Tuesday, August 13, 2013

pasta is not a dirty word




Poor old pasta. In these gluten-free, carbohydrate phobic times, eating a bowl of pasta has become problematic. I've never been an all or nothing kind of person so have never cut carbs completely out of my diet or my family's but I do think that our modern diets are too heavy on carbs and too light on vegetables. And there's one thing for certain, many kids love carbs and loathe vegetables!

What to do?

Well, when River was about 3 years old I talked to my Chinese doctor about this very situation and her response was to vary the grains that the pasta is made of.

The majority of pasta you see on the supermarket shelf is made from wheat which more and more people are finding that they have a sensitivity to or realise that their diets are too heavily based on wheat like for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Wheat is a whole topic in itself but for starters go here .

We eat pasta about once a week or every ten days and avoid eating wheat, I buy gluten-free rice or corn pasta, spelt, amaranth or kamut pasta. The health food aisle in your supermarket stocks pasta that is made from grains other than wheat and your local health food store will most likely have an even wider range.



Now for the vegetables. Well, the good news is pasta sauce is a wonderland for concealing vegetables. If it isn't already, the grater should be your best friend. Grated carrot and zucchini are two of my favorites to include. That said, I don't really believe in hiding vegetables at every meal to get children to eat them.

Raising happy, healthy eaters begins with us the parents. Our attitude to good food, the example we set and having clear, consistent expectations are the foundations in my book. Speaking of books, for more tips on curing fussy eaters read 'French Kids Eat Everything' by Karen Le Billon.

There's no force feeding at our table but what we serve for dinner is dinner, there are no other options. When it comes to veggies most children go in and out of liking carrots, pumpkin, broccoli - insert vegetable name - one day and screwing their face up at the sight of them the next. The key is not to make a big deal out of it and not to give up putting vegetables on their plate. Yes it gets a bit boring having the same old 'eat your veggies' talk but it is our work, laying solid nutritional foundations for our children is an important job. Don't give up!

Back to the pasta. The dish pictured above is corn spaghetti (500g) tossed with roasted veggies, a whole jar of Meredith Dairy goat cheese (including the olive oil and herbs from the jar thrown in), semi dried tomatoes, fresh peas and roasted pine nuts. Roasted veggie pasta is one of my favorites, quick and easy.

Now, tell me your favorites? Or have you given up grains? Tell me why and how that's going.

13 comments:

  1. i don't have an issue with grains at all, but i am a strong believer in variety been the key to good nutrition. That said it has never occurred to me to vary the grain the pasta is made from, i think it is a brilliant idea and i shall be seeing what i can rustle up in our local shops this weekend.
    Tell me, do you find there is much difference between the different ones in terms of overall texture and cooking time?

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    1. Great Max I'm thrilled you found this simple tip helpful. Yes you will find that cooking times and texture varies greatly across the alternative grains. The best quality gluten free pastas that I have found come from Europe they are pricey and have a big carbon footprint attached so I only buy them from time to time. I typically use the gluten free rice pasta from the supermarket it is inexpensive and satisfying but you do have to monitor the cooking time closely because it goes quickly from al dente to mushy. Have fun experimenting I think it is great that you are giving it a go. xx

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  2. We eat pasta, but I often wonder how good it is really when its so refined and processed, even the alternative grains. I'd like to learn to make my own from wholemeal spelt flour, then I would know exactly what was in it....

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    1. What you say is true Liz that's why pasta really is probably best eaten once in a while rather than a few times a week. Wow making your own from wholemeal spelt flour would be really impressive, judging by all the amazing things you are capable of you will work this one out too. You've got me thinking. I will investigate some recipes. let me know if you give it a go. xx

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  4. I love pasta, but sadly my body doesn't love the wheat, so it's a once a week food in our house. And, I so agree with you re the food options. I never had time to make separate meals or vary them too much so young Miss learnt very early to eat or she'd see her dinner go to the dog. I always felt there were bigger battles to fight than over food. Thankfully she's always been a good & healthy eater. Visiting via the rewind from andanyways.com

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    1. Thanks for visiting Jo. Have you tried wheat alternative pastas? I think giving young children too many choices about anything - what to eat, what to wear, places to go - can be overwhelming and lead to mutiny! x

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  5. Hi Mama, great post, I have very rarely ventured into alternative grains for pasta as our early experience with Rice/corn pasta was a nasty gluggy failure. You've inspired me a bit to try again. One alternative we like is to have Gnocchi (potato and ricotta) instead of pasta, and a rainbow of vegies in our pasta sauce.
    As for the kids eating.. it really is a matter of staying calm and keep offering. It takes time for little tastebuds to mature

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    1. Thanks Lisa for stopping by and for your comment. yes give wheat free pasta another go! Thanks too for sharing the gnocchi tip, I have made gnocchi before with pumpkin which is another good way to up the veggie intake and I agree totally stay calm and keep offering x

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  6. My husband is Italian so we devour good old-fashioned kind of pasta. Millions of Italians can't be wrong!! x

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    1. Too true Maxabella too true! Thanks for stopping by x

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  7. PS - Thanks for linking up on the Rewind! It's lovely to meet you and I'm sorry I'm so late getting over to see you. x

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  8. I LOVE the sound of your pasta dish (I'd easily devour a jar of that goat's cheese on my own!). Having just returned from the doctor's this afternoon talking gluten- AND dairy-free diet for Kian and after he gave me the well-do-you-want-to-heal-your-son's-gut-or-not look, I read your post with even more interest. We don't have traditional pasta that often (and funnily enough Kian doesn't ever eat it) and I've never thought to try alternative grains. If he starts taking an interest in pasta, I might well have to explore other options. If I was being really honest, I would much rather just cut back on wheat than eat other grained-pasta. I haven't made pasta in years but nothing to me comes close to the thought of fresh silky pasta! xx

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Thanks for your comments. I read every one!

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