I have a (very bad) obsession with Pasta... Spaghetti, Fettucini, Farfalli ~ u name it, i love it. I know carbs are on the top of the "things u should stay away from" list, but does anyone have any good low fat/cal recipes for pasta? Also, does anyone know of a good way to "ween" myself off of pastas? HELP!

Have you tried the whole wheat pasta. A lot better for you and 3 points per 2 oz. of dry if your doing WW. Reguarding weening off, maybe just add a lot more vegetable with your pasta. That way you fill up on them.
Good Luck!

Thanks ~ what companie(s) make wheat pasta? I've never seen it around. Could I find it in my local grocery store or is it mainly in health food stores?
I've tried eating a big salad before the rest of my meal, but it doesn't help as much as I thought it would.

Rachel,
Hodgson Mill makes some great whole wheat pastas. I think you can even order them online, but we get ours at the local H-E-B stores:

http://www.hodgsonmill.com/home2.html

hth,
Jan

Renchick, I love pasta too. I fix a whole box of angel hair pasta and keep in a tupperware container. I cut it up in little pieces and get out a cup at a time. I add diced or stewed tomatoes and tomato juice. Stick in microwave and then add 2 tsps of parmesan cheese. You also get to count a vegetable with this.
Angel hair pasta 1 cup 4pts Some have told me 3 pts but I count it as 1
2tsps grated parmesan cheese 1 pt

5 pt meal It is pretty filling too.

I also spray it with I cant beleive its not butter too

I meant to say I count it as 4 not 1 pt
Sorry

hi , i also am a pasta lover, addicted actually, i even tried to do some lowcarb eating plans to ween myself away, i didnt last a week.

anyway , i get the 0 pt veggies soup and take the veggies out of it and pour it over the pasta, (angelhair) somtimes i put broccoli in the 0 pt soup. then i have spiral pasta with the veggies from the soup on it, but cold, like a pasta salad, sometimes i can just put italian dressing on it, only need one tablespoon, i beleive it is only one pt for the dressing. sometimes i just put pasta in chicken broth. there are ways to eat it without adding fat. if anyone else has any ideas, i would love to hear them.

renchick , how are you doing with it???

Pasta is a low-fat food, so I don't think there is anything bad about eating it. Personally, I've been successful on a low-fat diet, even though I eat a lot of carbohydrates (read about my story here: http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/show...?threadid=9298 - my post is 9th down).

For added nutrition, try whole-wheat pasta.

Sunsmile

Hi Ren - I don't think pasta is an awful thing, it just needs to be eaten in moderation. Have your 1 or 2 cup serving, but use sauces made primarily of vegetables. Even though they're soooo good, stay away from the penne ala vodka and the alfredo sauce. They're loaded in oil and cheese.

Here a vegetable sauce I like to use:
parsley
1 or 2 cloves of garlic minced
1 onion, sliced
6 small tomatoes, diced
1/4 pound of asparagus
1 zucchini, sliced as you like
1 bell pepper (red, green or yellow) sliced thin
if you want to splurge on points, add 1/3 cup olive oil

Sautee pepper first for 5 min., add zucchini and onion, sautee for another 5 min. Add tomatoes, asparagus, and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cook for 10 min. Remove from heat, add parsley and garlic. Blend your sauce with the pasta. Season to taste.
Hope you enjoy it!

1st: don't feel guilty about eating carbs: they're just as important a fuel for your body as proteins (and yes: fats. too).

Anyway, I'm a pasta addict, too, so I know what you mean.
One of my favourite recipes:
Per person:
(whole wheat) pasta, coocked 1 cup
1 cup fresh tomatoes cubed without the seeds (or any vegetable or combination you like, raw or cooked)
1 teaspoon olive oil
parsley
salt, pepper (or other seasoning) to taste, balsamico goes nice with this.
1 tablespoon real (not lowfat or nonfat) salty cheese (has more flavour).
If you heat this up in the microwave, it's good for winter. If you eat it cold, it's super when it's hot outside.

Remember: the more cooked vegetables you thow in, the better, and it's still a pasta dish and light.

Hang in there,

Vassiliki from Athens (Greece)

You should not feel guilty about eating carbs. The basis of any healthy diet should be carbs. Carbs do NOT make you fat. I lost 50 pounds and currently weigh about 107 (note: I'm 5'0) and I eat rice 3 times per day!

Here is an article that I thought you might find interesting. It is from a new letter that is targeted at dieticians.

Tobey


Today's Topic: Protein in Your Diet

Many of the fad diets popular in the U.S. promote high protein
intakes, often three or more times the current level. There is
serious concern that such high protein levels are stressful on the
kidneys and liver. In addition, most high-protein foods are high in
fat, particularly saturated fat. Finally, high-protein diets are
associated with high blood levels of a hormone abbreviated IGF-I,
which is a risk factor for several types of cancer.

