Is Pasta good for you?

Superdub2

hi sorry in advance ifthis is the wrong place but im wondering, im tryin to burn off some fat and i was wondering if pasta was bad for you or fattening.

I am fairly slim but im lukin to get ripped

g'em

Superdub2 wrote:

I am fairly slim but im lukin to get ripped

yes its that easy.. :rolleyes:

pasta is fine so long as its wholemeal not white. keep portions small i.e. 25% of the overall meal, the rest being mostly veg and some meat. Its the creamy sauces that are a killer, stick to tomatoe based sauces or make your own (tin tomatoes, onions, herbs, small bit of oil, heat gently in a pan and simmer).

Its generally not what people it, its how much they eat that makes them overweight.

metrovelvet

Erm, I'd disagree. I would cut it out altogether. Get your carbs from brown rice/potato. Unless you eat the pasta that sufferes of celiac sprue eat. [gluten/wheat free]

It is WHAT you eat also!!!!

Consuming a pint of haagen daaz is quite a leap from consuming 16 ounzes of water.

Superdub2

i tend to eat a bowl full of pasta mixed with chicken maybe twice a week for lunch, wud that be a bad idea if it was wholemeal?

metrovelvet

Ok well if you're going to do that, make sure you have a big bowl of salad too for roughage. That stuff gets stuck in your gut. Wheat has been so modified that its causing widespread problems for people these days. Also keep your portion modest.

Personally I would stay away from it altogether and I love pasta!! But if your naturally slim like you say then you'll probably metabolise it ok. Its us girls who have to watch it.

Superdub2

thanks but if its not good for you why do people say footballers eat so much of it?

g'em

metrovelvet wrote:

Erm, I'd disagree. I would cut it out altogether. Get your carbs from brown rice/potato. Unless you eat the pasta that sufferes of celiac sprue eat. [gluten/wheat free]

nowt wrong with wholemeal pasta if its eaten in small portions. good source of carbs, just like brown rice and pasta, so are a good addition to an endurance athlete's diet, or any athelete in fact who requires a lot of energy for cardiovascular activities (like football). actually, if you were abiding by your own argument of over-processed foods, brown rice would be off the menu too. Health food shops stock a range of pastas and even pasta flour to make your own made from organic ingredients. But like you say, keep portions modest.

metrovelvet wrote:

Consuming a pint of haagen daaz is quite a leap from consuming 16 ounzes of water.

well... eh.. yuh-huh. I think I must have missed the part where I advocated eating ice-cream by the tub-full

metrovelvet

Yeah I didnt say you advocated eating a tub of ice cream. You asserted that its not WHAT you eat but HOW MUCH you eat. And I was using hyperbole to assert that it is also WHAT you eat that counts.

Footballers train intensivelly all day. They dont need to LOSE WEIGHT. OP wants to drop fat. Their metabolisms are already at an incredibly high rate.

I gather OP is not at the same level of training as a professional footballer - or he wouldnt need to get cut. He already would be.

As for brown rice - i should have said organic.

I would bring small portions back of pasta once I've already dropped the fat.

And wheat is causing a lot of problems for many, but not all people, thats all Im saying.

daveirl

This post has been deleted.

t-ha

metrovelvet wrote:

Consuming a pint of haagen daaz is quite a leap from consuming 16 ounzes of water.

Smothering myself in whipped cream, writhing around and purring is quite a leap from consuming a pint of haagen daaz*.



This game is fun




*t-ha solemly apologises for disturbing everyone

metrovelvet

t-ha wrote:

Smothering myself in whipped cream, writhing around and purring is quite a leap from consuming a pint of haagen daaz*.]

Is that an invitation?

Yes, if your a training athlete like a runner or footballer, but someone whose trying to get rid of fat - its a different story.

g'em

t-ha wrote:

*t-ha solemly apologises for disturbing everyone

ah no worries. most of use were disturbed a long time before you came along. or maybe that's just me...

metrovelvet wrote:

Yes, if your a training athlete like a runner or footballer, but someone whose trying to get rid of fat - its a different story

there's plenty of scope for eating pasta in a normal healthy balanced diet so I'm not sure why you're knocking it so much? Yes, some people are wheat and gluten intolerant so its not advisable for them to eat it. But there's absolutely nothing wrong with eating small portions of pasta, even if you're trying to lose weight. The key is balance.

metrovelvet

Well if carbs arent burned they will turn into sugar and that will get in the way of losing flab.

I did also say that if you eat pasta you should have salad with it.

The OP isnt a fulltime athlete. If he were it would be a different story.

daveirl

This post has been deleted.

metrovelvet

Brown rice is fibrous so it can move through your system. Whereas white rice and pasta can get stuck in the gut which is why I said eat a salad too if you're going to eat pasta. It aids the metabolism.

