Eat pasta without worries! Nutritionists teach you 3 secrets to not getting fat

Whether it is a weekday dinner, a gathering with friends or a family dinner, pasta is always one of the people’s first choice of food items. However, for those who are struggling to lose weight, pasta is a hidden landmine that can make you gain weight! How can we enjoy the delicious taste of pasta in a happy atmosphere without worrying about obesity? Nutritionist shares 3 tips for not gaining weight!

White sauce bacon pasta, tomato and chicken pasta, pesto clams pasta, garlic bacon pasta, clam pasta... The pasta dishes sold in restaurants come in a variety of flavors. Which one is less burdensome to eat? Nutritionist Zhao Hanying answered without hesitation: "I like white wine clam pasta," not only because it tastes good, but also because it is "refreshing and burden-free."

Tip 1: Choose the sauce carefully, stir-frying is better than green sauce!

Nutritionist Zhao Hanying further explained that the number one culprit for pasta's reputation as a fattening food is the "sauce." Although each chef uses different recipes and proportions to make sauces, and the amount of oil used in cooking pasta is also different, on average, stir-fried pasta uses less oil and does not require thickening, so it has lower calories and uses less oil than other sauces.

Among all types of pasta, stir-fried white wine clams pasta is relatively refreshing and less burdensome to the body.

Red sauce is made by boiling a little olive oil, a lot of tomatoes and concentrated tomato paste. It has slightly higher calories, about 2.5 times that of stir-fried dishes. The main ingredients of white sauce are butter, milk and flour. It has even higher calories, about 3.5 times that of stir-fried dishes. Although green sauce uses a lot of basil leaves, it has a higher fiber content and looks healthier, but the production process requires a lot of olive oil or butter, and the addition of oil-rich pine nuts to enhance the flavor. Therefore, it ranks first in the calorie list of pasta sauces, with calories about 4.2 times that of stir-fried dishes.

Whether it is a weekday dinner, a gathering with friends or a family dinner, pasta is always one of the people's first choice of food.

As for baked pasta, which is always served about 15 to 20 minutes later than regular pasta, the calories are off the charts because a lot of cheese is added to it, which makes people enjoy the delicious "stringy" taste and the fun of eating. Taking commercially available full-fat cheese slices as an example, one slice has about 150 calories, and most stores use two slices at a time. This also means that if you eat the entire meal, it is equivalent to eating an extra bowl of rice (each bowl of rice has about 280 calories).

Tip 2: Use more vegetables as ingredients! Low-fat meat instead of fried bacon

"Ingredients" are the second key factor that affects the calories of pasta! Nutritionist Zhao Hanying said that three long slices of bacon, about the length from fingertips to wrists, are high-fat meats with about 150 to 200 calories. It is recommended to choose high-fiber, low-calorie vegetables, such as asparagus, broccoli, bell peppers, corn shoots, mushrooms, etc., or chicken breast or seafood with lower calories.

Large clams, commonly used in pasta dishes, are low-fat seafood, with about 55 calories per serving (about 6 clams). Chicken breast is a low-fat meat, with each portion (about 3 finger-sized pieces) containing about 55 calories. Chicken thighs with skin are medium-fat meat and have higher calories, about 75 calories per serving. It should also be noted that if the store coats the chicken with flour before cooking in order to increase the tenderness of the chicken, this will also increase the calories of the food.

Pasta comes in many types and shapes due to the different ingredients and production methods. For those who are trying to lose weight, there are some tips on how to choose.

Tip 3: Eat less noodles and think before choosing

For pasta of the same flavor, different restaurants use different amounts of noodles. Nutritionist Zhao Hanying admits that she always asks the waiter to give her “less noodles” every time she orders, and drinks plenty of water to increase satiety and avoid excessive intake of staple foods. In addition, if you can choose the type of pasta, try not to choose wide white pasta, which has a higher glycemic index; you can give priority to angel hair pasta, butterfly pasta or spiral pasta, which have less refined starch, higher wheat content and lower GI value.

[Nutritionist's Tips]:

Even if you have mastered the secret of eating pasta, if you want to lose weight or maintain a good figure, nutritionist Zhao Hanying reminds you not to forget to develop good habits of exercising more, drinking plenty of water, and getting enough sleep and rest!