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Home » Recipes » Gluten Free Recipes » Healthy Spiralized Pasta + How to Carb Load

Healthy Spiralized Pasta + How to Carb Load

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Tips for carb loading, plus an easy pasta recipe that is great for carb loading before Bay to Breakers or your next race. Add healthy protein in an unexpected way by using Greek yogurt instead of heavy cream or cheese!

Greek Yogurt Pasta Sauce - a healthy lightened up pasta recipe!

You guys, I can’t even tell you how excited I am! San Francisco Zappos Bay to Breakers is coming up this weekend. Bay to Breakers is a 12K race that spans the city – from the Bay to Ocean Beach (where the breakers crash). B2B is a running event that encompasses everything I love about this amazing city.

It’s flamboyant, colorful, over-the-top and a truly special day. It’s also more of a parade or a festival than a race. There are a handful of people who actually ‘race’ Bay to Breakers, but they are followed by thousands of people who dress up in costumes and complete the course at a more leisurely pace. There’s also a fair amount of nudity at Bay to Breakers. Seriously – this is pretty much a given in San Francisco any sort of festivity or festival. People really dig their birthday suits.

This year is my first time running Bay to Breakers. I will definitely not be participating in the nude. I am going to dress up though. I’m so excited and brainstorming ideas for a costume that is still practical for running. I know it’s getting to be last minute, but I’m lucky I have Zappos and their famous free shipping and free returns. I’m sure you think shoes when you think Zappos, but Zappos has thousands of items – everything from dresses to running gear!

Easy-Snacks-Runners-Ideas-

My plan is to get some ‘real’ athletic gear and turn it into a costume. I’m thinking hot pink running capris with a tutu and a pink tanktop, to be a balerina, or black capris and a black tank top with a cat ear headband. Or a superman tank top and a cape with blue shorts? I’ve also secretly dreamed of going as a unicorn and covering myself in body glitter after seeing something similar last year. So many options! Any ideas for me?Recipes-Healthy-Running-Exercise

Carb Loading Ideas for Your Race + A Secret Way to Add Healthy Protein to Pasta!

While I’m on the topic of preparing for a race, did you know that carb loading the night before a race is not the best way to prepare for a run? There are a lot of myths that surround carb loading, but here are the facts:

Tips for Carb Loading

1. Carb load two days before the race :: Your highest carb meal should be two days before the race. If you carb load the day before it isn’t enough time for those carbs to replenish the glycogen stores in your legs (aka the energy that is easily available for exercise).

The lightened up pasta recipe below is perfect for preparing for race day. Instead of fatty heavy cream, this pink ‘rosato’ sauce gets its creaminess from Greek yogurt. Adding Greek yogurt to your pasta sauce is a great way to add healthy protein and ensure that you stay full long after your meal has finished. It’s easy and it tastes great! Since you’re preparing for a race, you don’t want to completely swap out the pasta for zucchini ‘zoodles’, so instead I just add a few ribbons on top of the pasta. Zucchini is packed with nutrients and is fairly easy to digest, as far as vegetables go.

2. Carb loading doesn’t just happen in one meal :: I start to transition my diet about a five days before a big race. I gradually cut out high fiber foods like pears, raspberries, and leafy green vegetables. I make up the calorie difference by eating more of carb rich foods likes pasta and bread. All of those things that are usually just indulgences!

3. You still need to eat protein :: Just because it’s called carb loading doesn’t mean that you don’t have to eat a balanced diet! That’s why I love this recipe – it has healthy protein in the form of Greek yogurt.

4. Eat right the morning of the race :: For me, the perfect morning of race meal is peanut butter on a bagel with a banana sliced on top. It’s quick, has a bit of protein and has lots of carbs that are easily digested. This means no GI issues and no embarrassing runs (no pun intended) toward a porta potty. The bananas are full of potassium, which is an important electrolyte that is lost in sweat.

Thanks so much for reading A Side of Sweet! For more Sweet in your life, you can find me on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, Bloglovin’, or Twitter, or subscribe to receive a weekly email with new posts (see sidebar).

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Protein Packed Greek Yogurt Pasta Sauce

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This is an easy healthy pasta recipe that is great for carb loading before your next race. Add healthy protein in an unexpected way by using Greek yogurt instead of heavy cream or cheese! Scale this recipe to fit your needs.

  • Author: Kelly Egan
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 15 minutes
  • Yield: 2 1x
  • Category: Main
  • Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup pasta
  • 1 cup Greek yogurt
  • 2 cups pasta sauce of your choice (i][my favorite recipe)
  • 1 small Zucchini
  • Parmesan cheese, shredded, for serving

[i]Special equipment:[/i]

  • Y Peeler

Instructions

  1. Boil pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
  2. Heat Greek yogurt and pasta sauce in a small saucepan
  3. Use a Y peeler to peel your zucchini into ribbons
  4. Layer your pasta on a plate, then top with zucchini ribbons, Greek yogurt pasta sauce and parmesan cheese.