Im sure small portions are ok still if you want to lose weight, but if you want to lose weight even faster wouldnt it just be more efficient to cut it out altogether?

Isnt it a question of sure you can still drink full fat milk - in moderation. But wouldnt it be better just to skip it and find something else?

Out of curiosity, would 500 calories of brown rice be the same serving size as 500 calories of pasta?

Superdub2

well actually i play football and im always injured and this is why i need to burn fat and when i say burn fat i simply mean a bit of a flabby belly cuz i havent a pick anywhere else. the belly is also down to the fact that i used to eat white bread by the bucketload

I do weights 3 times a week and intense cardio 3-4 times, and in a couple of weeks i will be up to the level of training that would be close enough to semi-professional footballer

g'em

metrovelvet wrote:

Brown rice is fibrous so it can move through your system. Whereas white rice and pasta can get stuck in the gut which is why I said eat a salad too if you're going to eat pasta. It aids the metabolism.

metrovelvet, with all due respect, what in the what now?

Brown rice has, on average, 3.5g fibre per 100g. Wholemeal pasta has, on average, 4g fibre in 100g. Never once did I say that white rice and pasta were suitable for the OP's diet. Salad or other vegetables/ fruit should be eaten with all meals regardless of the presence/ absence of pasta, not only to aid metabolism but to provide vitamins A, B, and C, as well as a host of other micronutrients and minerals like Calcium, Magnesium and Potassium.

metrovelvet wrote:

Im sure small portions are ok still if you want to lose weight, but if you want to lose weight even faster wouldnt it just be more efficient to cut it out altogether?

No. Pasta and rice and other cereal products provide a hugely important source of carbohydrates necessary to fuel the body. The OP has posted to say he works out up to 6 times a week, and will therefore need a steady of supply of fuel to keep his body energised. Regardless of whether he's a world class athlete or a regular gym-goer like the rest of us, he needs to fuel himself. Eating controlled portions of wholemeal pasta, rice, potatoes, wholemeal bread and cereals will allow him to do that.

metrovelvet wrote:

Out of curiosity, would 500 calories of brown rice be the same serving size as 500 calories of pasta?

no. weight for weight rice has more calories than pasta. 1 cup brown rice has approx 215 calories, wholemeal pasta has approx. 175.

So... wholemeal pasta is higher in dietary fibre and per serving has less calories than brown rice... sort of ruins your argument there hon :rolleyes:

OP, keep eating pasta (along with rice, bread etc.), make it wholemeal, keep the portions moderate, tomatoe based sauces, add lean meat and loads of vegetables.

metrovelvet

Ok G'em. No need to get feisty.

He didnt say what his regime was until just before you posted.

Im not arguing anything, Im saying what I would do in his position. Everyones body is different. I for one would not go near that diet you suggested. I dont trust wheat at all in bread, in pasta, or in cereals, and even the so called "organics." Its still a processed grain.

Duh salads should be eaten anyway - but he didnt say he was eating salads also. But you need to eat it doubly so if you're eating pasta. And preferable something like romaine or mesclun.

I didnt say you said white rice and pasta, im talking to OP not to you. Not everything I say is directed toward you or about you.

How do you deduce that wholemeal pasta has more fibre than brown rice? Because of the calorie intake? Can you explain?

Regular gym goers are not burning the way world class athletes are. You know burn more than you consume, the first step in losing pounds?

If youre going to eat pasta, eat gluten free. That way it wont **** with your insulen levels either or store fat.

g'em

metrovelvet wrote:

Ok G'em. No need to get feisty.

hehe, ah that's just me, pay no heed, you have to be a bit feisty around this testosterone infused forum

metrovelvet wrote:

Im not arguing anything, Im saying what I would do in his position. Everyones body is different. I for one would not go near that diet you suggested. I dont trust wheat at all in bread, in pasta, or in cereals, and even the so called "organics." Its still a processed grain.

Regular gym goers are not burning the way world class athletes are. You know burn more than you consume, the first step in losing pounds?

grand, but that's what you would do. Looking at the information the OP has provided, there's absolutely nothing wrong with him eating pasta. You know 'world class athletes' have the same body composition of us mere mortals, and there's nothing wrong with eating the same foods as they do but just.. in ... moderate.. portions. Excercising 6-7 times a week btw, will require a huge amount of energy.

How do you deduce that wholemeal pasta has more fibre than brown rice? Because of the calorie intake? Can you explain?

Nothing to do with calories, its just because of their composition.

Flour is the product obtained by grinding wheat kernels or "berries." The kernel consists of three distinct parts: bran, the outer covering of the grain; germ, the embryo contained inside the kernel; and endosperm, the part of the kernel that makes white flour. During milling, the three parts are separated and recombined to make different types of flours. Whole wheat is composed of the entire kernel - the bran, germ and endosperm. (Incidently its the endosperm that contains gluten hence the reason why white breads are so high in it as they're only made from endosperm) Wholemeal pasta is made from wholemeal flour and therefore contains the bran which is high in fibre. Read more about it here..

