Eat pasta without gaining weight

Want To Eat Pasta Without Gaining Weight? Do This Now.

Pasta is delicious. You know this, I know this. Everyone knows this. Except for people who hate pasta, and they don’t count as people for having such a horrible, wrong opinion.

HOWEVER: common sense tells us that pasta is bad for you. Like, super bad. Like, carbs-in-your-nightmares-filling-your-body-with-fat bad.

And that makes sense. Because carbs are a major reason why people gain weight, and pasta has like, a BOAT LOAD of carbs.

That doesn’t mean that all pasta is created equal though.

Let’s look at 4 ways to make sure pasta doesn’t pack pounds onto your midsection.

1. Gluten Free Pasta

When you go gluten free… OK, I was trying to make like a rhyming scheme, but I gave up because I couldn’t think of anything and this article is about pasta. Anyway.

By choosing pasta made from ingredients like quinoa, rice or millet, you’re avoiding a lot of the gluten that’s responsible for weight gain (and other negative side effects) in pasta with gluten in it.

2. Cream Based Sauces Are The Devil

Well, not the literal devil. The cream in your refrigerator isn’t going to challenge you to a fiddle contest for your eternal soul. Not without some SERIOUS hallucinogens.

But cream based sauces really pack on the calories and fat in a pasta dish, pushing it from the point of “potentially healthy” to “caloric catastrophe”.

more: Take The Quiz – Do You Know The Unique Veggies That Burn Abdominal Fat?

For a sauce, pick a delicious, healthy, tomato sauce instead. You’re saving yourself over 20 grams of fat per serving, plus a whopping 200 calories each time you eat pasta. Just for picking ragu over vodka or alfredo sauce. Easy choice.

3. Make Spaghetti Out Of Squash

So, look, we need to talk about something. I can see you right now, sitting at your computer, shaking your head and thinking “this man has clearly gone insane.” And you’re right! I am insane! But that has no bearing on the rest of this article (probably).

The truth is, spaghetti squash is a real thing. It’s this one specific type of winter squash that separates into spaghetti-like “ribbons” when you take the flesh away from the rind (gross) after it’s cooked.

What that means for you is: Pasta made from f*ing vegetables. Delicious, healthy pasta. Who knew, right?

4. Practice Portion Control

It’s unbelievably easy to eat more pasta than you thought you were going to eat. After all, pasta is delicious. It’s literally made to be crammed into your mouth.

But when you’re not controlling how much pasta you put on your plate, you’re setting yourself up for weight gain and diet failure.

Pasta is one of the easiest foods to eat fast, which means you’re going to outpace your body’s ability to tell you that you’re full, and eat too much.

So try measuring out one serving of pasta and putting that on your plate – and then not going back for seconds. Try eating slowly and giving your body time to realize it’s full.

Do that – and you really can lose weight with pasta.

In summary…

The Best Ways To Eat Pasta Without Gaining Weight

  1. Try going with gluten free pasta
  2. Avoid cream based sauces whenever you can
  3. Make spaghetti out of squash
  4. Practice portion control

how to eat pasta without gaining weight

14 comments… add one
  • RobertsonGang March 25, 2015, 12:57 pm

    I tend to eat pasta about one time per month, but I go with a cream sauce. I know it is not healthy, but I like it as a treat and like I said, it do not eat it each week. Do you think that is a reason that I might gain weight?

  • Denny March 22, 2015, 4:40 pm

    I have seen a lot of recipes for pasta made from squash and other vegetables. That is definitely one way that you can enjoy the “pasta” without gaining weight!

  • Jackie Nicole March 21, 2015, 10:20 am

    I have heard that about cream sauces. There are only a few of the pasta dishes that I like to eat with a cream sauce. Most of them are with red sauce and with these tips I am hoping I can still eat them without gaining weight!

  • Debra Hinsleman March 14, 2015, 8:54 pm

    I LOVE using squash in place of noodles. I never do the entire dish that way, but I do replace at least 50 percent of the noodles with a squash of some kind.

  • LuAlley March 14, 2015, 8:46 pm

    Pasta is my favorite though. What I am supposed to do with all of those pasta cravings that I get all of the time?

  • Jessie Wilson March 12, 2015, 4:28 pm

    I love alfredo pasta, but I due tend to use a light sauce and not a thick, runny sauce. I also use pasta packed with fiber if I can.

  • Martha March 2, 2015, 12:40 pm

    I use squash to make my pasta all of the time. To those that do not like squash that much, I recommend that they replace HALF of the pasta that way.

  • Markus February 26, 2015, 11:51 pm

    Making pasta out of squash is something that I have been doing for a while now. I like the taste, plus the texture is not that far from the real thing! Great post !

    • Mary April 3, 2015, 4:48 pm

      I feel the same way! It is a great way to reduce the carbs from pasta and adds a new taste in your mouth!

  • Krystal A. February 24, 2015, 1:17 am

    Newsflash: pasta is unhealthy. It’s got carbs and stuff in it. Not eating cream doesn’t magically make pasta healthy…

    • Vanessa March 2, 2015, 12:41 pm

      Very true, but when eaten the right way, it can still be a part of your diet. It does not take a rocket scientist to figure out that if you eat 16 ounces of pasta with cream sauce every week that you are going to gain weight!

    • Fran March 20, 2015, 12:20 pm

      You are right, it is unhealthy, but that does not mean that you can never eat it right? the idea of putting squash in the pasta is a good way to get the taste you crave without adding a ton of carbs to the meal. These are very good tips.

  • Natalie I. February 13, 2015, 10:25 pm

    Noooooooooo! I love my fettucini alfredo and vodka penne! Why why why does cream have to be so fattening when it tastes so good lol… I suppose I could learn to live without my cream sauces but I think I’d rather still weigh a few pounds extra haha

    • Justin March 6, 2015, 2:12 pm

      That does sound real good! I understand that the sauce might be packing the artery clogging goodness, but as long as you do not eat it each day, you should be good right?

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