Creamy Vegetable Pasta Bake - Slimming Eats recipes - Slimming Eats (2024)

FAQs

Can you eat pasta bake on a diet? ›

Yes, you can eat pasta and still stick to your weight loss goals and lose fat. The main consideration to keep in mind when making food choices while trying to lose weight is to remain in a calorie deficit. Very simply, if your body uses more calories than you consume, then you will lose weight.

One of the most surprising things to new Slimming World members is that pasta is a Free Food – which means you can eat as much as you like to satisfy your appetite, with no weighing, measuring or counting.

At Slimming World, we don't believe in cutting out food groups. In fact, potatoes and dried plain pasta, rice, noodles and couscous are all Free Foods, which means that you can eat as much of them as you like! If you fancy some quick, comforting carbs, our healthy pasta and rice recipes will hit the spot.

About 1 cup of cooked pasta—for most shapes, that's 2 ounces of dry pasta—mixed with vegetables can be a satisfying portion for many people. But even if you eat 2 whole cups of pasta, that's still only about 400 calories (plus 14 g of protein and vitamins and minerals). That's not too shabby for a 2-cup serving.

By eliminating them, you decrease food cravings, making it easier to eat less and lose weight. The main problem with white rice, bread, pasta and potatoes is that they trigger a cycle of food craving. They release a sudden spike of sugar in your bloodstream. Your body responds to that extra sugar by releasing insulin.

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.

Free Foods are at the heart of Food Optimising. They include everyday staples such as pasta, rice and potatoes, and you can eat them in unlimited amounts, so you'll never go hungry.

Eat the food you love

Slimming World shows you how to cut calories without counting them. The stroke of genius that makes Food Optimising so easy and so effective is Free Food – healthy, satisfying food you can enjoy in unlimited amounts whenever you're hungry.

Before coming to Slimming World, many slimmers are told to avoid carbs – yet carbohydrates such as rice, potatoes and pasta have fantastic filling power, as well as being low in energy density, which is why they're on our Free Food list.

Some of your fave fruits and veg come under Slimming Speed Foods. Btw, there are also super Speed Foods: think apples, blackberries, grapefruit and cherries — which are even lower in energy and higher in nutrients.

What bread on Slimming World? ›

You'll find a wide variety of bread choices on our Healthy Extras list – including wholemeal bread, rolls and pittas, as well as a number of gluten-free options. If you're already signed up, head to our member website or check your member pack for the full range of Healthy Extra 'b' choices.

Whole-wheat pasta

Whole wheat pasta has a nuttier flavor and grainier texture than ordinary pasta, but when covered with sauce, it's just as delicious. Unlike typical pasta, whole-wheat pasta contains all three parts of the grain — the bran, endosperm and germ — which means it's less processed and more nutritious.

I have made pasta dishes with broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, Brussels sprouts, tomatoes, zucchini, yellow squash, corn, peppers, arugula, spinach, kale, peas, onions, garlic, beets and carrots.

It's Part of a Good Diet

Pasta is made from grain, one of the basic food groups in a healthy diet that also can include vegetables, fruits, fish, and poultry. It's a good source of energy and can give you fiber, too, if it's made from whole grain. That can help with stomach problems and may help lower cholesterol.

The reason for this is that the weight of pasta increases significantly when it is cooked and absorbs water. For example, 100 grams of dry pasta may yield around 200-250 grams of cooked pasta, depending on the type and how much it is cooked.