How to Eat Pasta & Still Lose Weight

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Is avoiding carbohydrates keeping you away from your favorite pasta dishes? Incorporate them into your weight-loss program the right way with these tips.

Step 1: Choose healthier pasta
Choose whole-grain pasta, gluten-free pasta, or quinoa. Unlike refined pasta, these have protein, antioxidants, B vitamins, minerals, and plenty of fiber, which is important when following a weight-loss program.

Tip
To identify a pasta as whole grain, look for whole grain to be first on the product's ingredient list.

Step 2: Practice portion control
Practice portion control. A true, one-serving size of pasta is 1/2 cup cooked -- about the size of a can of tuna.

Step 3: Add veggies
To bulk up your meal, add a cup of chopped cooked vegetables to your pasta.

Step 4: Top with cheese
Toss the pasta and vegetables with a teaspoon of olive oil, a tomato-based pasta sauce. If you want to add cheese, top with a naturally low-fat cheese like mozzarella or goat cheese.

Tip
Adding small amounts of healthy fats like cheese adds flavor, which helps you savor the meal, without adding a lot of calories.

Step 5: Add protein
Add a serving of lean protein to your meal to help you feel fuller longer. Four ounces of skinless poultry or fish is ideal.

Step 6: Lose weight
Satisfy your hunger and your craving for pasta while losing weight at the same time.

Did You Know?
A study by Louisiana State University found that the single greatest predictor of obesity in middle-aged women was a lack of fiber in their diets.