I hope I do not sound like a complete fool by telling you all this, although I know I definitely feel like one.
I had bought a box of Barilla Piccolino cartwheels and for some reason when I made pasta (for 1) I just assumed the 2oz. serving = 1/2 a cup. Apparently, even with all my education, it didn't occur to me to do the math...that 2oz. serving = 1/4 cup = 200 CALORIES!!!!!!! Yikes!! 200 calories for ~20 mini cartwheels...are you kidding me? So, I've actually been eating 200 calories over my daily allowance on days when I eat this pasta. After the box is gone I am done with the piccos!
Fun times. This kind of *brain fart* ever happen to anyone else?? And anyone know of a better pasta where I can eat more with not as many calories?
It's funny you mention this. I had the barilla whole wheat rigatoni tonight, got it all plated (1/2 cup like you said), and then I looked at the box... Aww crap. 2 OUNCES. lol. 1/4 cup is probably like 7 pieces of rigatoni. oops
Pastas are measured by OUNCE WEIGHT, not liquid ounces. So 2 ounces doesn't equal a quarter cup.
Different pastas measure differently dry, depending on shape, so if you don't have a food scale on which to measure out 2 oz of pasta by weight, you can always guesstimate based on the total weight of your pasta box (most boxes are 1 lb, therefore have 8 servings...if you're cooking 4 portions of pasta, that's about half a box).
How many of you have weight scales and how much do you use it? I've been toying with getting one, but my kitchen is sooo crowded and I don't want to overcomplicate things.
Some people hate the stuff, but I like to substitute shirataki noodles in place of pasta. The flavor isn't the quite same, but the basic consistency is. And a whole bag of shirataki noodles is 40 calories.
"When I sliced open a raw spaghetti squash for the first time, I thought, "How could this possibly end up like pasta?". But when cooked, the flesh of spaghetti squash can be pulled apart into thin strands that resemble spaghetti. It has a pleasantly crisp texture and a mild taste, making it a suitable substitution for almost any dish calling for noodles."
Some pastas will tell you approx. how much 2oz will measure out dry. For example some will say 2oz or approx. 3/4 of a cup (this was on the whole wheat "no egg" noodle bag.) This is always a dry measurement. 2 oz is usually quite a bit of pasta once cooked.
I agree that a scale is the way to go. Different pasta shapes will end up being different amounts for the same 2oz. I love kitchen my scale! I use it all the time.
Food scales are awesome. I use mine many times every day.
As for pasta, I love the stuff but have learned to supplement my serving with lots of veggies. One of our fave dinners is 2 oz of pasta and tomato sauce, plus a serving of fake sausage crumbles and then a lot of briefly sauteed green and red peppers and mushrooms. It turns out to be a TON of food for 400-500 calories. I get my pasta in, but also lots of veg!
I second the shirataki noodles. if you follow the package directions to the tee and let them drain to dry for a long time, they are a wonderful vehicle for sauces and such
Heather posted what I was thinking. Bulk out your measured pasta serving with a ton of roasted, grilled or sauteed veggies: mushrooms, asparagus, zucchini, tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, carrots, spinach, yellow squash....mmmm....actually, who needs pasta when you have all of those yummy things!
Food scales saved my life! I had no clue what portion sizes where till I got mine and boy was I surprised how much I was overeating. No wonder I dieted for 6 months and only lost 4 lbs my first go at it. Pasta is a tricky one, you cannot not weigh it...you set yourself up for nasty surprises if you do.
Also, I prefer ww pasta, it definatly is more filling and sticks with me longer. the first time I tried it, the texture was off for me...but I got used to it and now I like it better then regular pasta.
Wow, I had no idea! Pasta, you evil thing you...
200 calories for ~20 mini cartwheels...are you kidding me? So, I've actually been eating 200 calories over my daily allowance on days when I eat this pasta. After the box is gone I am done with the piccos!
