Carb Junkie

I'm a total carb lover! Being italian and growing up on pasta and bread doesn't quite help either. Does anyone have any ideas on how I can still enjoy these foods with out totally giving them up? Portion control doesn't work for me. If I have a little bit, I'll want more. Any ideas??

I love carbs too ... I'd take pasta and bread over chocolate any day! For me what works is to ensure that I eat a little protien (100 calories or so) with every meal and eating 6 meals per day. This way I never get overly hungry and when I do make pasta I measure it before I cook it so I don't over eat. I make myself eat the veggies and protien first, and then have my yummy pasta.

About 60% of my total calories come form carbs.  The other 40% are usually split equally between fat and protein.  

I eat whole grain pasta, bread and cereal products, and lots of vegetables and fruit.  Portion control does work for me, I always weigh or measure to make sure I'm not going overboard.  

I have to say though, that once I do get started it's hard to stop but that only applies to stuff like chips, pastries, sugary stuff.  If I don't eat those I'm fine :)

Sybil, Thank you for the idea on eating the veggies first and then pasta. That might work as I won't be so hungry to eat the pasta afterwards. What are some good ideas for protein though? I don't get enough of it in my diet, but I guess it's because I'm not sure what qualifies other than fish. Thanks for the post.

 

Figure the Fat, Thank you also for the idea on the whole grain pastas. I've just been told that they're not as good but do you know of any brands that are good and not totally expensive?

I love carbs too- I eat wholegrains at every meal, and often bulk portions out with loads of vegetables and make sure to get a decent amount of protein at each meal. Ie, 3/4 cup wholewheat spaghetti w/ homemade fat free tomato sauce, chopped boca burger and loads of mushrooms and spinach can make a pretty large portion for around 350-400 cals. I've never used spaghetti squash but heard that is good to use as an alternative/mix in.

Original Post by jellis0218:

Portion control doesn't work for me. If I have a little bit, I'll want more. Any ideas??

okay, this is a problem.  wanting more doesn't mean you have to have more.  you are a free agent.  nobody else can decide how much you eat; only you can.

if you can't change your thinking about food, you'll never change your behaviour.

Once you get used to eating whole wheat pasta you'll never go back to the regular stuff.  If you have a Trader's Joes near you, they have good whole wheat pasta like spaghetti and fettucine.  

Most of the grocery stores in my area have some kind of whole grain pasta.  Some of the "hyped" up ones are the most expensive.  Also Henry's or Whole Foods have whole wheat pasta products.  

Hmm, I see you live in Encinitas.  Well you shouldn't have any trouble finding whole wheat pasta down there.  Definitely at Seaside market in Cardiff, although it's probably expensive.  Try Henry's for certain.

Whole grains.  Not stuff with whole grains in it, but actually whole grains.  Quinoa for example is a delicious, nutty little grain (actually it's a seed but most people refer to it as a grain), that is a complete protein like you find in meat. It works well with spaghetti sauce too and the nutritional profile is fantastic.  I find you can put tomato based sauces on most whole grains and it works well.  I've had spaghetti squash with spaghetti sauce too and I like it, but you have to get accustomed to the fact that it's not spaghetti. It's worth a try. 

If you want to cut calories there are 40 calories in a cup of spaghetti squash and 220 or so in a cup of pasta.  In other words, you could literally eat spaghetti squash until you explode and it won't be the same amount of calories as one little cup of pasta, and it is certainly much better for you than something that comes out of a factory...

I have never heard of spaghetti squash....very interesting. I will have to look into that and give it a try.  I've noticed that a lot of foods that claim to be WHOLE GRAIN are actually not. If you look at the first ingredient on some breads that are supposed to be whole grain, it's actually white flour! So I always check on that now. So I'm good on the bread stuff, but like I said, I'll have to look into the spaghetti squash. What does it taste like?? I'm sure if you mixed it in with some sauce it would taste ok right? Is the texture weird? Or do you think I should just stick to the whole grain pasta???

I'm good with the spaghetti squash but I don't like the texture of quinoa.  I do like wheat berries though, and brown rice.  

Eh, spaghetti squash is good, but it's a vegetable.  The texture is not the same as pasta.  

spaghetti squash is pretty bland and takes on whatever flavour you add to it. it's good. as far as whole grain pasta, it's expensive, and it also has more calories than plain semolina pasta. so if portion control is your primary problem, that won't fix it. i used to be a total pasta junkie - like, ten meals a week or more. i still eat pasta probably three or four times a week (more if i'm busy, because it's still my fall-back plan), but i keep the servings small. like, 60-75g. small amounts are just as satisfying, once you get your head around it.

Spaghetti squash is excellent. I just had it for dinner last night with pasta sauce. Very low in calories and high in nutrition. I mix it with regular whole grain pasta or just eat it alone.

Is it a lot of work to prepare though? I was just reading an article online about it. It seems like so much more labor in the kitchen than just making normal pasta... or is it actually easier than it seems? I might do what you said with the mixing of wheat pasta so I can get used to it.

depends what you mean by "making pasta."  do you make pasta?  or do you take it out of the cupboard and throw it in a pot, like me?

definately the latter. :)

Jellis the best advice I can give you is just to try a bunch of different things and figure out what you like that is healthy.  I love quinoa  and spaghetti squash but then again,  I eat everything, so I'm not a good judge.  I would suggest making the spaghetti squash and trying it, and keep some pasta ready to go just in case you don't like it. It's like most new foods, you have to give it a chance before you decide whether you like it or not.  For me, having less than 20% of the calories of pasta, and being much healthier in my opinion, gives me a real incentive to like it.  I also enjoy eating a lot of food and not really into controlling my portions and eating tiny amounts of stuff so it works that way too.

You are right about a lot of stuff labelled "whole grain" isn't really whole grain at all.  Combined with all the other crap in packaged foods, to me it's just not worth eating.  If I want whole grains I'll eat some quinoa, millet, wheat berries, oatmeal, spelt flakes, barley, etc.  Over time you learn how to adapt them to your favourite recipes and you end up not missing anything..or at least I don't.  Another thing about "whole grains" is that you find a lot of stuff is made with whole wheat.  Nothing wrong with whole wheat but you need a variety of grains to get a broad nutritional profile for optimum health.  Eating the same stuff over and over only gives you the nutrients available in that one food and leave you deficient in lots of others.   Variety is the key....

I'm in the same boat as you... Italian and love the carbs...

Def switch in the whole grain pastas.. and my new trick is to add really big chunks of veggies (mushrooms, zucchini, eggplant, whatever) into the sauce and toss it with the pasta. So it looks and feels like you're having a huge bowl of noodles, but half of it is veggies now.

 

 

Good idea. Thank you. I go to the farmer's market every sunday so I will have to grab some veggies to throw in there. thanks DJKitten.

yes, just throw the whole wheat pasta into the pot.  And do check the label, those blends are expensive and they do have additives.  

My TJ's whole wheat spaghetti only lists one ingredient:  organic durum whole wheat flour... so there you go.

It does have more calories, but also more fibre and protein.  I don't eat meat so it helps with my protein.  

Yeah I guess it is sort of a give and take with the whole wheat pasta. I also don't eat meat, so the protein factor is kind of big for me as well.

Original Post by figurethefat:

I'm good with the spaghetti squash but I don't like the texture of quinoa.  I do like wheat berries though, and brown rice.  

Eh, spaghetti squash is good, but it's a vegetable.  The texture is not the same as pasta.  

 Jellis-- I mix brown rice, wheat berries AND quinoa all together and then cook it--absolutely fabulous!