Alright, the damage is done…you wore your stretchy pants to every holiday dinner making sure you got every last bite of Nonna’s meatballs or that last piece of tiramisu everyone was eyeballing and now you jiggle like a bowl full of jelly!
If you were eating fish over the holiday’s, I get it…but I didn’t and now I am ready to kick some of this extra baggage I brought on vacation!
After a crushing 300 hour a week holiday schedule, I needed the break or I was going to break things in the kitchen. A sincere and heartfelt thank you to all our customers and staff that continues to love and respect what we do, we had an unprecedented turn out at all locations.
Eating healthy can be tough and it’s even tougher, when on vacation struggling to find the right restaurant because you are running around and let’s be real, the motivation to eat healthy meals is non-existent. So why am I writing this garbage? Because I always hear that pasta is off limits during a diet or it magically makes you pack on the pounds…and that’s simply garbage! It’s not the pasta people! It’s the portions!!!
Instead of piling the portions of pasta too high, try some of these tips:
Cut the Carbs
…basically cut the portion because pasta is technically a low-glycemic index food
(meaning that it doesn’t spike your blood sugar levels as much as other high-carb foods, like white rice)
In short, EAT A SALAD FIRST to help you control your portions of pasta.
BTW, I happen to make the best in Northwest Illinois!
Time to Chill
When you cool down pasta, the drop in temperature changes its chemical structure into something called “resistant starch,” which can help to decrease your body’s glycemic response. Chill out with a cool pasta salad after a workout to refuel without a high response cost to your system (helping you feel full for longer).
Partner it with a Protein Pal…
If you’re going to have pasta, partner it with the equivalent portion of protein. Basically, make the two portion sizes look exactly the same. This will naturally cut your portion, keep you satisfied with the protein and give you the boost you need in the morning.
These are just a few ways to power through your pasta without overloading your system to stay slim.
If you are confused on how or what to eat to stay healthy when you’re at Coppolillo’s, ask any server for assistance!
Sending my love from the sandy beaches of the south,
-Steve Coppolillo
