Training & Nutrition - In Praise of Pasta

I have been eating a ton of carbs lately, especially pasta. I have found that I am not nearly as hungry as I was when I used to eat mostly protein and fat. As a result I am eating less calories and I fell better than I have in a long time, and I felt pretty good before. I have been eating meat only once a day, and that is a piece of salmon as a mid morning snack.

For my pasta sauce I get a few kg of tomatoes mix ‘em with some onions, garlic and parsley, throw it in the pressure cooker for a few hours, viola pasta sauce.

I have found that when I eat pasta I do not feel very full after eating, but I do feel satiated. The best part is that if I have pasta as my last meal of the night, or maybe followed later by some fruit I go the next 5 or 6 hours without feeling hungry and I am able to concentrate much better on my studies that I usually am. The thing I have always noticed with pasta is that I seem to do better on tests, it’s really strange. My teacher used to say it is because I was keeping my brain fed so it would not distract me while I was doing the test.

I don’t know why I stopped eating it in the first place, since I have always loved it, and I do not have to eat that much. The best part about this is that my food bill is so much less, now that I have started to eat less meat. Each day I am spending about <7$ a day on food, I spent more than twice that when I was eating more meat.

I have noticed when I do weights that my muscles are sorer for longer. I do not know if that is because I am eating less animal protein, or that I am able to really attack and push my intensity more than I was able to before. I can barely wait to get back on the bike, if I am able to push and concentrate like I am now I will really be able to pack on the miles. The good part is that if I am able to pay off my debts before school is out I will not have to work this summer, YEAH!

Pasta is awesome! In moderation... for non-sedentary people. If I'm craving some quick carbs, I will often make up a bowl of plain pasta shells (whole wheat if available), throw in some frozen peas, and top with (fake) butter.

Pasta is good, especially with ground-beef meat sauce. I sometimes use the whole wheat variety, but to be honest, it really doesn't taste as good. I do like the vegetable pasta (multi color or whatever). It tastes good and has a much better consistency than the whole wheat stuff.

The thing I have always noticed with pasta is that I seem to do better on tests, it’s really strange. My teacher used to say it is because I was keeping my brain fed so it would not distract me while I was doing the test.


When I was in university I used to bring a chocolate bar with me to longer exams. I would eat 1/3 of it every 45min to an hour; it really seemed to help.

The extra energy, a little touch of stimulants, and a dose of good ol' relaxation seemed to make the whole thing go better. Plus if you bombed the exam, you still got to eat a tasty treat. :)

When I was in university I used to bring a chocolate bar with me to longer exams. I would eat 1/3 of it every 45min to an hour; it really seemed to help.

The extra energy, a little touch of stimulants, and a dose of good ol' relaxation seemed to make the whole thing go better. Plus if you bombed the exam, you still got to eat a tasty treat. :)


The co-ordinator of my programme brings raisins for everybody during exam times.



For myself I know a lot about nothing. I understand the science behind a some things but I have trouble when it comes to application.

This is what makes me wonder about pasta that seems to work like no other food for me. I have read that it is a carb that is slowly released into the blood and keeps blood sugars levels steady over a long period of time. This is also supposed to be true of many unprocessed CHO's. I guess the reason that whole grain pasta satiates me for so long is that I usually eat about 300 calories worth of it at a time, whereas I would have to eat a large amounts of fruits and veg at one time to get the same amount of slow releasing calories. As for meat, I would not have to eat that much to get to 300 calories, and I am left wanting more as I find it hard to be satiated with meat unless I stuff myself with it.

I'm digging grains again. Whole grain pasta is part of that. I'm happy that whole grain pastas are very easy to come by now.

I found some short grain rice without the hull but with the germ intact. Wholesome flavor and good nutrition without the brown rice flatulence.

basically it comes down to giving your bod what it craves, for the longest time i ate little proteina nd next to no fat and when i added a bit of both i was flying, the key is balance

The nutritional content of pasta is lacking for the calories consumed due to the white flour, so I've mostly replaced it with fruits and vegitables. I like to cook fresh spinach in a little olive oil and chopped garlic, then take the drained pasta and add it to the spinach and mix it up. No tomato sauce and it's very quick.

