Pasta on a Diet… Should I Eat or Not?

PASTA IN DIET… CAN I EAT OR NOT?
Although the origin of the pasta is not determined exactly in China or Italy, some sources show that pasta was consumed in China around 1700 BC, while others show that the explorer Marco Polo brought a type of pasta called "Spaghetti" with him in 1292, after his trip to China. . Italians, on the other hand, state that pasta was already consumed in Italy at that time. In Arab historical sources, it has been found that pasta was consumed in the 10th century.

According to researches, we are in the 5th place in pasta consumption in the world, ahead of us is the USA, Brazil, Russia and Italy in the first place. Approaches to pasta are different in our country. Since it is not seen as a main dish and we do not have much sauce knowledge, it is not consumed frequently. In addition, the general consumption decreases as pasta leaves its place to rice, especially as we go to the east. On the other hand, the place of pasta among the foods that cause weight gain will not have changed according to many people yet, 50% of the participants in a study stated that they think pasta makes weight gain.

While many people want to lose weight, they think that bread and pasta will not be in the diet and they remove it from their life while dieting. If starting a diet, “bread, pasta, etc. For example, they will definitely state that “I do not consume”. Bread, pasta, etc. If we remove food from our diet, we should know that we cannot lose weight by losing fat as we want, and many metabolic disorders may occur in the body. As a result, serious problems such as diabetes, cholesterol-related cardiovascular diseases and gout can be experienced. For this reason, we should include healthy carbohydrate sources such as cereal bread and pasta in our diet. When consumed in the right amount, they are helpful in weight control.
Pasta, especially pasta made with wholemeal flour or whole wheat, oat, corn flour, is a food that we should include in a healthy diet. The important thing in this regard is to decide the amount and sauce consumed daily. There is no general answer to the question of how much pasta we should consume per day. This amount can be determined according to the person's carbohydrate needs.

It is very important to be satiated while dieting. We make Tokken portion control more comfortable, we can say no to after-dinner snacks and escapades more easily. For this reason, I recommend that you consume the pasta warm and undercooked. It makes you realize later that you are full when the pasta is hot. And blood sugars can drop quickly, especially when people with sugar problems eat hot pasta. However, warm pasta is a good food in reducing insulin resistance and diabetes.

As you know, what makes pasta a calorie bomb is its sauce. When you pay attention to the amount of sauce and pasta that can increase the energy you get 2-3 times at a time, pasta can be a diet food that you will consume with pleasure. 100g of pasta is about 350 calories and this amount is almost equivalent to 5 slices of bread. You can consume pasta by planning your daily bread consumption.

Although you eat the same amount of pasta, the ingredients you use can increase the calories and fat of the pasta you make by at least 2-4 times. Instead of creamy and buttery sauces, sauces prepared with tomatoes, cheese, vegetables, yogurt and olive oil will always be healthier. That's why pastas eaten outside in cafes may be more caloric than we think. While dieting, it is best to make pasta at home.

Pasta can never be forbidden in the diet, as long as we control the amount, time of eating and preparation.

Author: Dietitian Beste Alimert

Whole Wheat Pasta with Zucchini & Carrots Recipe

(for 2 person)

Pasta on a Diet… Should I Eat or Not? Ingredients for the Recipe

• 1 zucchini
• 1 carrot
• 1 cloves of garlic
• 2 teaspoon of olive oil
• salt
• Dill
• optional 100 gr mozzarella cheese
• 200 g boiled whole wheat pasta

Pasta on a Diet… Should I Eat or Not? How To Make The Recipe?

1. Wash the zucchini, cut off the top and stem, and cut into thin long strips with the help of a mandolin, if not, with a knife.
2. Peel the carrot, wash it and chop it the same thickness as the zucchini. Finely chop 1 clove of garlic.
3. Saute the carrots by adding a little salt in 2 teaspoons of olive oil, add the zucchini and garlic to the softened carrots and continue sautéing. When the zucchini is cooked, remove the sauteed vegetables from the stove.
4. Boil and drain the pasta and mix it with the vegetables you sauteed.
5. Finely chop the dill, add the mozzarella with dill, add to the warm pasta and serve.

Recipe: Nilay Tulum