Similalry brown rice only has the outer hull of the grain removed and also retains the bran, therefore its also high in fibre, and for more info see here

Alternatively check out the United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition website

I think you're getting a bit confused about macronutrients and calories.. Calories are, very simply, the unit of energy required for our body to break down a food into its basic components which include fibre along with carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins and minerals. So calories are really just a measure of how much 'energy' is contained within a food with all those ingredients. The proportions of each of those macro and micro nutrients dictate how calorie healthy a food is (for want of a better way of exlpaining it i.e. a food high in calories but also high in fibre (like brown rice, pasta is better than a food high in calories but also high in fats, low in mnerals and vitamins. Foods high in protein tend to be lower in fibre and carbs (lean meat), but can be high in fats (like nuts). So.. the trick is to make sure your high calorie foods are also nutrient rich.

Transform

Superdub2 wrote:

well actually i play football and im always injured and this is why i need to burn fat and when i say burn fat i simply mean a bit of a flabby belly cuz i havent a pick anywhere else. the belly is also down to the fact that i used to eat white bread by the bucketload

I do weights 3 times a week and intense cardio 3-4 times, and in a couple of weeks i will be up to the level of training that would be close enough to semi-professional footballer

Post your current eating habits.

t-ha

g'em wrote:

Flour is the product obtained by grinding wheat kernels or "berries." The kernel consists of three distinct parts: bran, the outer covering of the grain; germ, the embryo contained inside the kernel; and endosperm, the part of the kernel that makes white flour. During milling, the three parts are separated and recombined to make different types of flours. Whole wheat is composed of the entire kernel - the bran, germ and endosperm. (Incidently its the endosperm that contains gluten hence the reason why white breads are so high in it as they're only made from endosperm) Wholemeal pasta is made from wholemeal flour and therefore contains the bran which is high in fibre. Read more about it here..

Similalry brown rice only has the outer hull of the grain removed and also retains the bran, therefore its also high in fibre, and for more info see here

Alternatively check out the United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition website

I think you're getting a bit confused about macronutrients and calories.. Calories are, very simply, the unit of energy required for our body to break down a food into its basic components which include fibre along with carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins and minerals. So calories are really just a measure of how much 'energy' is contained within a food with all those ingredients. The proportions of each of those macro and micro nutrients dictate how calorie healthy a food is (for want of a better way of exlpaining it i.e. a food high in calories but also high in fibre (like brown rice, pasta is better than a food high in calories but also high in fats, low in mnerals and vitamins. Foods high in protein tend to be lower in fibre and carbs (lean meat), but can be high in fats (like nuts). So.. the trick is to make sure your high calorie foods are also nutrient rich.

They don't have the smiley I was looking for so these will have to do:

metrovelvet

I know the difference between calories and nutrients and I know how wheat is processed in both white and whoelmeal breads. I was just wondering how you thought your deliantation in your post demonstrated that one had more nutritional value. I know about protein and what is empty calories and which sugars turn into fats quickly etc etc.

Believe me I know more than you think I do, as I have an intestinal disease and have to know, or my life will be compromised.

People I know with celiac, [which is not what I have, my illness is far worse than that] often tell me that they react far worse to wholemeal than they do to white breads or pastas. Odd no? So Im starting to think there is something in the husk. While I realise OP does not have a wheat allergy, I have done enough reading to think that the way wheat is being treated these days isnt good for most people.

I am also around dancers ALOT, who are a different kind of athlete, and they stay away from pasta altogether because they have to stay slim. OR ELSE!!!

And believe me they are fit! and super slim!!

Superdub2

Transform wrote:

Post your current eating habits.

Breakfast: A Bowl of All Bran with low fat milk and two bananas, or if its the day after weights i have two scrambled eggs on wholegrain brown bread and the two bananas. Never anything else

Lunch: I dont like cold food AT ALL! and im in college so if im lucky ill catch the hot canteen food when its just been served and still hot and ill have some veg and chicken but usually ill have a roll with hot spicy chicken and potato cubes on it. day after weights i mite have a roll with two chicken fillets in it. If i have lunch at home maybe brownbread roll with two skinless chicken fillets or pasta and chicken.

Dinner: Stir fry with brown rice, peppers, onion, mushroom, and steak or maybe chicken usually steak, or fish and plate full of veg or chicken and plate full of veg, veg tends to be broccoli, colliflower, carrots, maybe cabbage,

Snacks: Nutrigrain bars only but not sure bout them, fruit in a blender (dont like eating it, or some variation of the above. Off all confectionaries now and off white bread but still eat a lot of brown bread (wholegrain)

Im weakest at lunch but thats governed by circumstances so if you can suggest anything better thats HOT and feasible ill listen, eat lots of hot veg at dinner, never ever ever eat a salad (its cold!)

