5 Tips about Pasta

1. When serving pasta, people tend to eat more than they need. Once cup of cooked pasta has about 200 calories. Measure a cup of pasta once or twice to see what a serving should look like. It would also be helpful to measure how much your pasta bowl holds. If you find your eating too much, cut back a little big. Replace a portion with more vegetables to expand volume.
2. When choosing pasta, look for 100 percent whole grain varieties for more fibre. Try something new. Pasta made from different whole grains such as whole wheat semolina, brown rice or flax.
3. Pasta is a low glycemic index food. This means that it supplies a more sustained release of energy which can help feel full longer and can help manage your blood sugar. Just because it is a low glycemic index food doesn’t mean you could eat unlimited amounts. Portions still matter.
4. Although you can buy pasta favoured with vegetables such as spinach or tomatoes don’t count on it for a serving of vegetables. These pastas typically are made by adding powder to flour so you get the colour but not much else. Serve vegetable alongside or mix them into your pasta sauce.
5. The best sauces are tomato based because they are low in fat and calories. There are lots of store bought sauces in the market. Look for products that are lower in fat and have less than 400 mg of sodium per ½ cup serving. It’s always best and tastiest to make your own!