>U Mom Knows Best: 4 Ways To Enjoy Pasta Without The Guilt

Tuesday, July 6, 2021

4 Ways To Enjoy Pasta Without The Guilt

 If you’re a pasta lover trying to lose that belly after just giving birth, then you may feel conflicted! It’s very hard to say ‘no’ to your pasta cravings. 

 Well, the truth is that pasta doesn’t always have to make you feel guilty about possibly hurting your fitness goals as a new mom. Pasta is also well-loved amongst busy moms, as it’s just so easy to whip up, especially when you’re taking care of a newborn, and you just want to eat well.

The good news is that pasta doesn’t always necessarily have to feel very heavy. There are many ways for you to enjoy a good pasta meal to satisfy your healthy and sumptuous meal cravings without hurting your fitness goals.

With that said, here are four ways you can enjoy pasta without the guilt of consuming unhealthy carbs:

1. Use Vegetables As Your Pasta Substitute

 Did you know that there are many vegetables you can sneakily use as your pasta substitute? For new moms who may also be nursing, this is a great idea, as you can incorporate so much healthy vegetables in your diet to be passed on to your nursing baby!

 Chances are, you won’t even be able to taste the difference. Some of the best vegetables to use as pasta substitute to incorporate in your pasta dishes are:

+  Cabbage. When you boil the cabbage leaves, you can use these in lieu of lasagna sheets for your lasagna pasta dinner. For a sample gluten-free lasagna recipe, see sources like 28 at Home’s recipe.

+  Zucchini. This is another well-loved substitute for pasta, especially if you’ve got a spiralizer. You can use zucchini as your replacement for spaghetti noodles. 

+ Carrots. These are also a great add-on to any red pasta.

2. Pair With A Salad Side

 Pastas are usually eaten with a side dish. If you still fancy bread, opt for wheat, sourdough, or rye bread. Skip the white bread or garlic toast. 

For that added boost of healthy vegetables, you can choose a hearty salad to pair with your pasta dish. The trick here is to eat the salad before your main, pasta dish. Eating veggies before a pasta meal is a great way to trick your stomach into feeling full.

If you still choose to eat the salad after your meal, that’s still all right. As mentioned, it’s meant to make you feel full, satiating whatever hunger you may feel. This is also a great trick if you’ve just given birth and are nursing a baby as you’ll feel a lot hungrier and even more thirsty than usual.

3. Pasta As Salad

Pasta salad is actually also very delicious. Plus, it’s filling without the nasty carbs of white pasta.

 The trick here is, after boiling your pasta, leave it to cool. Then, once it’s settled, chill it in the fridge. When you cool down the pasta, its chemical structure actually transforms. It now becomes ‘resistant starch’, which has the effect of decreasing your body’s glycemic response. In short, it keeps your body feeling full for a longer time.

 Also, this is a great trick for meal prepping for busy moms who are also trying to lose weight! Pasta salad doesn’t just make for a great meal, but a healthy snack as well. When you’ve got portions of this prepared in your fridge, it cuts down the likelihood of snacking on junk.

4. Add Cheese In Moderation

 Oh, cheese, one of the heavenly ingredients in pasta that just makes the latter so mouth-watering. but also very fattening. If you want to be a bit more health-conscious with your pasta meals, take it easy on the cheese. Or you may want to opt for cheese with lower saturated fat content, like feta, parmesan, and ricotta.

 Along with controlling the cheese portion or switching to a healthier cheese alternative, be mindful also of the cream, if the recipe calls for heavy whipping cream. A good substitute for heavy whipping cream is to go for non-fat, soy, or almond milk options. You can make it as tasty as heavy whipping cream by adding flavor with a puree of cauliflower, olive oil, and your preferred seasonings.

Conclusion

 Pasta is well-loved comfort food, not just for moms, but also for the entire family. When you’ve got no time to spend hours in the kitchen, pasta can also be your best bet because it’s a quick and easy route to having a filling meal. The only downside to it is that pasta has always had some bad rap. For new moms who are desperately trying to lose all that baby weight, this can be a very bad idea. The list above is now your saving grace! You don’t have to say goodbye to your pasta cravings because of the various ways above to take in pasta, minus the nasties.

1 comment:

cookie clicker online said...

Add Cheese In Moderation. Very good taste

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