Al

The nutritional content of pasta is lacking for the calories consumed due to the white flour, so I've mostly replaced it with fruits and vegitables. I like to cook fresh spinach in a little olive oil and chopped garlic, then take the drained pasta and add it to the spinach and mix it up. No tomato sauce and it's very quick.

Al


That’s why I like to eat whole grain pasta that does not use white flour. But you have given me a good idea. I have trouble eating spinach so I think I will grind it up and put it in my pasta sauce. I also like to throw some broccoli on it as well.

That’s why I like to eat whole grain pasta that does not use white flour. But you have given me a good idea. I have trouble eating spinach so I think I will grind it up and put it in my pasta sauce. I also like to throw some broccoli on it as well.

Unfortunately, I can't get used to the taste of the whole grain stuff. I wish I could.

Al

Unfortunately, I can't get used to the taste of the whole grain stuff. I wish I could.

Al

Try the Barilla Plus brand. Looks and tastes like the regular stuff, but it has fiber, protein and flaxseed added.

Try the Barilla Plus brand. Looks and tastes like the regular stuff, but it has fiber, protein and flaxseed added.

This is our brand. My son takes after his dad and loves loves loves starch. This is an easy way to boost the nutritional value.

I use regular pasta the evening before a ride, and whole grain pasta otherwise (I get some stomach, digestive issues on long rides, so I avoid high fiber the day before).

I mix steamed spinach and ground turkey into pasta sauce. Ground Turkey is less greasy and feels lighter than ground beef.

With that combo, I wake up ready to tear up the roads.

cheese tortellini with olive oil and parmesan cheese rocks! 4:1 carb:protein ratio, too.

ground turkey whole wheat pasta with homemade sauce is awesome. well i like regular noodles better than whole wheat, given the health difference, whole wheat noodles are pretty good.

Try the Barilla Plus brand. Looks and tastes like the regular stuff, but it has fiber, protein and flaxseed added.

+1

Just tried it last night, after purchasing it based on this recommendation.

It's great!

cheese tortellini with olive oil and parmesan cheese rocks! 4:1 carb:protein ratio, too.
what about fat!

Unfortunately, I can't get used to the taste of the whole grain stuff. I wish I could.

Al


Brand really makes a difference. I once threw out a whole pound of pasta because it tasted like a bucket of sand. It was nasty. Barilla and Ronzoni make good whole grain pasta.

what about fat!


Olive oil is unsaturated and good for you. Parmesan cheese does have saturated fat, but I imagine one doesn't eat a pound of the stuff.

And I hope all you guys cook it with rock salted water and "al dente" otherwise it is not "pasta" but ....
Ciao
Paolo

And I hope all you guys cook it with rock salted water and "al dente" otherwise it is not "pasta" but ....
Ciao
Paolo

I only eat pasta in restaurants when they cook it al dente. That eliminates most so-called italian places as they precook all their pasta in bulk before the doors open. Luckily, we have one good italian place in town.

Not only does al dente taste better, but the glycemic index value is far lower than the more sugar-like over-cooked pasta.

Al

For glycemic index, I guess the shape of the pasta makes a difference also. I don't know why. Some people say the flour in whole wheat pasta is so finely ground that the GI is even higher than regular pasta. Also notice that Barilla Pasta Plus is not whole wheat pasta. It's a blend of grains, definitely a highly processed or engineered food. Ronzoni makes a similar product that I think tastes better. But neither quite gets the texture right. I believe that Japanese buckwheat soba is a whole grain pasta.

buckwheat can be wholegrain or refined but it has a lower gi anyone tried rice/millet/soba/hemp/spelt pasta?

...anyone tried rice/millet/soba/hemp/spelt pasta?
Actually I think that's very close to the ingredients in Ronzoni Healthy Harvest and Barilla Plus. Like I said earlier, they're not whole wheat pastas and don't claim to be--although they probably don't mind leaving that impression.