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Wed Mar 01, 2006 9:44 am  |
| I absolutely love spaghetti with pasta sauce. It's my favorite food and I could eat it at every meal. Except it's not so healthy or low in calories. Any suggestions on alternatives or brands that are low-cal? Anything at all? Soy pasta? Since everything can be made from soy! Thanks! |
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female, 19, dry skin type, breakouts around mouth/chin, few blackheads on cheeks, and keratosis pilaris |
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Wed Mar 01, 2006 9:51 am |
Jamie I think the general rule with food is everything in moderation 
If you love Pasta then eat it, you have found a food you enjoy!! twice or 3 times a week should not hurt, just try to include vegetable in the dish and if you love the sauce then there is nothing tastier than tomato sauce prepared from scratch.
Soya is a good healthy option and if you do not have any wheat intolerances then try wholewheat Pasta which is very healthy too and you could eat this one all the time.
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oily/acne prone - acne scars on chin area/Large Pores in winter. Oily in Summer. Fair, nuetral/cool complexion, burn easily. Early 20s |
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Wed Mar 01, 2006 10:59 am |
I also suggest the wholewheat pastas. They're high in fibre so much healthier. I use healthy choice pasta sauces which has only a tiny amount of added oil, the rest is veggies. Skip the parmesan cheese and add a salad and it's a healthy meal.
If you must have meat in it try ground chicken or turkey meatballs. With all the sauce you hardly notice a difference. Just try to get the ground breast meat only (some stores are good about offering it, others aren't.) |
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Combination - dehyrdated, acne, sensitive, late 20's. |
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Wed Mar 01, 2006 11:38 am |
| Keep the Parm cheese it's a hard cheese and good for you. Olive oil is healthful as long as it is not cooked. Top with olive oil, parm and capers after cooking (really good). I use Dreamfields (low glycemic index), there are also some good whole wheat pastas. I do not at all like the pastas made from soy flour (texture like you're eating baby powder) but before my health food store closed I used to get a pasta that was made just from whole soy beans that was good (even dd liked it). Also for noodles there is an organic company called "Al Dente" (sold on the WEB and most health food stores). They make "Carba Nada" noodles in a number of flavors that are the best dried pasta of any brand or type I've tried. |
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Wed Mar 01, 2006 11:48 am |
wow, thanks guys! i had no idea the world of healthy pasta was so huge! you've made me smile for once today.. since i'm now in my final stages (after much procrastination) of studying for midterms and writing essays til the cows come home. woo-hoo!
spaghetti = salvation (and salavation) |
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female, 19, dry skin type, breakouts around mouth/chin, few blackheads on cheeks, and keratosis pilaris |
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Wed Mar 01, 2006 1:48 pm |
| I was at work before. The whole soy bean pasta is by "Nutrition Kitchen" you can get it from the WEB or at some groceries (they have a store locator on the WEB for US and Canada). They come in golden, green and black and they have angel hair also. I really like the green in fact your message reminded me of them and I'll probably eat the last box tonight. I'm not a soy fan but these really taste good and they're good for you high in vitamins, protein and fiber. The only ingredient are whole fresh soybeans. |
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Thu Mar 02, 2006 6:00 am |
Pasta, itself, is not unhealthy. I think it just gets a bad rap with this current “no carb” craze. If it were I’m sure that the Italians, who generally everyday eat a small portion of pasta even before a larger meal, would not have the highest life expectancy of the European countries. I agree with Rosebud that anything in moderation is generally fine. I think the size of the portion is the most important thing to monitor.
As far as cooking with Olive Oil…Olive Oil is a healthy Omega-9 oil which is "monounsaturated" and can be heated to 325F without damaging its health properties. It’s good for you hot or cold.
So, go ahead and enjoy your pasta in moderation… Buon Appetito!  |
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normal to dry skin, slightly sensitive, early 40s |
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Thu Mar 02, 2006 1:15 pm |
Olive oils vary widely in decomposition temps and are not suitable for frying, you form transfats well below the smoke point. But in general olive oil is very good. When they add olive oil to regular diets cholesterol and BP tend to get better.
