Who doesn’t love a huge bowl of spaghetti bolognese. Most of us grew up on it and like myself,continued the tradition well after we have moved out of home. Spaghetti bolognese is a fairly straight forward dish to make and easy to over-consume. Once cup of pasta contains 42 grams of carbs and I’m guessing most people would probably consume two cups of pasta in one sitting.

When consuming carbs like pasta, it takes around 20 minutes for your brain to register that you have actually eaten. Pasta, being soft and boiled can also be gulped down without much chewing which means it is easy to overeat.

Pasta is digested quickly and results in high blood sugar and insulin levels. Due to the energy density of pasta, the excess energy once digested is quickly stored as fat. Pasta is also made from wheat which contains gluten. A large portion of the population are either gluten intolerant or have trouble digesting gluten. Gluten can be toxic to the body and can also lead to weight gain. The wheat contained in pasta is also processed to the point where most nutrients are stripped from it.

This gluten free, low carb spaghetti bolognese uses strips of zucchini in place of pasta. Zucchini contains only 2 grams of carbs per cup compared to the 42 grams contained in traditional pasta. When you weigh it up, pasta will contribute to weight gain and zucchini will contribute to weight loss. The zucchini will slow the release of sugar into the blood stream leading to lower blood sugar and insulin levels meaning less fat storage. It’s a no-brainer.

Ingredients:
500g good quality lean mince beef
1 400g can of diced tomatoes
1/2 brown onion
1 garlic clove
2 Zucchini’s
1 handful of pitted olives
1/2 400g jar of fire roasted red peppers
2 tbs of tomato paste
Olive oil
Salt and Pepper
Parmesan cheese

Method:
– Dice onion, garlic, slice red peppers and chop olives and add to a large cooking pot to sauté with olive oil on low heat.
– Once sautéed, break up mince beef and add to cooking pot
– While beef is sautéing, peel thin strips of zucchini
– Once beef has sautéed add diced tomatoes and tomato paste
– While tomatoes are simmering on low heat add zucchini strips to a frying pan with olive oil on low heat and brown
– Once zucchini strips have browned, remove from pan and place on a plate
– Once bolognese sauce has reduced, spoon out onto plate on top of zucchini strips
– Add parmesan cheese and cracked salt and pepper to taste

To find out how you can include more foods like this and lose weight at the same time click here.