Are You Cooking Pasta Wrong? This Simple Mistake Could Be Adding Calories

Pasta is one of the most beloved dishes—it's easy to make, satisfying, and delicious. However, you might be preparing it incorrectly, a mistake that might lead you to consume more calories than intended.

Tom Hall, a personal fitness coach, shared in a video on social media that portion size is the critical point where many go wrong. People don't always realize how much they should actually be cooking, which can lead to calorie overload.

"If you look at the packaging, you'll find that 75 grams of dry pasta turns into 180 grams of cooked pasta," Hall explained. "Many people overlook this, and they put 180 grams of dry pasta in the pot directly, which causes them to cook twice the calories." According to him, many mistakenly believe that 180 grams of dry pasta equals 286 calories, while in reality, this amount refers to the cooked pasta.

In the video, he demonstrated the difference between two servings—one with the right amount of pasta before cooking, and one with a larger portion. The difference in quantity is significant, with the incorrect serving possibly containing over 600 calories. Hall explained that pasta increases in weight during cooking because it absorbs water, making the portion look and weigh more. "I used to think it didn't matter as long as the pasta was cooked in water," he admitted, "but the calories still count."

At the end of the video, Hall received numerous responses from his followers, thanking him for the clear explanation and stating that this information helped them understand and might even help them lose weight soon.