P.S. In Italy people get much more exercise (Irish people have very low heart disease even though their diets are monster high fat their activity level is just much higher than ours and it certainly doesn't mean that a moster high fat diet is good for you). Unless you want Type II diabetes (and a large fraction of our population is on the edge it's the current health epidemic) limit white flour. The "good grain" and low glycemic index pastas taste every bit as good and are healthy as well.
In a taste test I'd pit the Aldente "Carba Nada" noodles against any dry noodles and I'd bet people would largle pick the Al Dente as better tasting. Also the whole soybean pasta is a new and very good tasting treat that's full of healthful things. I am sure that WHAT you eat matters. I see myself as proof of that
after being very ill for years with Syndrome "X" (very high BP and the start of blood sugar problems). After 2.5 years on a low glycemic index diet I am now off meds with BP of 110/58, 40 pounds lighter and my wrinkles are gone. My class was geussing my age they came up with 38, I just turned 51.
My diet is plenty of berries (every day), lean meat, fish twice a week (on other nights fish oil), anything dark green +cauliflower, eggs, Cheese,good oils (olive, macadamia nut (great for baking), avocado oil, and canola (cold pressed), Flax meal and flax/bran bread, soybeans and most nuts and nut flours. By the way my pecan flour Choc. chp cookies are to die for. I drink lots of water with lemon or lime (no sugar) and 2 cups per day of green tea. The benefits: I eat 10X the normal fiber/day, considerably more antioxidants, and my Omega3/6 ratio is high.
I started the diet after 2months of a low fat low calorie diet which made my condition much worse. I even had to spend a night in the hospital because my BP was cycling up very high. I cured myself and I think that you are what you eat. |
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Wed Mar 22, 2006 11:04 am |
Sharky -
If you do not mind, will you share your Pecan Flour Chocolate Chip cookies with us?
My SO loves desserts (even more than myself) so always looking for healthy alternatives (we are getting a bit tired of No-Pudge Brownies!!).
Thanks!!
Shelley |
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Moderately fair, dry, prone to break outs on chin, sun damage, 30s. |
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Wed Mar 22, 2006 11:43 am |
Pecan flour? that sounds interesting!!
we also go for a low GI diet. Complex carbs (try for morning only on those), lots of veges anytime, fruit (not too late in the day), and heavier on protein at night. We don't overdo fats, but at the same time, whe dont "avoid" them. if we want a cream sauce with our chicken, we make it. If we want cheese in our salad we use strong cheddar or parmesan, or to make a cheesecake, we use regular cream cheese and marscapone. I often use butter for sauteeing veges, but as this is the only place we use butter it is not an issue for us (never have margarine here)
For us, the key is moderation and also NO sugar (we use a couple of very good tasting sugar substitutes - not available through supermarkets etc., and fructose if necessary). We also follow the "combination" theory and find that our digestive system works MUCH better with this. We dont eat a lot of carbs with proteins (ie no meat sauce pasta) and never fats with carbs (no butter on our wholewheat bread).
The toughest decision to eat this way is you HAVE to prepare your own food. Which is cheaper and tastes better anyway. We have one of those food-sucker machines and we cook up meals over the weekend, plate them on plastic reusable/disposables and the suck out the air and freeze. When we get home it is just a case of clip the corner and toss in the zapper! |
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Wed Mar 22, 2006 1:05 pm |
“food sucker” machines!!  We have one too. I love it!! My SO likes to eat out AND loves sweets but I am tying to help him understand how important it is to eat well! For so many reasons like how you feel about yourself, your skin, energy, heart, and all that. Also have been taking him to the gym! Now, how do I get him to not love his beer so much?! (don’t worry, I don’t nag or push him…just mentioning how good I feel and gently guiding him when he asks. I have a one every so often!).
Tiger_Tim:
what are the “good tasting sugar substitutes” that are not available in supermarkets? Like everything, I have so much to learn! Have been eating healthy for a few years but still could learn a few tricks/tips!! Plus, I live in Houston! I think we are the fattest city in the US or the second…so I do not have a lot of people around me to talk to about this kind of stuff. And if I talk about it at work my co-workers look at me like I am a freak! I have been told I need to move back to Austin more than once. But I adore Houston!! (ok, that was a really long story to give you!! Sorry.)
I have a recipe for All Bran muffins with whole-wheat flour and I am looking for a substitute for the sugar (I do not like Splenda’s taste and I am still uneasy about it) so I would love some suggestions. (oh, if you do not ever eat sugar than don’t try the No-Pudge brownies! They have a lot of sugar but I have to give the man something!!).
