Pasta portions

[Bettercallsalli]

Is 100g of pasta too much for 1 person? I think not. Infact it is a lot less than i would usually cook.

Ok 😆

We do this. Anything between 60-100g, depending on the meal. Also depending if I have a stone to lose again!

Why?
Everybody has a different rate of metabolism, some people have to limit their carbs for health reasons.

I was underweight for many years, but now I'm post menopause I can't afford to stuff my face any more.

It just blows my mind that some people are unable to understand that.

Most threads like this are full of competitive undereaters. It strikes me that there are a few competitive overeaters on this one.

I do half a 500g packet for 2 of us, so 125g each, which no doubt explains our flab. If I went down to 70g of penne that would be about 6 spoons worth which wouldn't touch the sides. It's like the 40g of cereal they allow you on diets - literally 4 spoons worth. I'd rather skip breakfast and have a decent lunch.

That’s just over 200 calories for a main meal though. What are you serving it with?

Which is what, 250 calories or so? Which strikes me as very little in the context of balanced diet. The problem isn’t pasta is it? It’s what people smother it in. And what they eat the rest of the time. I’m 5’5, & I weigh under 9 stone and I you’ll have to fight me for the pasta 😆

I never have!

I do 75g which is fine with loads of veg or salad, same with cereal, 40-45g but add fruit
I’m overweight but addicted to broccoli so my pasta is 75g and a head of broccoli

The numbers on pasta packs etc are based on recommended calories etc so they wouldn't have to have everything on front in red.
Like cornflakes and their 30g portion and salt is already in orange 🤷

I always add loads of other stuff to pasta. I mean who eats just plain pasta?

I love broccoli as well @fairylightsanon
I made orecchiette with broccoli, garlic and lemon the other night and served it with lots of grated Pecorino. It was delicious.

Usually some quorn, a tomato sauce, some veggies with grated cheddar cheese. Not sure what the total calories are. This thread has been an eye opener, my metabolism is crap.

I’m even more fascinated by the people who weigh it per person when cooking for a family! What happens once it’s cooked? Do you weigh it again before putting it on the plate? Or do you count the pasta pieces as you dish it out? What happens if people are different heights and body weights? Do men get more? What happens if someone wants seconds??!

What an odd question. We all eat pretty much the same sized portions so I just split it between us by eye.

I weigh 60g of dry pasta per person. I always bulk sauces up with loads of veg so I wouldn't want any more pasta. I don't think simple carbs should be the biggest part of the meal.

Are you my sibling?

I weigh it if I’m batch cooking
75g per portion. When I’ve cooked whatever I’m making (pasta or something different) I weigh it as I split it into tubs and it ends up around 400g total meal

I do weigh out the portions in a 4 way split. But then I weigh all food for a type 1 diabetic child to work out insulin dosing. So that's just what I have gotta do. My family will all typically have the same pasta portion size.

I weigh it out but I base it on how much we normally eat - I am terrible at judging it by eye! I usually make enough for everyone to have plenty and perhaps some leftovers. We tend to bring the pot to the table, everyone helps themselves, then anyone who wants can have a bit of seconds or there are some leftovers for the fridge.

I mostly do the weighing because I know how much sauce I’m making up - eg 2 cans tomato, one onion, some peppers, few tins of mackerel, herbs etc. If I cook too much pasta when I stir the sauce through there’s not enough sauce to pasta and it’s all disappointing with far too much thinly coated pasta that nobody wants.

But surely people of different sizes require different portions, so assuming that you’re not all the same height and weight, either somebody is overeating or somebody is under eating?

Obviously it’s working for you, I just can’t imagine being that precise. May as well go whole hog and calculate how many grams of pasta are needed according to body weight!

We do 65 grams and adjust meat and veg depending on the dish.

DD and I are the same size, and DH can't eat huge portions due to gastric surgery (cancer), so we do eat pretty similar sized portions.

We load up on salad or vegetables as well as a sauce.

I usually do 100g dry per person because DH likes a larger portion than me and our DDs. If cooking just for me I’d make 75g, but I wouldn’t say 100g is too much either just that it’s too much for me

It’s really easy. I know how much pasta we normally all eat as a family en masse. I weigh that out as if I do it by eye I can end up with a stupid sauce to pasta ratio, or I try and be sensible then don’t cook enough.

DH often doesn’t weigh it out and we can end up with half a pan of cooked pasta that no one can eat, and it’s a fairly rubbish leftover.

I always cook too much rice on purpose (also measured out but by volume) because it’s a popular leftover.

Maybe 😀

Jesus, what an excessive reaction for my clearly jokey comment! Ffs. Are you here just looking for ways to be offended?

I don't weigh pasta because I don't really eat it. I'm not a fan myself. So you can lose the snidey overeating comment as well.

That notwithstanding, in my non mumsnet real life world no I don't know people who weigh pasta.