Have Your Fresh Pasta and Lose Weight, Too!

If you’re making a concerted effort to lose weight – or maintain your current gorgeous figure – then you may be under the impression that fresh pasta is simply out of the question. Not true! This is a commonly believed myth that was perpetuated by a certain popular low-carb diet that will go unnamed for the purposes of this article.

The truth of the matter is that when you choose high quality noodles, you are actually providing your body with a broad range of healthy benefits, one of which is proper weight maintenance. The key is to make the right selections of fresh pasta, and to pay close attention to portion size.

Here are some tips for eating gourmet fresh pasta meals without hurting your diet

• Keep your handmade pasta serving small. Instead of filling your plate, try to reduce your portion a little bit and add another side such as a salad. Green, spinach, and Caesar salads (with vinaigrettes and oil-based dressings as opposed to creamy ones) are a perfect accompaniment to your pasta meal as well as being nutrient-dense and high in fibre.
• Add veggies! Fresh pasta pairs extremely well with vegetables. In fact, each of these two types of food easily make the other taste better. Zucchini and eggplant are excellent with tomato based sauces; cherry tomatoes and basil are fantastic with a good quality olive oil with garlic; and mushrooms and fresh parsley greatly enhance a cream sauce (though if you’re dieting, cream sauces should be used in moderation). Use the vegetables as a side or mix them in with the sauce. Don’t be light handed. The more veggies, the better. In fact, the quantity of your vegetables could match the portion size of your noodles.
• Cook the noodles until they are  al dente. Not only is this the perfect texture for fresh pasta, but it also encourages your body to work just a little bit harder in order to digest it. This is important because it helps you to stop your blood sugar from spiking. The more even your blood sugar levels, the less likely you are to eat too much or experience food cravings later on (particularly if you have a sweet tooth).
• Skip the cheese. If it’s your habit to sprinkle parmesan cheese onto your noodles, then try to give it a miss, at your next dinner. Instead, choose a high quality sauce, lots of veggies, and fresh herbs. These will give your taste buds all the luxurious stimulation they need for the perfect dish, at a fraction of the fat and calorie levels of cheese.
• Don’t be afraid of carbs! Carbohydrates may have developed a bad reputation, but they are actually a vital part of ensuring that your body and mind can achieve optimal health. Carbs, when broken down, provide your body with glucose, which is the primary source of energy for your body and your brain. This helps to explain why people who are following low-carb diets often suffer from low energy levels and cranky moods. This is just another reason that explains why anyone who denies him/herself of gourmet foods such as the best fresh pasta would be in a lousy mood.

As you can see, when prepared properly, you can still enjoy the best fresh pasta recipes and dishes without causing any harm to your intentions to lose weight or stay slim. Come on in to Jilly’s to discuss some of the best combinations of noodles and sauces for fast, easy, diet-friendly and delicious dinners.