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Restaurant Pasta No-Nos

Pasta Cheat Sheet

Are you nervous about ordering pasta at a restaurant? Do you struggle with what to order and how to make it a healthier choice? You’re not alone. Pasta gets a bad rap when it comes to weight loss, but it’s not the pasta itself that’s the problem – it’s the toppings and sauces that can rack up a high number of PointsPlus values.

As a WeightWatchers.com recipes editor and nutritionist, Leslie Fink reminds us, “There is no such thing as a bad food, including pasta; just too much of a good thing.” That’s why we’ve created the Pasta Cheat Sheet. By playing around with noodles, toppings, and sauces, you’ll see that there are many lighter options that will still give you the pasta fix without going overboard.

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Pasta Primer

A 1-cup serving of cooked, regular pasta has 5 PointsPlus values, while whole wheat pasta comes in at 4 PointsPlus values. While the difference may not seem like a lot, research has shown that a balanced diet rich in whole grains can help with weight loss and maintaining a healthy body weight.

However, many restaurant portions can be three or four cups – even more. Tack on oil (at 1 PointsPlus value per teaspoon) or shredded Parmesan cheese (1 PointsPlus value per tablespoon), and you could be consuming more PointsPlus values in one meal than you’re allotted in a given day.

Little Changes Make a Big Difference

Try these tricks for lightening up your pasta:

• Switch from regular pasta to whole wheat pasta. The difference in PointsPlus values per cup might not seem like a lot, but for the 1 PointsPlus value you save, you could have 1 1/2 cups of plain air-popped popcorn or a handful of carrots and 1 Tbsp of hummus.
• Toss in lots of steamed broccoli or roasted peppers (not the kind marinated in oil, though) and onions so you can cut back on the amount of pasta and still have a nice volume of food.
• Make meatballs with lean ground beef, chicken, or turkey instead of regular beef. “Pan-fry” them in a nonstick pan coated with cooking spray – or just a touch of oil – instead of a lot of oil.

Be Cautious of Sauces

Some popular sauces can pose a major PointsPlus value threat:

• Alfredo sauce, which uses heavy cream as its base, runs roughly 10 extra PointsPlus values per half cup.
• Bolognese is essentially a meat and red wine combo (which occasionally contains milk or heavy cream) and comes to about 6 PointsPlus values per half cup.
• Pesto, while it does include basil and garlic, is olive oil-based and will cost you 4 PointsPlus values for just an ounce.
• Carbonara sauce is rich with eggs, cheese, and Italian bacon (cured, fatty pork) – you can just imagine what a PointsPlus value hog that can be.
• Marinara, vodka sauce, spicy red sauce, red clam sauce, or primavera sauce are usually much better options, each one around 3 PointsPlus values per half cup.

Bump Up the Volume

Fink is a big fan of boosting volume with veggies rather than supersizing pasta portions. “I love to roast vegetables with cooking spray and Kosher salt and then cut them into bite-size pieces to toss into pasta recipes,” she says. “Peppers and onions are especially wonderful because they feel very rich, and are a fabulous way to increase your portion size for zero PointsPlus values.”

Conclusion

In conclusion, the key to making pasta a healthier choice at a restaurant is to be mindful of the toppings and sauces you choose. By opting for whole wheat pasta, incorporating veggies, and choosing lighter sauces, you can enjoy a delicious and satisfying meal without going overboard on PointsPlus values.

FAQs

Q: How many PointsPlus values does a 1-cup serving of cooked, regular pasta have?
A: 5 PointsPlus values

Q: What is a better alternative to regular pasta?
A: Whole wheat pasta, which has 4 PointsPlus values per cup

Q: How can I cut back on the amount of pasta and still have a nice volume of food?
A: Try adding lots of steamed broccoli or roasted peppers and onions to your pasta dish.

Q: What are some lighter sauce options?
A: Marinara, vodka sauce, spicy red sauce, red clam sauce, or primavera sauce are usually much better options, each one around 3 PointsPlus values per half cup.

Q: How can I boost volume with veggies?
A: Try roasting vegetables with cooking spray and Kosher salt and then cutting them into bite-size pieces to toss into pasta recipes.