Tweet

To order your own vegetable spiral slicer CLICK HERE.

THE PROBLEM WITH MOST PASTAS

We all love our starchy carbohydrates. However, most of us don’t enjoy the abdominal bloating that follows the feast or the rapid weight gain that occurs as a result of frequent starch feedings. Unfortunately, the older we get, the less efficient are bodies become at digesting carbohydrates and the higher the chances of developing a food intolerance. Gluten (wheat) is one of the most common food intolerance groups among the adult population.

THE SOLUTION: HOW TO EAT PASTA EVERY DAY AND LOSE WEIGHT

What if I told you that you could eat pasta every day, even multiple times a day, and still lose weight? Crazy, right?

My little secret is the vegetable pasta-maker. Many raw veggies can be hand-cranked through this device and converted into angel-hair pasta or ribbon pasta in a matter of minutes!

I have used zucchinis, carrots, potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions, apples, cucumbers, and radishes in my vegetable pasta-maker. My absolute favorite vegetable to use is raw zucchini because the taste and texture do not noticeably differ from that of real wheat-based pastas. Here are a few things I have made and loved:

• Meatballs and spaghetti sauce over raw zucchini angel-hair pasta

             Recipe Link: https://laurenkern.com/?portfolio=recipe-italian-style-meatballs-serves-4

• Turkey Meatloaf over raw zucchini angel-hair pasta

             Recipe Link: https://laurenkern.com/?portfolio=recipe-turkey-meat-loaf-serves-6

• Grilled chicken over raw zucchini angel-hair pasta tossed with pesto, sun-dried tomatoes and pine nuts
• Grilled chicken over raw zucchini angel-hair pasta tossed with a balsamic salad dressing

A weight-loss oriented client of mine recently cooked dinner for her boyfriend; he had requested pasta….. as usual. Unfortunately, his obsession with pasta has often hindered her ability to lose weight. So this time, she made zucchini pasta and tossed it in marinara without telling him. He loved it! The only taste difference, in my opinion, is that this pasta is served either cold or at room temperature. However, tossing the pasta in a warm sauce completely disguises this difference. It is also quite good served cold with a light oil-based sauce or dressing (almost like a salad).

The calorie difference between raw zucchini pasta and regular wheat-based pasta (per serving)

1 cup (cooked) wheat-based pasta

• Has a Glycemic Index score of 45. This is a measurement of blood sugar level increases after a food’s consumption. The higher the blood sugar spike, the more chance for fat storage. 100 is considered to be the most high-glycemic.
• Calories 210
• Carbohydrates 41
• Protein 8g
• Fat 1.5

5 oz (1 cup) zucchini angel-hair pasta

• Has a Glycemic Index score of 15. This is a measurement of blood sugar level increases after a food’s consumption. The higher the blood sugar spike, the more chance for fat storage. 100 is considered to be the most high-glycemic.
• Calories 25
• Carbohydrates 5g
  Protein 1g
  Fat 0

Remember that when ordering pasta in restaurants, 3-4 servings are typically served in 1 dish. I highly doubt you measure your pasta at home before eating it either. That means that a girl my size could easily consume her entire daily caloric intake needs in a single bowl of wheat-based pasta…..just food for thought.