by portion. Unlike ordinary pasta, these varieties tend to be much heavier, which means you do not need to feel satisfied.

You can also find a wide range of pasta made from a variety of different grains, including buckwheat, rice and spelled, as well as gluten-free options.

While alternatives to traditional wheat-based pasta may be suitable for dietary preferences and food intolerance, they generally have similar amounts of carbohydrate, which means little or no difference in the type of pasta you choose . .

In recent years, you may have noticed a shift to low-carb alternatives to pasta, including spiral vegetables like zucchini and pumpkin, now available for large supermarkets and konjac spaghetti.

Made from an Asian root vegetable, konjac, these extremely low carb options contain as little as 2-5g of carbohydrate per serving and although they are much lighter than pasta can replace in dishes Mixes such as spaghetti bolognese pretty good for carbohydrates and minimum calories.

There is not one food that will make you fat. When it comes to having your pasta and being able to enjoy it without worrying about weight gain, it boils down to the way you eat it.

A cooked pasta service is just a cup (think size), not the 3-4 cups we are often served and ideally, we have to skip the heavy sauces in favor of lighter options like seafood and vegetables with a little olive oil.

As with any food, eating it once or twice a week will not be a problem, especially if you are active. On the other hand, if your goal is weight loss or if you want to eat pasta more frequently, it may be worthwhile to try the low carb options to see if you can integrate them with your favorite sauces for a minimum of calories.