by Sophia Loren once noticed: “I owe everything you see, I owe spaghetti.” When I shoveled the remaining spag bol from my daughter’s plate into my mouth, I don’t have to bother to open the trash can, I can’t help but think that I could say the same thing. Just not good.
In the heyday of my mother, pasta was exotic, pronounced “Pusta”, bought Frisch from a special deli in Soho and served together with Bolognese sauce, which included a complicated Elizabeth -David recipe with chicken liver. For British of the 21st century, pasta has become almost as omnipresent as bread.
There are plastic tubs as a second choice according to Sandwiches in “meals” and is one of the best available meals in different shapes. Industry statistics show that the British sales volume of pasta dishes in 2023 was about 140,000 tons – some of them were consumed by me.
In the meantime, most British are of carbohydrates, the potato, in decline. In a report by researchers from Scotland Rural College (SRUC), a reduction in demand for fresh potatoes in Great Britain has been reduced by 71 percent since the 1970s, with consumers switching to alternatives such as rice and pasta. This will be continued, partly due to a change to vegan diets among young people, according to another report that shows that the global pasta market is growing to 45 billion US dollars by 2030.
Conclusion. It’s cheap. It’s simple. It’s everywhere.
However, pasta is problematic in British cuisine. If we cook it ourselves, we often do not check our portion sizes – studies confirm that the portion sizes have increased dramatically in the past three decades and that is not good.
Besides, we don’t know how to cook it properly. I was informed by my husband (who once had an Italian girlfriend and claims to know everything about it) that I have over cooked pasta and being fair that he is right. I can never fully believe the timing on the pack and always add a few minutes in the case.
I decide that in my eternal striving to lose this last half stone, I can also try to give up pasta.
Before I set off, I ask a registered nutritionist and nutritionist Nichola Ludlam-Raine for your views on this matter. She warns: “If noodles are a regular part of their diet, it can lead to a temporary decline in carbohydrate intake, which can affect weight, energy level, mood and training performance. If it is not medical, there is a medical reason such as gluten intolerances that are not necessary to completely eliminate pasta. A sustainable approach is how to learn how to involve it.”
This means that she gives: “Pasta can help some people to re-evaluate the portion sizes and experiment with other grains (e.g. pasta, rice or bulgur wheat). For a month, stopping helps someone to re-evaluate food and ask whether it is more different than the occurrence of heavy wheat.
“For example, wheat biscuits for breakfast, bread for lunch and pasta in the evening for breakfast can be at breakfast, sweet potato and cottage cheese for lunch and a rice roast in the evening. I am a big fan of lentil and chickpea pasta to help people reach their 30 different plant points for the week.”
She adds crucially: “It is about moderation, not about deprivation. In the middle of age, the goal posts change. If you continue to eat in the same way as you decrease weight gain, your metabolic rate decreases when you start losing muscle mass. Foot your feet with alternatives such as lentils, debares, rice bags and potatoes.”
Count me in. Here is something.
Week 1
After my remaining spag Bol shame the dial on the scales by a few pounds, I am glad to start. I add the inevitable impulses. I stay away from the pasta and have meatballs with bean salad and green VEG – although I don’t make a song and dance over it because I don’t want my teenagers to notice it because I have told you that you should not cut out food groups.
I lose 1 pound.
Week 2
I’m still gone. With a common breaded chicken, salmon and sweet potato soup. On PASTA days -we usually have at least twice a week -I replace Courgeti (steamed stripes from Courgette) for the pasta and add the sauce that works excellently.
I lose another 1LB.
Week 3
I don’t find it difficult to do without pasta. As always, I eat brath chicken with all the ingredients on Sunday, but I still avoid pasta at dinner and for lunch.
My weight remains stable.
Week 4
As always, I eat sensibly during the week, even though without pasta. On the weekend I can’t resist steak and chips one day and the closest to the bacon sandwich on the next. It is not surprising that I still no longer lose weight – but I don’t start.
Three months later
I still avoid pasta. I have found that in my case it simply leads to senseless calories that can easily be replaced by vegetables, courtyard or impulses. If I get rid of carbohydrates, I have something worth it. In reality, I have lost no weight due to this small change, but my weight has stopped getting an unstoppable half of the pound a week, which seems to be like an appearance at the age of 59, and I can only add this to the missing pasta calories.
Now that I am more sensitive, I can see that I exaggerate the portions in the occasional errors because I have no moderation in the case of noodles (a bowl macaroni cheese led to a full binge in bucket size). In the meantime, even a normal large portion (lasagna prepared meal) led to flatulence the next day, together with a blood sugar tip that leads to I felt much hungry.
I decide that at my age you can eat all carbohydrates all the time all the time, but you can’t eat all carbohydrates all the time.
It is important to note that studies have come to the conclusion that pasta is actually good for her – a recently carried out study has shown that pasta does not hinder weight loss or contributes to weight gain within a healthy nutritional pattern. What if you don’t want to give it up? Here the Council of Ludlam-Rain is how it is healthy.
How to eat pasta without weighting weight
“If you love pasta to say goodbye, I would reset a reset in portion awareness, cooking methods and mating. Pasta is not the problem – it is how much and how often we eat it and what we fit with the right balance. With the right balance, pasta can be a nutritious, satisfactory and culturally rich part of a healthy diet.”
Cook it right
“When it comes to cooking pasta, it is a great place to follow the instructions on the package. You will know that your pasta is Al dente If it is cooked, but still has a small bite – it shouldn’t be raw, but it shouldn’t fall apart either. If noodles become too soft, it is more broken down at the cellular level, which means that your body works less to digest it. We actually want our mouth and intestine to do part of the work. Imagine the difference between potato puree and a baked potato – the baked version offers more texture, more satisfaction and a slower digestive process.
“A frequent myth is that throwing pasta on the wall to see if it states that it is ready. Although fun is, it’s not the most precise method. Just try it. It should be tender but firm.”
Make sure to eat it as a snack unless you train
“If you have left -wing noodles in the refrigerator, it even contains more resistant strength as soon as you are cooled, which is good for intestinal health. If you go to the gym or need a quick energy push, noodles can be a completely fine option. However, if you are weight loss, you can decide for a case. Hazard cake with nut butter could be better options – these have carbohydrates, but the carbohydrates are not the star of the show like with noodles.
Be exactly in terms of portion size
“If you are not sure, a general guide is about 75 g dry pasta per person, which is roughly doubled after cooking. If you strive for weight loss, a helpful picture below:
“Your needs vary depending on the activity level. If we get older or become less active (as after the adult according to children), we may not need so many starch slabs. That doesn’t mean that we completely cut them out. Carbohydrates are the preferred energy source of the body. Obst and vegetables gain increasing carbohydrates.”
Watch what you have with
“When I get out speaking, I love a sauce on seafood and tomatoes on pasta. At home we usually have pasta-hoft with bolognese or a simple mix of tuna and confectionery (a favorite with my children). “
How do whole grain noodles compare with white pasta?
As you are not processed: your 4-week plan for life-changing healthier eating habits By Nichola Ludlam-Raine is published by Ebury Press
