Is all pasta bad?

[electricj1316]

I know that we are not supposed to have pasta but is that only white pasta? Can you have spinach pasta or wheat pasta or do we do away with it all?
What do I do if I want spaghetti if we can't do pasta?
Thanks for all advice, my book is on it's way and I am trying to do the best I can until it comes in.
Tina

[patsyfay]

The only pasta I have ever eaten on LDL is Dreamfield's.  I ate it about once every month or two and only half a serving, but it satisfied my craving and didn't make me gain weight.  But....I will tell you what our Little Mary always says..."When in doubt, leave it out!"  If you don't think you can eat only a little, don't have any at all. The spinach and other vegetable pastas and the whole wheat pastas will trigger your cravings big time, so I'd stay away from them.

I have found that if I have a craving for pasta, I will make my own fresh tomato sauce with fresh roma tomatoes, EVOO, fresh basil, garlic and sweet onions.  I saute all of them together until the tomatoes are soft or are done to my taste.  I will toss in a handful of LDL compliant meatballs and rinse and drain some kind of white bean...usually great northern and toss them in at the last minute until they're warmed through.  Add your seasonings and enjoy.  This really satisfies my need for Italian!!  Hope this helps.

Pat

[electricj1316]

Thanks Pat!! I appreciate your advice, I just love pasta and I was eating it everyday before I read about LDL. I always ate it for lunch mixed with salad greens and lots of veggies so I thought it was OK. I guess I better just stay away from it. My kids were asking for spaghetti for lunch but I guess I can just cook that for them and then eat leftovers of the good stuff. Thanks again!!!

Tina

[patsyfay]

Tina,

You can also find several kinds of jarred spaghetti sauce on the market that have little or no fat and no sugar added.  These are okay to add to meatballs or fresh tomato sauce or top your meatloaf with.  Some kind of tomato sauce always makes me feel I'm eating Italian!

Pat

[Gwennaford]

Anything made with wheat flour is a processed food and we need to stay away from it to balance blood sugar and manage cravings.  There are many fixes for the pasta urge.  I recommend NOT going to step 3 until you have exhausted the first three.  This is just me talking (as usual) - he he.

1.  Satisfy the need for starchy carbs by gorging yourself on all the acceptable ones until you no longer want pasta:  peas, beans (especially all the white ones), corn, roasted winter squash, lentils, yellow or green split peas, popcorn, Corn Thins

2.  Make your favorite pasta dishes with or without meat using something else for the pasta.  Load it up with onions, peppers, garlic, spices and herbs.  Use fat free cheese sparingly and no sugar added tomatoes & sauce.  Load up the sauce with hidden veggies and pureed beans that you can't taste.  Examples:

• Eggplant or Chicken Parm breaded with popcorn flour
  Zucchini Lasagne
  Hot or Cold Garbanzo Bean Salad
  Roasted Spaghetti Squash tossed with whatever you would normally put on pasta - EVOO, garlic, herbs, tossed with canned or fresh tomatoes, peppers, olives, onions.  (It doesn't satisfy a pasta urge for me, but on its own I love it.)
  Browse the main dish and side dish recipes for hundreds of ideas

3.  If you have honestly eaten until full for several meals as above and you're not satisfied, you can incorporate a little starchy "occasional food" into a dish - as little as possible (to me that means one ounce or less in a bigger dish) & only enough to temporarily satisfy the immediate craving:

• Wild rice, dark mahogany brown or black japonica rice (browse for Lundberg's or Bob's Red Mill brands - beige brown rice from the grocery store is not acceptable)
  Yolk free Egg Noodles - as little as possible
  Dreamfields pasta - as little as possible
  WASA or RyVita light rye crispbreads with chicken tuna or egg salad, chili or soups - as little as possible

Did I mention that the items suggested in step three were to be eaten  - as little as possible and ONLY enough to manage the immediate craving, and ONLY after exhausting steps one and two ? ? ? 

There is really no need to progress beyond these three steps.  After a surprisingly little while you won't even remember what it was about pasta that was SO alluring.  It tastes doughy and bland to me - it's what I piled up on top of it that I loved.  I'm SOOOO happy eating all that other great stuff & leaving the empty calories of pasta behind.

[electricj1316]

Thanks so much ladies!!!! You were both amazingly helpful!!
Tina

[LittlePrincess]

electric I wanted to add something here.  I was also a pasta addict before LDL.  I find that if I eat ANY amount of regular pasta or wheat pasta I get cravings.  I used to eat pasta every single day like you.  I couldn't imagine life without pasta everyday.  Then I found LDL.

I did however find a corn pasta, thanks to Veronica and I use that now.  I only eat it twice a month no more.  But I don't have cravings with it at all and it does satisfy that psychological need I had for pasta.  I say psychological because I never really "craved" pasta once I had been on LDL for awhile.  I simply wanted it.  The corn pasta doesn't make me crave so I can have a normal serving and not go back an hour later for more.  PLEASE remember I only eat it twice a month.  Usually on the 1st and 15th so I don't forget and eat it more than that.  If you eat it and find it makes you have cravings then RUNNNNNN!!  Seriously, that's what I do. 

Roger, for instance, can eat a little bit of the cool whip.  Not me, I put that stuff in my mouth and I'm off to the races.  I used to eat spoonfulls of it frozen back in the day.  I know better than to even try it because I will eat the entire thing in a day or two.  On the other hand, Roger can't eat the soynut butter without eating the whole jar at one sitting.  I can take it or leave it.  So everyone is different and you MUST be in touch with your body and how foods affect it. 

The corn pasta I use is Mrs. Leepers.  You may find it in your local health food store but I have to order it online.  I just order a couple of packs at a time, although they sell it by the case if you like.  I hope this helps and doesn't confuse.  My personal opinion is that your family would be much better off eating the corn pasta as well. 

(In Faith)  LP

Edited to add:  To anyone reading this.......This is my own personal experience and I in no way want to buck the food police here in any way.  LDL is saving my life and I wish the same for others who have found the program.  I don't think there has been any experiments to see if anyone else has lost weight eating this.  It didn't slow my progress but I'm just one fish in this big LDL pond so please please listen to your own bodies with this.