30 Low Calorie Pasta Recipes You Need to Try Now (2024)

FAQs

What to eat with pasta for weight loss? ›

Protein builds lean muscle, fiber reduces hunger and promotes gut health, and healthy fats enhance satiety. You can make any fat-burning pasta dish by using whole-grain, high-protein noodles, adding lean meats, and replacing fatty dairy products with low-fat cream and cheese.

To help reduce the calorie content of your favorite pasta dishes, swap out ¼ to ½ of the pasta specified in the recipe for the same amount of veggies. For example, if a recipe calls for two cups of cooked pasta, replace one cup of the pasta with steamed broccoli and red pepper or zucchini and basil.

Pasta can be healthy when it's paired with vegetables, protein, and healthy fats. The healthiest types of pasta include whole wheat pasta, as well as bean and vegetable based noodles. Serve a balanced portion of pasta (¼ of your plate) and go easy on the sauce and cheese.

The best type of pasta to eat while on a diet is pasta containing whole grains. In addition to whole wheat pasta, pasta made from other ingredients such as chickpeas, lentils, and veggies are great options when you are on a diet.

For lower calorie and carbohydrate content, rice comes out top. But if protein and fibre is your aim, pasta wins over rice. That said, both can play a part in a healthy diet - and as the nutritional differences are quite small, it often comes down to which you would prefer.

Dietitians and other health care professionals should consider pasta as a low-glycemic carbohydrate option within the context of a healthy diet or a weight loss/weight maintenance diet.

Of rice, pasta, potatoes, and bread, potatoes are the healthiest of these starchy and complex carbohydrate foods. This is because potatoes are dense in nutrients, containing essential minerals, vitamins, and other micronutrients. Potatoes are also high in fiber, helping to satiate hunger and regulate blood sugar.

And, according to the San Francisco Chronicle, both potatoes and rice can be helpful when you're trying to lose weight. Both have practically little to no fat, contain nutritional value and are relatively similar in calories.

Eat pasta in small portions.

Half a cup of pasta should be the main course, with the rest consisting of toppings like sauce, lean meats, fish, vegetables, nuts, seafood, and olive oil.

While the type of starches might be slightly altered with reheated pasta, the number of calories consumed will still be exactly the same. "One cup of pasta - cooked or reheated —still has about 200 calories," Fernstrom said.

What is the healthiest sauce for pasta? ›

The healthiest pasta sauces get most of their fat from olive oil (marinara) or olive oil and nuts (pesto), not cream or cheese (alfredo). And the good guys don't pile too much salt or sugar on top of your spaghetti. Here's how to find them. Check the photos for some great-tasting Best Bites and Honorable Mentions.

Cheese is an excellent way to add flavor to your pasta without having to rely on sauce. Try mixing your angel hair pasta with goat cheese, and toss in sun-dried tomatoes to make an amazing meal with just a few ingredients. Garlic butter is a terrific way to season all types of noodles.

Dietitians and other health care professionals should consider pasta as a low-glycemic carbohydrate option within the context of a healthy diet or a weight loss/weight maintenance diet.

One cup of cooked pasta contains just 200 calories, in addition to valuable vitamins and minerals. It also fills you up so you don't feel hungry while trying to lose weight! Pasta has a low Glycemic Index (GI) so it does not cause sugar in the blood to rise quickly.