An analysis of protein intake in 157 countries shows that protein
varies from 7 to 16% of dietary calories. Fat can vary from 7 to 44%
and carbohydrate ranges from 46 to 82%. Poorer countries usually have
lower fat and protein intake along with higher carbohydrate
consumption. These countries have fewer problems with obesity than
affluent countries with higher fat consumption. The study can be
found in the July/August 2000 issue of Nutrition Today.

HERE'S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: Some physically active
people may need higher protein than is usually consumed, but most of
us do not. Fat and protein take longer to clear the stomach than
carbohydrate so they may give a sense of fullness longer. But the fad
diets' common theme is actually a diet of 1500-1700 calories, which
will cause weight loss no matter what is eaten if teamed with
increased physical activity.


(This story originally appeared in Nutrition News Focus on
October 3, 2000.)

thanks for the info and sharing about the rice you eat. i really like carbs and cant give them up. thanks to your info about carbs, it helps me not to go on those high protein diets, thanks again.

Here is another nutrional ariticle that I thought you mind find interesting. This one makes specific reference to the Zone diet.

Tobey

The Zone™ Diet--What's it All About?

Much attention has lately been given in the media to high protein diets, such as The Zone™ diet plan. How valid is the rationale behind these diets?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Zone™ dietary plan bills itself as "not a diet, but a life long hormonal control strategy." According to Dr. Barry Sears, author of The Zone™ books, it is insulin which makes you fat and which keeps you fat. Insulin is a hormone which removes sugars and proteins from the blood, promoting energy utilization or storage, as well as protein synthesis. The Zone™ web site states that "the more insulin you produce the fatter you become," and contends that high carbohydrate intake leads to obesity. It goes so far as to say that the introduction of grain into the diet caused mankind to shrink from inadequate protein, and that heart disease, arthritis and obesity all result from carbohydrates and insulin.

The crux of this diet plan is the existence of compounds called eicosanoids. Eicosanoids are hormone-like compounds which include prostaglandins, thromboxanes, and leukotrienes. These compounds have diverse physiologic effects, both promoting and inhibiting platelet aggregation [blood clotting], dilating and constricting blood vessels, and causing and inhibiting inflammation. Dr. Sears suggests that there are "good" and "bad" eicosanoids, and that the ratio of good eicosanoids to bad can be changed by following the Zone™ diet. A connection is also made by Dr. Sears between eicosanoids, diet and exercise performance.

Let us examine the scientific literature available on eicosanoids, insulin, diet and exercise. At the heart of the Zone™ plan is the concept that ill health and obesity, results from carbohydrate intake and the insulin used to process these sugars. Insulin, in fact, is used to also process proteins and in the formation of lean tissue. It is true that obese people often have higher levels of insulin. Excess body fat tends to make the individual less sensitive to insulin's effects, and as a result more insulin must be manufactured to maintain a steady blood sugar. High insulin levels do not result in obesity; obesity leads to higher insulin. As the individual loses weight, the requirement for insulin decreases, thus lean individuals generally have lower insulin levels.


A central tenet of the Zone™ plan is that insulin and its counterpart, glucagon, regulate eicosanoid production. A review of literature, even the references cited by Dr. Sears, does not show that any diet can control eicosanoid production via insulin and glucagon. No scientific evidence is offered which would indicate that the Zone™ diet controls glucagon.

Carbohydrates make you fat? Catchy phrase, but is it so? There is scientific evidence quite to the contrary. It has been shown that carbohydrates are more likely to be used for energy than stored as fat, as compared to a diet high in fats [Sims, et al]. Carbohydrates will be converted to body fat only if excess calories are consumed. If one thinks of cultures that rely heavily upon carbohydrates the weakness of the Zone™ rationale will instantly come to mind. If one imagines the diets throughout southeast and central Asia, and the typical body size of those peoples, it is clear that carbohydrates are not responsible for obesity. In a roundtable discussion hosted by the Gatorade Sport Science Exchange [1995], the typical Chinese diet was described by a leading nutritionist:

The 'typical' Chinese diet tends to be higher in carbohydrate and fiber, and lower in fat than the Western diet. In the morning people often take porridge or millet gruel for the main food. Soybean milk, salted vegetables, eggs [boiled or fried], deep fried dough sticks or cakes are the common choices for breakfast. For lunch and dinner, steamed rice and boiled noodles are major foods...eggs, chicken, fish, meat and vegetables are non-staple foods.
The diet described above is low in protein, and high in carbohydrate and sugars, yet obesity is uncommon among these people. Carbohydrates do not make you fat; excess calories make you fat.

Tobey toe, thank you so much for the information, you are kind to take the time out to post that. i loved reading that. i am getting more informed everyday. thanks again.