When You Just HAVE To Eat Regular Pasta

Eating healthy during every meal and snack each day can be hard. As much as I try to stay on track, there are always days where I have to squeeze something in that I don't usually eat. Most recently that item of food was pasta. I'm Italian so Christmas was full of penne and it's also a quick easy meal when I get home from work. Usually carbs are whole wheat but the past 2 weeks had me eating regular white pasta. So how does one make macaroni healthy? Here are some variations that I use so I don't feel so bad when I skip the whole wheat. 

When in doubt, add veggies. All different kinds. I really like chick peas, kidney beans, spinach, and broccoli. I usually toss in some mushrooms as well. 

Use homemade sauce. I make a mean white sauce (by no means is that healthy) but sometimes I also mix up some spices with olive oil and bread crumbs. It saves calories and still has a nice flavor kick. 

Include protein. Chicken is the obvious way to go but get creative with sausage, steak, pork or turkey. 

If you enjoy cheese (like me!) be sure to put it on at the end and use a small portion. 

Portion control with any type of carb is important. I use a small circle portion controller for spaghetti and a measuring cup for other pastas. Although sometimes it doesn't seem like a lot of food when you start cooking, trust me when I say it is a larger serving than you think!

What different variations do you use to make regular pasta healthy? Favorite veggie?

Xo,

Lynette