To cook more than 15g pasta or 10g rice?

[WrongWayApricot]

I've been doing an NHS diabetes prevention program because I'm at high risk for diabetes. We've been learning about portion sizes and I knew from news and telly that modern portion sizes are too big, but I didn't know they were 85% bigger than they should be. Apparently 30g cooked rice and pasta is the right portion size. The 200g~ on packets is way off then? I usually do about 75g dry pasta, less than the 90g recommended on the packet. Pasta doubles in weight and rice triples in weight when cooking so, I should be putting only 10g rice in the saucepan and only 15g pasta? I thought this was mad so googled what I could, but British Heart Foundation recommend about the same. I want to ask my health coach about this but wanted to check here first if I really am an absolute glutton for cooking 75g dried pasta/eating 150g pasta?

It sounds like the portion difference is cooked v dry?

Oh dear! I weigh out 75-90g dried rice or pasta per person. I thought we were only overweight because of all the cakes and coke, but it turns out my healthy meals are not so healthy

A portion is different to a serving.

I'm under the local dietitians & I was surprised by the portions. But it's not the same as a serving, so a sandwich would be two portions. If that makes sense?

I do 75-100g dry pasta per person, depending on who's eating and how hungry we are (usually 75g for me and 100g for him, but sometimes 100g each if I'm really hungry). I thought this was a normal portion!

For rice I do one boil in the bag between two adults (so 125g between the two of us).

That is crazy small.

You measure pasta with your heart. Don’t let anyone tell you any different.

But like the PP I cook healthy food from scratch. If my measure then of carbs is deffo skewed. I give my kids more then that 🙈

I should add, I am trying to lose weight and give myself 100g of cooked pasta, which looks tiny to me.

I cook 200g rice (one mug) or 250g linguine between 4, equal adult portions.

In Weightwatchers, we are told to use 60g dry rice or pasta. 15g and 10g sounds really little, but I’m not a nutritionist.

But yeah, a serving of rice would be two tablespoons. It's taken some adjustment. I'm fat but eat really well...portions & servings are getting more attention.

The 250g microwave rice packs say serves 2 on them. They don't really increase in size much so about 125g per person.

With dried pasta, I cook 100g per person which is probably on the generous side but I admit being a bit greedy.

@goodnessidontknow could be but this is what it says in the resources section

I allow 120-140g between the two of us (man & woman both in 50s). If I was just cooking for myself it would be 50g.

It is quite shocking when you see the size of a proper portion though. I've got one of those plates from Amazon with areas to show what your servings should be of meat, veg and carbs - even the plate is about half of the size of a standard dinner plate to start with!

I also have a microwave pasta cooker and it has a single portion as 57 grams of dry pasta.

I just googled this and everywhere says 75g dried pasta is a portion so maybe you are reading it wrong?

I cook a thimble of rice which lasts me 4 meals. I’d cook 3-4 pieces of pasta for a dinner. Not being funny but if you’re eating more than that you’re all lardy cows

Several sensible sources I’ve just looked at all recommend about 65-80g dried pasta as a portion size.
Where did you get the figure of 15g?

That is incredibly small. I would waste away but then again we don't eat meat so it would just be a few pasta pieces swimming in a mushroom and lentil sauce! Is there a rule that you can have X starchy portions a day or is it literally a meal with 10g rice?!

On the upside, sweet potatoes seem to be on the green list and one is a portion, which is much more filling. Could you have Bolognese sauce/curry etc on sweet pots instead with a pile of veg on the side?!

If you were using it a side dish then maybe

I'm glad I'm not the only one that's been happily cooking up 75g pasta. But, no I didn't know that portions and servings meant different things. So 5-7 portions of pasta is a serving of pasta?

Is it likely to be different due to the fact that it’s a specific diabetes prevention diet?

@WrongWayApricot

I've been doing an NHS diabetes prevention program because I'm at high risk for diabetes. We've been learning about portion sizes and I knew from news and telly that modern portion sizes are too big, but I didn't know they were 85% bigger than they should be. Apparently 30g cooked rice and pasta is the right portion size. The 200g~ on packets is way off then? I usually do about 75g dry pasta, less than the 90g recommended on the packet. Pasta doubles in weight and rice triples in weight when cooking so, I should be putting only 10g rice in the saucepan and only 15g pasta? I thought this was mad so googled what I could, but British Heart Foundation recommend about the same. I want to ask my health coach about this but wanted to check here first if I really am an absolute glutton for cooking 75g dried pasta/eating 150g pasta?

Your confusing dry and cooled weight.

If you're cooking yourself you measure dry, microwave rice is already cooked.

Tesco fusillo pasta - 75g dry is approximately 170g cooked - 300kcal

@Smartiepants79 from the NHS resource I've been given to read. 30g cooked pasta is about 15g dry. But pp said a portion is not a serving so I guess that's where I got confused.

Maybe I’m just tired but this thread is almost comically confusing

@Smartiepants79 maybe but BHF also recommends two tablespoons cooked rice and pasta which would be about 30g? www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/support/healthy-living/healthy-eating/healthy-eating-toolkit/food-portions/potatoes-bread-rice-pasta