One of my favorite foods: Pasta!
One thing you do not need sacrifice to live a healthy lifestyle: Pasta!
Before I was a registered dietitian, I had the impression that pasta was unhealthy. (Thanks Dr. Oz and every diet-crazed article out there.) Fortunately, with education, I learned it's not pasta. It may be the portion size of pasta, or the imbalance of the meal and the individual's total daily consumption, the quality of the ingredients, or the inactivity & metabolism of the person eating the improper portion size of pasta, BUT that is with every food. It is not pasta alone. *If I were Oprah, everyone would stand up and cheer, and I would get millions of dollars for saying that.... Buuuut, no crowd, no money, just the truth! ;)
This post features three ways to make a pasta dish. It ranges from a vegetable-loaded "pasta" dish, to a dish containing whole grain pasta, vegetables, and meatballs, then there is the ooey, gooey, cheesy mac 'n cheese recipe.
Why three different pasta dishes?
Well, sometimes my body craves a light dinner filled with vegetables, I know a portion of equal cheese and pasta is not going to make me feel my best that day. Luckily, I've found ways to make a pasta dish, while decreasing calories and increasing my vegetable intake for the day.
Other times, my body needs more fat, calories, and carbohydrates and homemade mac 'n cheese is going to fuel my body right.
Then, there always has to be somewhere in the middle... That's usually where you will find me!
Pick your recipe based on how you feel, what the rest of the week's recipes look like, and what ingredients you already have in the kitchen. They are all easy, all homemade, all can fuel your body, and all use good quality ingredients.
Ya can't beat that!
*Note: The last recipe took me two times to try. I am NOT the best cook in my family nor do I claim to be. My grandma, mom, sisters, and husband can all whip up fantastic dishes.These recipes are from my husband and sister, and they don't taste exactly right unless they make it.
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Here is a story to make you laugh and to never feel inferior with your kitchen skills: I tried to make my husband's mac and cheese when he was out of town. My sisters, Mom, and niece came up and I was talking this dish up for days. Picture this: A bowl of watery noodles, in a buttery/watery liquid, with globs of white, thick cheese. My Mom is the only one who pretended to enjoy it if that tells you anything. We ended the night with brownies & wine for our dinner. ;)