Do you guys think Pasta whole wheat Pasta is still good for you in moderation.
I feel like I shouldn't eat it because when I think of Pasta I think bad and too many carbs. But I am counting calories, not carbs. Does is still matter? I am watching my portions is that the most important thing about pasta?

Kayla

When calorie counting, it is OK to have pasta--but you have to measure it so that you don't overdo it on portions. It is really easy to think that the plate has to be covered with pasta. I find the easiest way is to weigh the dry pasta--2 ounces is a serving and has 200 cals. You can also have half a serving if you like for 100 cals.

Jay

Ditto what JayEll said. I loooooove pasta and know that I'd never succeed on any plan if I couldn't have spaghetti or Cincinnati chili every now and again. I've just learned to weigh each portion and I use the whole grain pastas now. Otherwise, I'd never get enough grains in my diet, either.

I eat whole wheat pasta at least 3x a week. I measure out 2oz and cook it. Usually I have it covered with veggies - tomatoes, zucchini, etc.

Whole wheat pasta is really healthy - a good source of grains, usually has quite a bit of protein in it, and so forth.

.

I have whole wheat pasta about once a week. In fact, I had it last night with Classico Tomato Basil sauce, zucchini and Morning Star veggie crumbles in it. Really yummy and best of all, GUILT-Free!

I am eating more and more pasta these days. I generally like a vegetarian pasta dish that serves as the meal rather then the pasta as a side.

When you make a dish that is full of veggies it is amazing how much food a serving size of pasta (2oz dry) can be.

Oh my God, I'm so glad someone asked this question! I absolutely LOVE pasta & have no had ANY since August! I miss it so much. Honestly, is there a taste difference from wheat to regular pasta? I have to think of my DH & daughter and they are so picky they would kill me if I put wheat pasta in front of them & it tasted significantly different. I could always cook myself a side of wheat I guess.....

I'M not going to say about DH ... but for your daughter, if you make her special food, then you're just fostering her pickiness. 15 years from now she'll be one of the women on this site who says "I don't like anything."

I'm kinda teasing but kinda not.

I've posted this here before, but when I was growing up, we were not allowed to be "picky eaters". We lived overseas and often we didn't have a choice to be picky. We ate what was put before us or we simply didn't eat. As a result I am *not* a picky eater. I have things that I don't like - everyone does. But I eat a huge variety of stuff and like a huge variety of stuff and am willing to try just about anything.

Teaching your daughter NOW to love healthy foods like whole wheat pasta instead of feeding her regular and making yourself a "side" of it, would be the best possible thing you can do. Not only will you be building healthy habits for her, you won't be teaching her that "being on a diet" means eating differently from everyone else and having to eat "yucky whole wheat pasta" instead of "regular".

If your husband wants to be picky - he's an adult. Fine. But don't create a picky eater in your daughter. Encourage her that whole grain pasta is yummy.

Oh and as for the original question ... I actually like whole wheat pasta better. It takes a little longer to cook and it's a bit more "toothy" and I like that. Regular pasta can get mushy pretty quickly if you're not careful.

PhotoChick, I never thought of it that way.... You are TOTALLY RIGHT! I should teach her these things now. I usually make 1 dinner for them & then a dinner for me. It's getting old though, maybe I do need to start integrated more "healthier" foods that I eat into her diet. She is already a picky eater, so it will be tough, but like you said, don't want to eat it you don't eat! Thanks for the advice!

I think the biggest difference between the whole grain pasta and the white is the texture. You can feel that it's a little different the taste is really not that different at all. Especially when you add stuff too it then you really don't taste the difference.

Ronni- That is too fun you love the Cincinnati Chili. I live in Northern Kentucky literally 15 minutes from Cincinnati. Go down the back hill from my house and you can see the Skyline lol. It is some good chili thats for sure.

Kayla

mmm....SKYLINE! i've tried to make it myself a million times so it's healthy (i'm a cincinnati girl) and it just never tastes the same. probably BECAUSE i try to make it healthy, and that's just not what it is. if science comes up with a healthy version of skyline chili dip, my head will explode. ahhh...

You're welcome!

Seriously I think that the rules my mom had were the best. (Not that I thought so when I was a kid, but in retrospect ...!)

As kids, my brother and I were allowed 3 things that we didn't like and wouldn't eat under any circumstances. They had to be things we'd defined in advance - we couldn't decide on the spur of the moment that we didn't like whatever was being served for dinner, for example. If my mom made whatever one of our dislikes was for dinner, we could choose not to eat it w/out penalty or punishment. And if she made a main course we didn't like we were allowed *just for that meal* to have a pb&j sandwich or some canned soup or something else.

When I was a kid, my 3 things were brussels sprouts, lima beans, and tuna noodle casserole.

I used to hate that my mom was so inflexible about our eating habits, but I gotta say as an adult, I'm glad she stuck to her guns and made us be open minded. I guess it's one reason I have no tolerance for "picky eating" (and again, I mean true pickiness, and not allergies, or lifestyle choices).

.

Extasee, get yourself some cooking magazines or cookbooks with healthy "family" meals. I like "Healthy Cooking Magazine" for one. It's loaded with healthful meals that children (and picky adults) will love. No sense driving yourself crazy making several meals each night! Tell your DH he will just have to deal if he complains.

Yeah you are totally right. My parents were the opposite of yours, which is why I am such a picky eater. If we didn't want it, we could grab anything we wanted, but mom wouldn't be making it for us! I def need to start trying to get her healtier foods and I also need to stop catering to her dietary preferences, cause you are totally right, it's not a good thing to do. You have just changed my outlook on a parenting style! Ha, see you can learn more then just how to lose weight here!

The only reason I don't have pasta very frequently is because I just don't find it very filling. I get a lot more enjoyment and satiety from brown basmati rice. The whole wheat or whole wheat blend pastas were better, but not that much. But, I have found the the multigrain pastas are much more filling. I like to use a multi-grain spaghetti in place of rice with Asian / stirfry type dishes, once in a while as a change of pace from rice.