I'm a new vegetarian, can you help?!
I'm a new vegetarian, can you help?
I know pasta made with enriched flour is unhealthy. I am a vegetarian and I was wondering if whole wheat pasta was very good for you. Could I eat it three or four times a week? Also, are there any websites with good info about whole wheat pastas? I just want to make sure that it is a healthy, low fat option. I love the taste of it! Give me the details if you know any!! Thank you :) Please, only answer if you know something about this.
Answers:
Hi there! I'm a vegetarian too, and I think its really smart of you to be worried about nutrition... lots of vegetarians aren't.
Okay, here's the deal. Whole wheat pasta is a lot better than regular pasta. It is a low-fat food, but the problem is really the carbs. Now, there are fewer "net carbs" in W.W.P. because your body doesn't absorb the fiber, so that doesn't count.
I try not to eat pasta more than once or twice a week. It's hard, I know! I LOVE pasta! But I have found some awesome recipes for things like spaghetti squash (actually a squash, but has a taste and texture similar to spaghetti) and african peanut pineapple stew, which is really hearty and delicious without any pasta.
Two great resources - the Curve's Member's Guide ($20-something) and any Moosewood Cookbook. Also, I would like to add "A Witch in the Kitchen" as a good vegetarian cookbook.
Good luck!
I only stayed vegetarian for three weeks - here's why
Whole-Wheat Pasta
Add pasta a little at a time to boiling water. To prevent pasta from sticking to the bottom of the pan, stir gently until the water returns to a rapid boil. Cooking time varies, depending on the pasta’s shape and size. After cooking, drain and rinse with cold water to stop cooking. As a general rule, use light sauces for delicate pastas like capellini or angel hair, and chunky, richer sauces for sturdy pastas, such as fuselli and linguini.
Buying and storing tips
Look for whole-wheat pasta in the pasta section of natural food or grocery stores, or in the bulk section of some health food stores. Store it, unopened, in a cool, dry cupboard for six to eight months.
Varieties
Whole-wheat pasta comes in many shapes and sizes, including macaroni, spaghetti, farfalle (bow-ties), rotelle (corkscrews), conchiglie (shells), linguini (broad, flat noodles), and others.
Nutrition Highlights
Whole-wheat pasta (macaroni, cooked), 1 cup (140g)
Calories: 197 calories
Protein: 7.5g
Carbohydrate: 37.2g
Total Fat: 0.8g
*Good source of: Fiber (3.9g)
Pasta is a carbohydrate. You may want to limit the amount you eat. You can eat it every night provided you have sufficient proteins as well.
Check out these web sites.
Whole wheat pasta is definitely better for you than refined. Just pick up a package of each and compare the nutrition information. But pasta itself just doesn't have a lot of fiber. There is also some controversy. A lot of people believe that eating too much carbohydrates, even if low in fat, will make you gain weight. There was a study out in the news in the last few days that says this isn't true, but many people believe that it is. The study says that you just need to control your calories, not the amount of carbohydrate that you eat.
vegetarians scare me
I LOVE TO EAT MEAT !!!!!!!! YOU PEOPLE ARE WIERD AND SMELL !!!!!! WHY DO YOU ALL SMELL LIKE CELERY ITS NASTY !!!!!!!! GET REAL
Whole wheat pasta is very healthy. It's made with whole grain and most people dont get enough at all. You should get several servings of whole grains every day and can get it from eating things like oatmeal, whole wheat bread, brown rice etc.
whole wheat pasta is great. but always read labels, sometimes foods are disguised as healthy, when they are not.
check out www.goveg.com for more info.