Yesterday, I made another batch of pesto. And while I enjoy pesto on roast chicken, sandwiches, and salads, I sometimes miss having pasta. I recently purchased a package of lentil and brown rice spaghetti at Trader Joe's. This seemed like a perfect opportunity to try it!
Before cooking up my pasta, I took a look at the nutrition facts on the package. The serving size (2 oz.) had 32 grams of carbs. This seemed excessive, so I decided to go for half of that. A single ounce of spaghetti. I weighed it on my scale and proceeded to cook the half serving.
Along with the hint of pasta, I opted for a bunch of greens, some roasted chicken breast, baby carrots and tiny tomatoes. I dressed the raw greens with flax seed oil, lemon juice, and sesame seeds. I topped the chicken with pesto, added the pasta on top, and then sprinkled Parmesan cheese over the whole thing. Delicious!
Most pasta is made from refined white flour, so it contains a lot of carbs with very little nutrition. If you are trying to lose weight, it's not a great choice. My lentil and brown rice pasta had a good texture, plenty of chew, lots of fiber and protein. A better choice, but still high in carbs. You could try my solution: cut the serving size and use pasta as a garnish rather than a base for your meal.
This dinner is high in nutrients like protein, healthy fats, and good carbs, as well as vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. It's a filling meal for one person.
Ingredients for my "spaghetti" dinner:
1 large handful baby spinach
1 large handful baby kale
1 TB flax seed oil
juice of half a lemon
1/2 teaspoon Everything But the Bagel Seasoning (from Trader Joe's)
10-12 baby carrots, cooked
1 oz. lentil and brown rice spaghetti, cooked
3 oz. roasted chicken breast, sliced
1-2 TB pesto sauce
10-12 tiny tomatoes
Parmesan cheese, to garnish
In a large bowl, toss greens with flax seed oil, lemon juice, and seasoning. Top with warm carrots and spaghetti. Add chicken, pesto, and tomatoes. Sprinkle Parmesan over the top. Makes one single serving. Enjoy!
Comments
Post a Comment
Please share your helpful questions and comments here! Thanks for being part of this balanced community!