What Is A Healthy Portion Of Pasta? Tips to Control Overeating
What is a healthy portion of pasta? The standard healthy serving size of pasta is two ounces of dry pasta.
Mom and I are pasta people. Meaning we love to eat pasta dishes. We plan to make it once, twice, or thrice a week if we want to.
Although after reading some articles about health issues concerning overeating pasta makes me wonder. How much should a serving of pasta be?
Well, I know some people are afraid of getting fat and always watch their food intake, but we can't help it but still eat till we feel full.
Are you a pasta person like I am? This article is for you as you will learn how much pasta you should take to consider it healthy and some tips to avoid overeating. please read here what is healtheir pasta or rice.
Pasta Serving
So, after reading some articles about it, here is what I found out. Pasta comes in different shapes and sizes, also in the ingredients used to make them.
Not only a pasta dish could become a great source of nutrients your body needs depending on the ingredients used, but it also offers lots of health benefits.
What is a healthy portion of pasta? A healthy amount of pasta depends on its type. Here are some of it. please read here why is pasta healthy.
#1. Long pasta
Long pasta comes in many types. We have spaghetti, fettuccine, linguine are just some of them.
Torre & Olive whole wheat spaghetti is a pasta you want to try! A healthier alternative you don’t want to miss.
The right amount of one helping of long pasta should be 2 ounces of dry pasta per person. That is equal to a cup of pasta. please read here what is pasta good for.
It may be hard to measure since it is long, but you can still weigh it using your hand.
Gather the long dry pasta in your hand and make sure that a bunch is as big as the diameter of a quarter.
#2. Short pasta
Short pasta comes in various types; it can be rotini, penne, and more. Penne is the most common pasta used in many dishes.
For these fun shapes of small pasta, a serving should be 2 ounces of this dry pasta. That should be equal to two-thirds cup of dry pasta.
Penne is usually cooked with vodka sauce or baked. When you boil it, that two-thirds cup of dry pasta will become a cup and a fourth cooked pasta.
#3. Short-cut pasta
A grain pasta, commonly known as Orzo, is a type of shortcut pasta shaped like a grain.
Two ounces of this pasta are at the third cup of its dry pasta. When you cook the pasta, it becomes roughly a cup of cooked pasta.
#4. Medium shells
Medium shell pasta like macaroni must be a three-fourth cup of dry pasta per serving.
It becomes a cup and eighth when boiled and cooked. Naturally, the measurement becomes greater since water incorporates the pasta when you cook it.
Pasta Into A Meal
Now that you know how much pasta you should cook for a person, it’s time to turn it into a meal. So, how will you do it?
Sauce
When it comes to pasta, it is more fun if you toss in some sauce. But it would be best if you chose a hearty sauce.
Try adding some Bolognese, Alfredo, or Carbonara to add richness to your simple pasta dish.
Veggies
T make a hearty meal out of a simple pasta dish, and you have to toss in more veggies.
Nothing beats a meal that is well-balanced and is packed with nutritional benefits that not only the body will love but will make your stomach full also.
Side salad
Besides adding more veggies, no harm will come if you have a salad side dish to your meal. A simple salad will do to make your meal wrapped up. Read more here how to make salad dressing with olive oil.
Tips To Avoid Overeating
As much as we love to eat pasta like we want to, it is never a good idea to overeat. Although we often overlook our help of food and eat until we feel full.
So, how would you stop yourself from overeating? Here are some simple tips to make yourself avoid overeating.
Tip #1. Use smaller dinnerware
Have you noticed that you tend to eat more if you use a large plate when eating? You can see those spaces vacant in your plate makes you want to add more to it.
It is where your overeating starts. That illusion of having less food on the plate will make you add food than you think you will need.
Try switching to smaller plates and dinnerware and see if it makes any significant difference than before.
Tip #2. Start your meals with a glass of water
When eating, we often stop when we feel that our stomachs are full. It is an illusion your mind makes to keep you eating until you feel satisfied.
Having a glass of water before a meal will help you feel full easily and quickly. You could also drink 500ml of water thirty minutes before a meal, and you will feel the same satisfaction when you eat your meal at a lesser portion.
Tip #3. Focus on the food
Some of us love to watch television whenever we are eating, especially when we live or stay at home alone.
When we eat while watching TV, we tend to forget how much we eat and enjoy munching all the food you put inside our mouths.
Avoiding so will make your mind conscious about your help of food. To do this, focus on eating and avoid any distractions.
Eating too fast could also increase your food intake, so it's best to take things slowly as your mind takes up to 30 minutes to say that, "Yep, that's enough."
Conclusion
You will never learn anything if you don't read up some facts and writings, so I am thankful I have read some.
So if you are trying to watch your diet while enjoying your favourite pasta dish, knowing what is a healthy portion of pasta is will surely help you with that.