Dietitian reveals how you can eat pasta without gaining weight – and it’s much simpler than you think
- A dietitian has revealed how you can eat pasta without piling on the kilos
- Susie Burrell said a cup of uncooked pasta contains 85g of carbs and 14g protein
- She said cooked pasta contains high carbohydrate so it’s an energy dense food
- While it’s a good fuel source, many tend to eat large servings with heavy sauces
Susie Burrell (pictured) has revealed how you can enjoy eating pasta without gaining weight
A dietitian has revealed how you can enjoy eating pasta without gaining weight.
Susie Burrell, from Sydney, said a single cup of uncooked pasta contains 85g of carbohydrate and up to 14g of protein.
‘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,’ the nutritionist wrote on her blog.
While two cups of cooked pasta is a good fuel source for athletes, she said in ‘most cases’ many tend to eat ‘enormous’ servings of three to four cups of pasta – packed with high calories and heavy sauces.
‘It is the mix of carbs and fat that links pasta to weight gain,’ she explained.
While two cups of cooked pasta is a good fuel source for athletes, she said in ‘most cases’ many tend to eat ‘enormous’ servings of three to four cups of pasta – packed with high calories and heavy sauces (stock image)
Susie said a pasta dish like carbonara or pesto can contain as much as 60 to 80g of fat in a single serve.
‘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,’ she said.
To enjoy pasta without piling on the kilos, Susie suggested eating one cup of cooked pasta with a lighter sauce option like seafood or vegetables with a drizzle of olive oil.
‘Like any one food, consuming it occasionally, once or twice a week will pose no issue, especially if you are active,’ she said.
‘On the other hand, if your goal is weight loss or you want to eat pasta more frequently it may be worth trying the low carb options to see if you can incorporate them with your favourite pasta sauces for minimal calories.’
She suggested swapping regular pasta for higher-fibre wholemeal varieties as they can fill you up for longer, meaning you’ll likely eat less.
Susie said another lighter option to enjoy a guilt-free dish like spaghetti bolognese is by replacing the pasta with spiralised zucchini.
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