Training: for example this week i did weights on monday, thursday and friday and footy on tuesday and spinning on wednesday and spinning tomorrow. day off sunday as im injured so dont play matches yet

could do with some advice on any bars like nutrigrain that are good for you

g'em

metrovelvet wrote:

I know the difference between calories and nutrients..

I'd rather not get into a squabble about this, that's not what this forum is for. I've pm'd you

Superdub2 wrote:

could do with some advice on any bars like nutrigrain that are good for you

they're really not very nutritious at all. a much better snack would be a handful of nuts or even a nut-based bar. nutrigrain are high in sugar and very processed , just like the special k bars or anything along those lines. you're much better off sticking to the fruit, or even try peanut butter on crackers or a low fat yoghurt.

The easiest way to think of it is, the less processed the better. The same will apply to those hot meals- the problem is, you've no control over what the ingreadients are, and often canteens use low-grade produce to keep costs down, and add plenty of fats and sugars to improve the taste.

And have you ever tried porridge for brekkie? breakfast of kings!! really low in fat, slow release complex carbs and a lovely warm way to introduce your tummy to the day ahead

Superdub2

never tried poridge but i was under the impression that all bran was quite good for you. as for the fruit i dont like eating it so i put it in a blender and can only do it when im at home.

g'em

Superdub2 wrote:

never tried poridge but i was under the impression that all bran was quite good for you.

it is, for the most part, but cereals like all bran and bran flakes actually have a lot of added sugar in them!! I used to eat all bran every morning but switched to porridge when I found out, and now add fruit yoghurt to it to make it really creamy.

scoot on

Hey G'em just wondering what kind of nuts are best when watching what you eat? I want to start eating nuts as a snack but i'm not sure what is best for you. I was always under the impression that peanuts were very bad for you if you were watching what you eat so I never thought it was a good idea to be eating nuts in the past!

Also, while we're on the topic I am on a major get fit campaign at the moment as I have a serious sports trial coming up and want to get as fit/healthy as possible so that I give myself every chance, can ppl tell me what they think of my diet?

Breakfast: Usually 2 rice cakes (with no added salt) a small bit of butter and sliced banana.

Lunch: Soup and two slices of brown bread along with salad (normally lettuce, small bit of cheese, cucumber, tomato and onion)
This is normally canteen food at work so I have no idea what is contained in the soup. I try and stay clear of anything in the salad bar that can be processed to don't touch any of the meat or rice/pasta salad mixes.

Dinner: Usually grilled chicken or fish (normally salmon or cod) with wholegrain rice and veg such as carrots, brocolli or cauliflower.

After dinner I might have a bowl of strawberries or an orange.

Snacks: I generally snack on fruit such as apples and strawberries and oranges. I try not to eat more than one banana a day because of their sugar content.
I also like snacking on those Stable Diet Fruit Flapjacks that have become common in shops lately. I'm not sure how healthy they are but I'm assuming that they are healthier than those Cereal Bars!!!

What do ppl make of this? Is there any improvements I could make?

Thanks in advance... and OP sorry for hijacking your thread!

g'em

scoot on wrote:

Hey G'em just wondering what kind of nuts are best when watching what you eat?

most nuts are fine, just so long as they aren't salted/ roasted/ honey glazed or covered in chocolate

Almonds are considered to be very good, lower in fat, as are cashews, walnuts and brazil nuts. The best thing to do is jsut get mixed nuts and eat them that way. But be careful of portion size- a 'handful' of nuts is about 20g or about 20 15-20 almonds or 12-15 cashew nuts.

Just copy and post your diet info into a new thread if you want to get some feedback on it, and make sure you read 'healthy eating' stickies at the top of the forum to see if any of your questions are answered there!

Dragan

metrovelvet wrote:

I am also around dancers ALOT, who are a different kind of athlete, and they stay away from pasta altogether because they have to stay slim. OR ELSE!!!

And believe me they are fit! and super slim!!

Yeah, but i know a lot of Martial Artists, none of them have any huge degree of bodyfat, the would range from about 8% to maybe 12% in my estimation. These guys eat a ton, and i mean a ton of pasta. I know lots of runners, cyclists etc who eat a lot of pasta. I know people who can eat whatever the hell they want and stay around 6%, simply because when it boils down to it, how active you are plays a huge role in the benefit of these foods.

Nothing boils down to "this makes yous fat, this won't". Maybe the reason your dancer friends stay away from pasta is a) the old legend of carbs make you fat b) a certain lack of willpower c) lack of portion control d) they just don't like it etc.

I would be quite certain that they could work a certain amount of pasta into there diet and not gain excessive weight at all.