How to measure serving of pasta
07-14-2011, 05:16 AM
#11
Super Moderator
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 4,083
Pasta is not evil. And whole wheat pasta is awful. Barilla makes a Plus pasta that combines Several types of grains to make a high fiber, high protein pasta that tastes like regular pasta. (Cook it a minute or two longer than regular)
compare
Barilla 210 calories 38g carb 4g fiber 10g protein
Regular 210 42 2 7
compare
Barilla 210 calories 38g carb 4g fiber 10g protein
Regular 210 42 2 7
Just goes to show...you gotta find what works for you.
And, for accuracy's sake, dry weigh your pasta for serving size. A cup cooked isn't necessarily 2 oz. dry...it varies depending on the shape of the pasta...
07-15-2011, 04:53 AM
#12
FitDay Member
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 1,688
I eat whole wheat pasta fairly often (living in an Italian region, as well). My trick, is that I never serve meat (any kind) with my pasta. Just pasta and a good, homemade marinara sauce served with a veggie loaded salad. By eliminating the meat in the sauce and/or on the side, you have already made up the extra calories in the pasta.
Another good alternative is a pasta toss with a little olive oil, fresh veggies (red onion, grape tomatoes, zucchini, garlic, mushrooms, yellow squash), a little freshly grated asiago and you're good to go... quick and easy.
Another good alternative is a pasta toss with a little olive oil, fresh veggies (red onion, grape tomatoes, zucchini, garlic, mushrooms, yellow squash), a little freshly grated asiago and you're good to go... quick and easy.
07-16-2011, 06:19 PM
#13
FitDay Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Chicago Suburbs
Posts: 262
The best way to measure those things like pasta, cereal, etc is by getting a small kitchen scale ( less than $5 at walmart) and measure in ounces . Pasta is meant to be measured dry and 2 oz equals one serving.
07-17-2011, 05:55 AM
#14
FitDay Member
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 33
I eat whole wheat pasta fairly often (living in an Italian region, as well). My trick, is that I never serve meat (any kind) with my pasta. Just pasta and a good, homemade marinara sauce served with a veggie loaded salad. By eliminating the meat in the sauce and/or on the side, you have already made up the extra calories in the pasta.
I make a sauce that's got lots of lean meat and veggies - I pack it so it has about 3oz beef per serving and lots of spinach and mushrooms in with the tomatoes, onion, etc. And then I eat it with just 1 oz of spaghetti - enough to feel like a pasta dish without tipping the whole meal too much towards highly processed carbs. And I always shop for whatever pasta has the lowest carbs/calorie total. I make a huge batch of the sauce and freeze most of it, but boil the pasta each time as needed.
09-11-2011, 08:26 AM
#15
FitDay Premium Member
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 55
I had the same question about measuring, each normal size box of pasta like barilla contains 7 servings, what i did was take 7 zip lock bags, cooked the box then divided it up into the 7 bags, what i found that 1 serving would make a normal cereal bowl overflow with cooked pasta, now i divide the pasta into 8 servings from one box, this gives me a full cereal bowl of pasta, (i normally grab two small handfuls of cooked pasta per serving)...i know not very scientific but some of my methods must work...i've lost 100lbs in 5 months. . hope this helps......yeah also because i am too cheap to buy a 5 dollar scale...lol
09-12-2011, 04:06 AM
#16
Super Moderator
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 2,225
I bought a little pasta cooker that allows you to cook small servings of pasta in the microwave. It's easy to find one of these online - or in a housewares store, I guess. It's a long rectangular box. I like being able to make just one serving of pasta, fresh, at a time, fairly quickly. That's my method of limiting how much pasta I have at a meal. Plus, I do like the whole wheat pasta (any brand) because I think it's more filling - because it has more fiber.
10-13-2011, 07:45 AM
#17
FitDay Member
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 2
Pasta Measurements
Can anyone tell me (before I try it myself), how many cooked cups of pasta expand from 1 cup dried? I'm thinking it's over 2:1, but would like to know if anyone knows for sure.
1 month into using FitDay (for PC), and already down 13 lbs without hardly trying (and no exercise whatsoever yet). Tracking measurements is a key for me :-)
1 month into using FitDay (for PC), and already down 13 lbs without hardly trying (and no exercise whatsoever yet). Tracking measurements is a key for me :-)
10-13-2011, 12:25 PM
#18
FitDay Member
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: 86
Posts: 1,875
Can anyone tell me (before I try it myself), how many cooked cups of pasta expand from 1 cup dried? I'm thinking it's over 2:1, but would like to know if anyone knows for sure.
1 month into using FitDay (for PC), and already down 13 lbs without hardly trying (and no exercise whatsoever yet). Tracking measurements is a key for me :-)
1 month into using FitDay (for PC), and already down 13 lbs without hardly trying (and no exercise whatsoever yet). Tracking measurements is a key for me :-)
If you don't have a scale, believe me it's a necessity for the serious calorie counter and you won't regret buying one.
