Best Pasta for Weight Loss: Can You Eat Pasta and Lose Weight? (2024)

FAQs

Best Pasta for Weight Loss: Can You Eat Pasta and Lose Weight? ›

What is the best pasta to eat while on a diet? The best type of pasta to eat while on a diet is pasta containing whole grains. In addition to whole wheat pasta, pasta made from other ingredients such as chickpeas, lentils, and veggies are great options when you are on a diet.

A good bowl of spaghetti or risotto can be part of a weight-loss plan. In fact, as long as you don't overdo the portions, pasta may help you eat a higher-quality diet, according to results published in a 2020 meta-analysis in Frontiers in Nutrition.

So, when it comes time to lose weight, traditional pasta is usually one of the first things that nutritionists recommend cutting from your diet. However, many weight loss warriors and health experts swear by pasta made of different ingredients, including whole wheat, chickpea, and brown rice.

Half a cup of whole-grain cooked pasta equals one serving, or about 70 calories. If you don't eat pasta, think of a slice of whole-grain bread instead.

For lower calorie and carbohydrate content, rice comes out top. But if protein and fibre is your aim, pasta wins over rice. That said, both can play a part in a healthy diet - and as the nutritional differences are quite small, it often comes down to which you would prefer.

Although some sugar is burned off as energy, most is converted into fat, leading to weight gain. To get beyond the cycle of food cravings, I typically recommend to patients who want to lose weight that they completely avoid white bread, white rice, white pasta and potatoes for two weeks.

She revealed that white bread, high-sugar cereals, sodas, and ultra-processed snacks are some of the ones to steer clear of.

Is bread or pasta more fattening? A single serving of refined pasta has approximately 70% more carbohydrates than a single slice of white bread. Neither bread nor pasta is more fattening than the other. Pasta and bread are both low in fat, each containing about 1 gram of fat.

AND they make you feel fuller for longer than rice or pasta because of the way their are processed by your body. Just a reminder. Potatoes, prepare to be surprised – Europe's favourite since 1536.

What is the 20 minute rule for eating? ›

It takes approximately 20 minutes from the time you start eating for your brain to send out signals of fullness. Leisurely eating allows ample time to trigger the signal from your brain that you are full. And feeling full translates into eating less.

However, they are also high in carbs, contain gluten, and could contribute to weight gain if consumed in high amounts. Therefore, while egg noodles can definitely fit into a healthy diet, it's important to watch your portion size and be mindful of which ingredients you pair them with.

Potatoes are whole, unprocessed carbohydrates, which require more energy to digest compared to processed foods. Therefore eating potatoes can increase the number of calories your body burns during digestion — known as the thermogenic effect — which can further promote weight loss.

"Eating refined carbs like bread, rice, pasta and cookies [in excess] will increase our belly fat. If we want to lose it, we should focus on eating nutrient- and fiber-rich carbs such as vegetables and low-glycemic fruits," says Djordjevic.

Opt for tomato-based sauces over creamy ones, and include plenty of vegetables and lean proteins to balance the meal. Be mindful of portion sizes and consider incorporating spaghetti into a well-rounded, calorie-controlled diet.

You don't have to follow a strict low carb diet. Some research suggests that replacing refined carbs with unprocessed starchy carbs may improve metabolic health and reduce belly fat ( 34 , 35 ).

Is bread or pasta more fattening? A single serving of refined pasta has approximately 70% more carbohydrates than a single slice of white bread. Neither bread nor pasta is more fattening than the other. Pasta and bread are both low in fat, each containing about 1 gram of fat.

Which foods are high in carbohydrates to avoid? You should be careful of foods that are high in carbs but have little nutritional value. Although they taste good, limit your helpings of cakes, pastries, full-sugar sodas, candy, and refined starches (like white pasta, white bread, and white rice).

If you weighed that, 100 grams uncooked, once it's cooked, because it absorbs the water, it becomes 275 grams of pasta. What this means is it's actually 462 calories, not 168. So the difference between 100 grams of uncooked pasta.