Vicki's Foodies
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Contact Us
  • Recipes
    • Appetizers
    • Breakfast
    • Desserts
    • Dressings and Sauces
    • Entrees
    • Marinades and Rubs
    • Side Dishes
    • Soups, Sandwiches and Burgers
  • Vicki's Blog
  • The Snack Cupboard
  • THE SNACK CUPBOARD CON'T
  • Tidbits
  • VIDEOS

Does Pasta make you Fat - Fact or Fiction?

6/24/2011

6 Comments

 
For years, pasta has gotten a bad rap as being a food that makes you fat. But is this really true? Italian people eat tons of pasta every year - and how many overweight Italians have you seen? The answer is probably not very many. So what is the truth behind this concept? Does pasta really make you fat? Is it the pasta or the sauce? Pasta is almost entirely from carbohydrates. Like protein, carbohydrates contain four calories per gram. To put that in perspective, fat contains nine calories per gram, and alcohol seven calories per gram. Foods that contain carbohydrates are actually some of the "lower calorie" items available. In addition, pasta is typically prepared in a very healthy way - it's boiled in water. Even the addition of salt is typically so minor that it really can't make a huge impact on the "healthiness" of the pasta. Unless your watching your sodium to (I do with my high blood pressure). Let's face it... it's the pasta sauce that most likely makes you fat. Let's consider one popular type of pasta sauce: Alfredo sauce. Alfredo sauce is practically a heart attack in a bite. (unless you make the Alfredo I posted on my recipes) It's made with milk, cream and cheese, all of which contain large amounts of saturated fat. Alfredo sauce typically contains a large amount of sodium, which is also extremely detrimental to your health. Sodium can lead to damage of the arteries, damaging the heart and leading to chronic disease states, and it also makes you retain water, leaving you feeling fat and bloated. Aside from these health risks, milk, cream and cheese are loaded with fat and calories. Think about it - one ounce of cheese contains 100 calories, and in a serving of Alfredo sauce you are probably getting at least four ounces of cheese. That's 400 calories in just the sauce alone! While marinara sauce, which is typically composed of tomatoes, garlic, basil and other seasonings is a bit healthier, it still contains tons of added salt. The Verdict So, is this fact or fiction? Does pasta make you fat? That question is tricky to answer. Pasta in and of itself is really not that much of a devil in weight gain. Rather, it is the huge portions of pasta that we are served, along with the amount of (and ingredients in) the sauce that typically leads to the weight gain associated with eating pasta. If you are a pasta junkie but are trying to lose weight, don't fret. Consider preparing pasta at home, where you can control both the portion size, brand, and the amount and type of sauce that are served. Remember, moderation in everything will be effective in your weight loss goals!

6 Comments

    RSS Feed

    Author

    Vicki will be writing on here periodically so stay tuned!

    Archives

    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011

    Categories

    All
    An Apple A Day
    Are Your Friends Making You Fat?
    Belly Fat
    Benefits Of Yoga
    Body Fat Facts
    Brain Foods
    Breakfast
    Buddy Up!
    Butter Vs Margarine
    B Vitamins And Weight Loss
    Can Daily Fat Be To Low?
    Cholesterol
    Coffee Vs. Healthy Lifestyle
    Dairy
    Diabetes
    Diet Soda Vs. Weight Loss
    Digesting Red Meat!
    Digestive Health
    Does Salt Cause High Blood Pressure?
    Does Spicy Boost Metabolism?
    Dried Fruit Vs. Fresh Fruit
    Eating Out
    Egg Whites Vs. The Whole Egg
    Emotions And Weight Loss
    Exercising
    Fat
    Fiber
    Fish
    Fix Your Kitchen
    Fruit
    Fruits
    Gluten
    Health Benefits Of Olive Oil
    In A Pinch
    Is Sugar Addictive?
    Joint Inflammation Vs. Food
    Lighten Up Thanksgiving
    Lose Weight...Start Cooking!
    Meats
    Myths
    Old School Eating
    Organic
    Pasta
    Plan Your Snacks
    Plateau
    Portion Control
    Protein
    Recipe Makeovers
    Refined Vs. Unrefined Carbs
    Resolutions
    Riding A Bike Vs. Walking
    Sleep
    Soda
    Start Now!
    Stop The Excuses!
    Sugar
    Surviving The Holidays!
    The Benefits Of Calcium
    The Sandwich Makeover
    The Witching Hour & Snacks
    Thyroid And Weight Gain/Loss
    Tidbits
    Understanding And Conquering Cravings
    Vegetables
    Veggie Chips Vs. Potato Chips
    Vitamins
    Walking To Loose
    Wallet Friendly Foods
    Water
    Weighing In
    Why Do We Need Antioxidants?
    Wine And Health
    Win Your Race
    Working Out
    Your Weight Vs. Your Relationship