Lunch recommendations. Is pasta bad for you?

[joestifff]

So I have hit an age now, where I am trying to get healthier and slim down.

I am certainly not fat at all, but have a bit of tub on my stomach and chest that I would like to get shot of. I have no intention in being uber fit, or super skinny. Just a bit more toned!!

I have started running again (see my thread on morning runs) and started to watch what I eat more. However, I am not the best at knowing what not to eat. I go off the colour guides on food.

My wife cooks excellent evening meals, we always have an array of colours in our food, and rarely eat junk food (once a month at a push). So its just breakfast and lunches that I sort for myself!

Breakfast I have Alpen (the blue bag one, no added sugar I think) I have 1/4 of a bowl with a drop of milk. That sees me through to lunch, where I always buy the Coop meal deal. I practically always get the basil and chicken pasta, melon pot, and bottle of water.

But how good is that pasta for me?? I thought it was good, but someone at work said it is really bad for me!

I don't really eat bread, drink fizzy drinks, drink a lot of alcohol. Never touch tea or coffee, vile stuff.

I sound really boring.

But is Alpen and Pasta every day a good thing?

[Vocal Minority]

The rule of thumb I have always used (as I have neither the patience, concentration or ultimately will to measure macros by weight as many do) is that i try and visualise a plate and have a quater of it predominantly carbs like pasta, a quarter meat and half of it veg.

So saying pasta is BAD for you is overkill, but some tweaking to be more veg heavy will certainly help progress

[MURRAY007]

NO FOOD IS BAD FOR YOU!!!!

Over eating and consuming excess calories is bad for you.

people say a food type is bad for you, because they ate too much of it and gained weight, soon as they cut that food source out, they are like OMG stop eating this as its bad and you'll gain weight, NOPE they lost weight because they was in a calorie deficit.

I personal reduce my carb intake because of the way it makes me feel. e.g. bloating and farting loads, But it doesn't mean its bad for me, I just don't like the way it makes me feel.

So as long as you don't have a reaction that makes you sluggish or bloated or have the runs, etc. then your fine to eat in MODERATION.

Sorry for being blunt, but I hate other co-workers pushing there so called knowledge onto other people.

[sjabrown]

A lot depends on how you view the necessity of carbohydrate in the diet. If motivated then consider reading about low-carb and keto-adapting diets.

I see pasta (and bread, rice, cereals) as "dead" calories: what does your body derive from the digestion of pasta that it cannot derive from other sources.

[Vocal Minority]

On the other hand - I do subscribe to the 'because I like it' mind set too.

The day I view food as simply fuel is the day I give up on everything

[RizzoTheRat]

Try using a phone app like MyFitnessPal to track what you're eating, ready made stull like that is easy as you just scan the barcode. This will give you a good idea of how much fat/carbs/protein/etc you're eating in a day and if you should be rebalancing it a bit.

[soad]

Better off eating more whole grain pasta. Might as well cook some at home.

[joestifff]

Thanks guys

I eat what I think is a healthy and diverse diet. All thanks to the wife.

However, I loathe preparing lunches of any type. So I buy every day for work. Gets me out of the office as well.

We only have a coop near us. And an greasy spoon. Although I fell out with them when I wanted an omelette without chips, they refused to not add chips!!

So I go to coop!!

[So]

joestifff said:

Thanks guys

I eat what I think is a healthy and diverse diet. All thanks to the wife.

However, I loathe preparing lunches of any type. So I buy every day for work. Gets me out of the office as well.

We only have a coop near us. And an greasy spoon. Although I fell out with them when I wanted an omelette without chips, they refused to not add chips!!

So I go to coop!!

If you only think it's healthy, it probably isn't.

[MrHappy]

Calories in vs calories consumed. Maybe ask your wife (politely!) to reduce the evening portions, particularly if it involves some potatoes, bread, rice etc. We now often have a meat/fish with a homemade salad, does the job.