How To Eat Pasta To Lose Weight- An Expert's View

The Italian staple dish pasta is pretty popular around the world. It's easy to cook and extremely delicious and is an especially good choice if you need to whip up something tasty really quickly. However, it has become infamous with health freaks, due to the oodles of cheese and other fattening additions to the dish. The dish is back in vogue now though, and how! Recently, a study concluded that eating pasta won't make you fat but might even help you shed a few pounds!
 

Research On Pasta And Weight Loss

The study that was published in the Journal BMJ Open and was conducted by researchers in Toronto, Canada, said that pasta might be a misunderstood dish that might actually aide weight loss. The research was a meta-analysis of previous randomised controlled trials, and it examined the effects of pasta on a person's diet, when consumed alone as well as when incorporated into a diet of low glycaemic index foods. The study looked at 30 trials involving 2,500 people who ate pasta instead of other carbohydrates and found that people who ate on an average one and a half cups of cooked pasta a week, were able to lose weight.

Does Pasta Really Aid Weight Loss?

However, before you rejoice and head out to treat yourself to some cheesy penne Alfredo, you need to take a good and hard look at your own lifestyle and dietary habits. Consultant nutritionist Dr. Rupali Dutta doesn't completely dismiss the results of the study but does specify some terms and conditions for regular consumption of the dish. "Carbohydrates are essential for a balanced diet, as they provide energy to the body," says Dr. Dutta. "It's advisable to have more high-fibre and good quality carbohydrates and even some amount of refined carbohydrates. But, you need to keep in mind your total calorific intake."

Dr. Dutta stresses on the need to work out a meal plan where the calorific intake is equal to the energy that they spend or burn in a day. "Taking away whole food groups from your meals is never okay. It makes you nutritionally deficient and it's not the most sustainable plan either," says Dr. Dutta. So, the crux of the matter is that you must include carbohydrates in your daily diet because you need the energy that they give you. However, portion control is essential and you must reign in the glutton in you, if you want to lose weight.

Also Read: Healthy Whole Wheat Pasta in Mushroom Sauce Recipe

In Conclusion

Bingeing on anything is never okay, much less cheesy pastas. So, if you're a pasta-lover who is overjoyed after reading the results of this research, you might want to start making your own at home. This is because restaurant pastas tend to have excess salt and fatty sauces, which are unhealthy when eaten every other day. So, in conclusion, limit your indulgence to a cheese-filled restaurant pasta only to your cheat meals, and if you want to eat it more regularly, make sure you only add healthy toppings like high-fibre vegetables and protein-rich foods.