Pasta, the perfect guy food

I love pasta and completely dismiss and notion, claim, and rule that says I can't have any while trying to watch my weight. True pasta is a starch, loaded with carbohydrates, and not considered a nutrient dense food. But companies are starting to go the extra mile in fortifying their pasta with minerals as well as offering multi-grain and whole wheat varieties that add extra fiber to give you a more satisfied feeling. And I've read reports that people eating the whole wheat varieties actually eat less pasta and feel more satisfied after the smaller portion than if they ate regular pasta.

Here is the white elephant in the blogosphere, however. Portion control. Always. Pasta is sneaky because it's calorie loaded. An average serving is 2 ounces or roughly 3/4 cup for shaped pasta (elbow, rotini, penne). That two ounces contains around 200 calories, which is a lot if you're sticking to the 1800-2000 calorie, eat every two hour rule. But I found if you pair the pasta with a lean meat (even turkey pepperoni), you'll be more satisfied.

Here's what makes it my perfect guy food. It's fast and easy. 10 minutes in boiling water, combine with a low calorie sauce or even light dressing and you have a meal. Combine whole wheat rotini, a small pack of light tuna, a wedge of light laughing cow cheese, some herbs and you have a well-rounded meal.

So remember, portion it out but never rule pasta out of your life. Til next time, in good health!