Right now, I am having Ezekiel 4.9 (no I am not on the Maker’s Diet!) for breakfast and love it! And I would not mind having a bran muffin in the afternoon. I snack on soy beans, fresh fruit, and raw veggies but over all I don’t really have a plan or something that I stick to every day. I know I should but have not reached that point yet!!
Thanks for any tips/advice!! |
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Moderately fair, dry, prone to break outs on chin, sun damage, 30s. |
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Wed Mar 22, 2006 2:35 pm |
Tiger-tim: What are the substitutes you use? I use erythritol mixed with Splenda for baking and Lo-han which is an extract from and Asian fruit like a Lychee. I do sometimes use some molassus in cookies. I don't find a problem with flavor just texture in cases where you'd like the "sugar" to carmalize.
P.S. I do not believe that Splenda is a problem. Unless it is eaten by the boxful it is safe. It has less bad effects in animal tests than regular sugar. |
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Thu Mar 23, 2006 10:58 am |
The brand I eat is Bella Terra organic wholewheat spaghetti. I think the only ingredient is whole wheat. I don't feel guilty when I eat it. Especially if I eat it with Del Monte tradtional spaghetti sauce (in the can) It has, like .5 grams of fat per serving (the sauce)! I've tried a few low carb and whole wheat pastas before, but this one is the only one that doesn't taste like cardboard to me! I do cook it longer than it says because I don't like pasta "al dente".
http://www.racconto.com/bella.html |
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Thu Mar 23, 2006 11:55 am |
| sharky wrote: |
| Tiger-tim: What are the substitutes you use? I use erythritol mixed with Splenda for baking and Lo-han which is an extract from and Asian fruit like a Lychee. I do sometimes use some molassus in cookies. I don't find a problem with flavor just texture in cases where you'd like the "sugar" to carmalize. |
I have always HATED artificial sweetners, preferring to have nothing if I could not have the real thing. I have never and could never touch diet soft drinks. bleh. real thing or water please. I tried splenda - bought a Jam made with it and through it out including the first slice of toast i put it on (one bite and bye bye). I also bought some syrups made with it and could not come at them either.
SO, we always have fructose for something close to sugar but with much lower GI and we have a couple fo great substitutes:
Somersweet: this is produced by Suzanne Somers for her Somersize program and it is expensive, but I love the taste. It leaves no after taste and is great for cereal, coffee, cooking (and it does caramalize too)
But my biggest and best find is from a company called Whey Low (www.wheylow.com ). This stuff tastes awesome and it is all natural and very low GI. And better yet - they make a variety of "sugars": granular, brown sugar substitute, one for ICE CREAM making (normally artificial sweetners send homemade stuff rock hard), powdered, AND maple (for making maple syrup)!!
For everyday use we always use the somersweet, but you cannot go past Whey Low for cooking. The brown sugar one is awesome for baking oat bars etc. They do a sampler pack that has 1lb packets of all their "sugars" and it is a great way to try them out. I spent a fortune having their stuff shipped to me in Japan, but it was worth it. |
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Thu Mar 23, 2006 12:01 pm |
Thanks Tiger_Tim!!
Looks like I have an all new shopping list!! And to think, my SO thinks this forum is only about skin care! |
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Moderately fair, dry, prone to break outs on chin, sun damage, 30s. |
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Thu Mar 23, 2006 12:24 pm |
"dieting" (as such) becomes so much easier when you can still enjoy some yummies.
We seriously found that just by cutting out sugar, refined carbs and watching how we combine our foods made us feel so much healthier and weight just fell off. Never once felt heavy after a meal or suffered any indigestion... we never weighed food, counted portions or anything like that.. just ate a healthy balanced diet. |
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Thu Mar 23, 2006 4:48 pm |
ugh! hate to post this b/c I might start something......but I have been doing some research on Whey Low and have found that it has not been approved by the FDA. I put a call in to the FDA but they were closed. I want to see what the difference is between being approved and being "accepted as safe for food use" (which is how Whey Low's website put it). Also, the only studies that have been done were by the manufacture.
