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Choosing what to eat every night for dinner when you’re quarantining safely at home is no easy task. Although takeout and delivery options are quick and delicious, those hefty costs can quickly add up.
We won’t ignore the fact that figuring out what to eat for dinner and cooking for a large family can be challenging. The daily task can be even more challenging when you’re on a weight loss journey. However, cooking meals at home is often the healthier and more affordable option and it can in fact be an easy process when you follow just a few simple rules.
Luckily, you can turn to the experts to provide healthy quarantine meal ideas so that you can finally see the weight loss results you’ve been waiting for.
A simple quick dinner you probably often resort to is pasta, right? While the meal is both easy to make and affordable, it can also lead to unwanted weight gain. We’ll tell you why while allowing the experts to give you some recommendations on how to prepare a healthy pasta dish.
Many pastas are considered refined pasta, which means that it has been stripped of germ, bran, and many nutrients. Such refined pasta is high in calories and carbs, and low in fiber. According to Healthline, high-carb diets often lead to obesity.
In an interview with POPSUGAR, Registered Dietitian Lisa Eberly suggests choosing whole-wheat pastas as a healthy choice for when you’re in the mood for a yummy Italian dinner. “Whole-wheat pasta is a high-fiber whole grain. The fiber in the complex whole-wheat pasta keeps you fuller longer and promotes reduced inflammation and balanced blood sugars.”
Registered Dietitian Carolyn Brown further supports the idea that pasta can oftentimes be eaten without guilt when you have the right approach, she explains how to make pasta a healthy choice in an interview with Eat This, Not That!.
Brown says that you don’t need to rule out pasta entirely when it’s eaten in moderation. “Get great quality or homemade pasta, eat a small- to normal-sized portion that’s one cup or about the size of your fist, and bulk it up with veggies and a little protein,” Brown says. “Then, try not to sop up the sauce with bread.”
We’ll definitely be following these tips next time we’re cooking up some pasta for dinner!
What do you enjoy cooking for dinner when staying at home? Let us know your favorite weight loss meals in the comments below!
