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VegaObscura
New Member
| Joined: | 22 Sep 2008 |
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| Posts: | 339 |
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Posted: 19 Oct 2008 04:57 am |
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Before I started eating properly, my favorite food in the world was pasta. I made it with ground beef, lots of Prego traditional sauce, noodles (either spaghetti or thin spaghetti), and topped it off with lots of american cheese. Today for the first time I tried making a hamburger with ground turkey, and was shocked at how similar it was to ground beef. If I didn't already know that it wasn't beef, I would never have noticed. So I decided I want to try and make pasta using ground turkey. But here's the problem. 4oz of ground turkey is 200 calories, a half cup of prego sauce is 80 calories, and even Healthy Harvest noodles are 180 calories. That adds up to 460 calories for 1 meal. The fact that I'm trying to use the healthiest ingredients I can and its still coming out to such a high calorie count is very frustrating. The problem isn't even in the sauce. I always thought turkey was supposed to be low fat and low calorie, but it seems that isn't the case. I know 460 isn't terribly high (I often eat 2 PB&J sandwiches at a time, which adds up to more than that) but is there anything I can do to bring that number down to something that doesn't seem so much like splurging?
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MidgeH
Distinguished Member
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Posted: 19 Oct 2008 05:11 pm |
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Ground turkey, while better in saturated fat, can be just as high calorie as ground beef. Health wise it's a better choice, but still...
There are a number of things you could try - instead of meat use veggies, mushrooms and zuchinni are good. You could try ground turkey breast - a 4oz serving is only 110 cals and 1.5g fat. Soy meat replacement - in a sauce is the best way to eat this, but it is an acquired taste (IMO). You could also skip the sauce and instead use canned tomaoes and your own spices (this is closer to a traditional italian pasta anyway.)
In any case I always see pasta as a splurge. It's a high calorie density food no matter how healthy the type you are using. You can have it - you just need to account for it the rest of your day.
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VegaObscura
New Member
| Joined: | 22 Sep 2008 |
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| Posts: | 339 |
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Posted: 19 Oct 2008 06:08 pm |
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Thanks a lot for suggesting ground turkey breast, I didn't even realize that's why I thought turkey was so much lower in calories, its because I've always been eating turkey breast. I could never enjoy pasta if it was made without meat sauce. But cutting off 100 calories just by switching the meat is a huge difference. Now its down to 360, which is very edible in my opinion. Now if I can just find some lower calorie noodles, this might turn into my favorite low-cal meal.
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ShannonOfDoom
Distinguished Member
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Posted: 19 Oct 2008 10:49 pm |
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even if you cant get a lower cal pasta its worthwhile looking for the wholemeal ones..i dont know if you guys will have them in the states.
I get kamut pasta here which is very tasty.
High fibre = fewer empty calories
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VegaObscura
New Member
| Joined: | 22 Sep 2008 |
| Location: | |
| Posts: | 339 |
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Posted: 20 Oct 2008 06:07 pm |
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Well, after all is said and done the meal was fantastic. It all added up to 540 calories, making it the second highest calorie meal I eat regularly (2 PB&J sandwiches with a glass of milk is the highest, at 660). The ground turkey breast I was using said its 140 calories for 4oz, and it required 8oz to make a decent sized meal for me. Not only did it taste great, it also contained 65 grams of protein, making it the highest protein meal I eat regularly (and possibly ever). That one meal is as much protein as most people need in their entire day. The only thing missing from the taste is the cheese, but I can live without it. I might try fat-free cheese, but I think this meal is calorie-dense enough already. I think I might start eating this almost every day.
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r_beau
New Member
| Joined: | 12 Apr 2008 |
| Location: | Oregon USA |
| Posts: | 117 |
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Posted: 31 Oct 2008 06:49 pm |
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What's wrong with making pasta with ground beef? Plenty if you are using 20% fat ground beef. Ground beef, however is JUST FINE if you get lean cuts (like 4% fat).
As it has been pointed out, other types of meat (like turkey or chicken) can be just as bad or worse can beef if they also are a higher fat content.
I hate that beef gets such a bad rep! Of course if you buy the fatty cuts it is unhealthy but it is perfectly healthy if you go with lean.
For your worries of too many calories in the meal, why not cut the portion in half? Or eat half the noodles? There's nothing that says you have to eat the FULL SERVING size when you prepare food. Many times, if I am already getting too many carbs for the day, I'll only eat half a serving of whole-grain noodles and maybe a 1 1/2 servings of meat.
Also, I wanted to add that if you spice the meat sauce yourself, that is a whole lot less calories, rather than putting in the Prego. Put in a plain can of salt-free tomato sauce (or why no puree some fresh tomatoes?) and throw in some oregano, thyme, basil, or whatever spice is appropriate for the taste you want!
Last edited on 31 Oct 2008 06:51 pm by r_beau
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CrimsonAnimus
Distinguished Member
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Posted: 31 Oct 2008 09:38 pm |
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Lean beef is fine, in moderation. It should not be a staple of any diet that is eaten daily, particularly for men, since our colon structures are different.
Also, although it is more expensive, it is beneficial to buy brands like Laura Lean which are raised without growth hormones and other additives.
It bears to note that you can get too much of a good thing, and this definitely includes meat of all varieties, including red meat, white meat, and fish. There are plenty of ways to get your protein in without meat, if you are so inclined.
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cportwine
Distinguished Member
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Posted: 6 Nov 2008 09:14 pm |
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More fruits and veggies. It really is to bad, but meat of any kind is high in calories, and so is pasta.
So, you need to find other things that you like to eat. Save those kind of dishes for special occasions.
Also, you can practice portion control. You can have stuff like that, just not as much.
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cportwine
Distinguished Member
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Posted: 6 Nov 2008 09:19 pm |
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r_beau - Yeah, unless you want to ground some really lean beef up and put it in your pasta, it is going to be high in sat. fats. Trust me, I know, I have high cholesterol and I avoid all red meats like the plague.
But, I do agree that other meats can be just as bad. I pretty much stick to turkey and fish most of the time and limit that also.
So, your big spill about beef isn't for everyone.
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