However! That being said..I know there is a lot of controversy over the FDA and what they approve (heck, I am trying to get my hands on European sunscreen as we speak) so I am not saying I buy the entire "FDA" approval thing...I just like to know what I use has been tested for a while before I give it a go. |
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Moderately fair, dry, prone to break outs on chin, sun damage, 30s. |
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Thu Mar 23, 2006 5:44 pm |
not being American, I have never paid much attention to FDA approvals
one thing I will say, there is a lot of stuff that is FDA approved but still not allowed for consumption or use in Japan, so ya know, it is all kinda subjective. (ya know, totally NOT related, but bring a vicks inhaler here and they will confiscate it! It is illegal)
As for Whey Low, never even occurred to me to check on anything. I just know it does not seem to spike my insulin levels and tastes good so I never even thought beyond that.... ignorance is bliss!
ETA: it is 10am here and I have had just one hour sleep so keep that in mind when reading all my "ya knows"  (where is a sleepy emoticon?) |
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Fri Mar 24, 2006 5:20 pm |
| Definitely try shirataki / konnyaku noodles! They are a staple for me, and I just love them. |
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Fri Mar 24, 2006 7:20 pm |
| SugarFreeSheila wrote: |
| Definitely try shirataki / konnyaku noodles! They are a staple for me, and I just love them. |
Are those the noodles that come from Japan? I saw a special on tv one night about foods that are healthy and taste exactly like their unhealthy alternatives and the lady was specifically talking about some sort of Japanese "noodles". They were made from yam I believe. Ever since that show I've been searching for them. She gave a website that a girl started on healthy alternatives but I haven't found that either. |
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Sat Mar 25, 2006 12:16 am |
OK, here is a rundown on some popular Japanese goodies:
I would highly recommend looking at Kanten as it has a load of health properties including causing weight loss, lowering cholesterol, etc. It is made from Tengusa seaweed and is gelatin like. It is popular to buy in a dry powder and people add a teaspoon to tea, soup, etc. no taste and no texture change in small quantities. It also has no smell, obviously. You can also buy dry sticks and put into large dishes of soup, stew, etc. or even throw into the rice cooker. In English it is called Agar Agar
http://www.asiafood.org/glossary_2.cfm?wordid=2345
Harusame, are thin, clear noodles made from beans. These are yummy to put in soups, etc.
Shirataki, are the shredded form of konnyaku (make sure you put TWO "n" if searching the web otherwise you will find engagement - as in wedding - information)
Konnyaku is made from a type of imo (yam) and be used for savory or sweet dishes. See this site for loads of info:
http://www.shakespeare-w.com/english/konnyaku/whatis.html |
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Sat Mar 25, 2006 6:41 pm |
Tiger: Those noodles sounds great. My fav "japanese" ones are made of only edamame.
I like the brown Whey Low. It is mostly sucrose though (plain sugar) and if I use too much I do have a blood sugar response. (They main reason I'm on a low glycemic index diet is that I had "Syndrome X" (very high blood pressure and prediabetes). Diet cured that. |
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Tue Mar 28, 2006 4:25 pm |
Oh, sorry I have been gone for a bit. It is crazy at work!
Ok, so I found out that even though Whey Low is not FDA approved the natural sugars themselves have been approved for food use (albeit separately but hey let’s not squabble over little things!). So I ordered the sample pack and I am looking forward to trying them out!
However, not too happy about what Sharky said about the brown Whey Low. Just can’t win can ya?
I don’t use splenda because I don’t use products that have gone through a chlorination process. This includes tap water. I also try to stay away from carcinogens. So even though something might be “safe” I may decide it isn’t for me and do my best to cut it out of my diet.
Tiger_Tim! Keep them coming!!!! This is great!! However, I am worried about how much sleep you get at night!! |
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Moderately fair, dry, prone to break outs on chin, sun damage, 30s. |
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Wed Mar 29, 2006 5:59 pm |
| SugarFreeSheila wrote: |
| Definitely try shirataki / konnyaku noodles! They are a staple for me, and I just love them. |
You're in the Dallas area right? Where do you buy these noodles? I've looked at a few grocery stores in the ethnic food section but can't find them.
And yes these are the noodles that I saw the report on. They said you can eat something like 20 bowls of these and get about the same calories as 1 bowl of regular spaghetti noodles!  |
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