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Greek Yogurt Pasta Sauce - a healthy lightened up pasta recipe!

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

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May 11, 2015  â€¢  Filed Under: Gluten Free Recipes, Health & Fitness, Main Dishes, Recipes 16 Comments

Comments

  1. Ashley @ A Lady Goes West says

    May 11, 2015 at 7:11 am

    Hi Kelly! I did Bay to Breakers last year in a costume, and it was one memorable experience. One of those things that makes you love San Francisco even more than you already do. Oh, and I didn’t know about the two-days-before rule for carb-loading. Good to know! Happy Monday! 🙂

    Reply
    • Kelly @A Side of Sweet says

      May 30, 2015 at 6:45 am

      Hey Ashley! What was your costume? Do you have any races coming up this year?

      Reply
  2. Pauline | Lovely Lyfestyle says

    May 11, 2015 at 11:22 am

    Thanks for the tip! I don’t have problems with eating cards days before the race as I eat pasta and bread regularly. 🙂

    I haven’t heard of greek pasta sauce before until I read your post. I looks really good, I should try it someday. Thanks for sharing the recipe!

    I am also running for Bay to Breakers this year, this will be my 2nd time. I still haven’t decided what costume to make but last year we did 80’s workout costume (those neon color,short shorts and headbands kind of outfit). Anyways, I’m super excited to get this year’s medal and nervous at the same time especially the hilly part of the run.

    Have a great day!

    Pauline

    Reply
    • Kelly @A Side of Sweet says

      May 30, 2015 at 6:44 am

      Hey Pauline – how did Bay to Breakers go for you? What did you settle on for a costume? Hope you had a great race!

      Reply
  3. Tiffany Ingram says

    May 11, 2015 at 8:48 pm

    Yay that sounds like you’ll have a great time running! This year, my friends and I are just going to stick with people watching! P.S.- You can never go wrong with a pink tutu 😉

    Reply
    • Kelly @A Side of Sweet says

      May 30, 2015 at 6:43 am

      Right!? I really want to go with a tutu and tons of body glitter next year – I’m serious!

      Reply
  4. Annie Wang says

    May 11, 2015 at 9:35 pm

    So glad to see that you run too! And good luck!

    I’m always into bucatini or ravioli — things that are hallowed/have holes in it — because in my mind, I feel like I could cram MORE carbs into it. xD

    Reply
    • Kelly @A Side of Sweet says

      May 30, 2015 at 6:43 am

      Haha, I love your sentiments about hallowed out pasta! Too funny!

      Reply
  5. Lauren says

    May 12, 2015 at 5:37 pm

    Good luck in the race!! Celebrate with a mimosa afterwards!

    Reply
    • Kelly @A Side of Sweet says

      May 30, 2015 at 6:42 am

      Thanks Lauren! I actually ended up settling on coffee because I had to work a night shift in the ICU that night, otherwise a mimosa would have been the best end!

      Reply
  6. Lisa // Strum Simmer Sip says

    May 13, 2015 at 9:13 pm

    Good luck with the run this weekend lady! I am skipping out on the debauchery that is Bay to Breakers but may have to carbo load because hey, it’s the weekend!

    Strum Simmer Sip

    Reply
    • Kelly @A Side of Sweet says

      May 30, 2015 at 6:41 am

      Haha, carb loading for the weekend is always the right decision! You have to keep your energy up….right? 🙂

      Reply
  7. Nancy says

    May 21, 2015 at 4:39 pm

    Ya got some muscles on ya! How long is that race? Nevermind, don’t tell me lol. I can’t sign up for any races. I feel like barfing at races. Or…something else. TMI. I’d rather go for a jaunt with friends. I feel like I’m SO self-competitive at races and I push myself so hard. Anyway. Lol. Random.

    Reply
    • Kelly @A Side of Sweet says

      May 30, 2015 at 6:40 am

      Haha – it’s 7 miles! San Francisco is the 7×7 and it’s from one side to the other. The nice thing about Bay to Breakers is that it’s hard to be competitive because everyone is having so much fun! It was a nice change to do a race like this that was for fun.

      Reply
  8. Carla (@charliesue) says

    June 8, 2015 at 8:48 am

    Ha! What WERE you? <3 Bay to Breakers!!

    Reply
    • Kelly @A Side of Sweet says

      June 25, 2015 at 2:05 pm

      Haha, a Power Ranger! It was so much fun!

      Reply

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San Francisco Food, Fashion, Travel Blogger

Hi! I’m Kelly. I live in San Francisco with my husband, Pat, and our puppy, Maddie. Here you’ll find recipes, DIYs, style, travel & a glimpse into our adventures. To learn a little more about me, Click Here.

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