Do you love pasta but hardly taste it or eat it with regrets because you think it is too fattening ? If the answer is yes, we have good news for you: you do not have to deprive yourself of it. With the help of three nutrition experts we tell you the benefits of including this food in your diet in the healthiest way possible.
The historical origin of pasta has been much debated and its introduction in Italy by Marco Polo after one of his trips to the East is nothing more than a legend. What does seem clear is that its use in European gastronomy has a long tradition and can be considered “an important and representative food of the Mediterranean diet “, as Narelia Hoyos Pérez, president of the Official College of Dietitians-Nutritionists of Cantabria (Codinucan) , member of the General Council of Official Colleges of Nutritionist Dietitians . And although it has not always been in Spanish kitchens, the cereal from which it is made, wheat, “has been cultivated in the Iberian peninsula since the Neolithic.”
How and how much to take
The healthiest pasta, whether it is spaghetti, macaroni, ravioli, noodles and a long etcetera …, is the integral . Beatriz Robles, food technologist and dietitian-nutritionist, confirms that, from a nutritional point of view, “it is convenient for both rice and pasta to be whole “. However, he clarifies that the frequency with which it is consumed will depend: “ If you only take it once in a while and you do not like the integral, you can choose the refined semolina and enjoy it. But if you eat it regularly, it is certainly much better the whole. ”
There are several reasons to opt for the integral:
- It raises the glycemic indexless , that is, the speed with which a food can increase the blood glucose level.
- It is more satiating.
- It has not lost the vitaminsand minerals of cereal bran.
- It contains a lot of fiber.
Cristina Carrera, treasurer of Codinucan, agrees in pointing out that “the best option is whole or whole grain pasta , since this way we increase the contribution of fiber in the diet.” Since it has been proven that fiber consumption “in the general population does not reach the recommendations, we have to increase it by consuming fruit and vegetables , but also whole grains; pasta would be a good example in this regard ”.
Fiber is essential for the prevention of intestinal diseases and, in addition, it plays a relevant role in slowing down the absorption of carbohydrates.
To check if the pasta that we buy in the supermarket is really integral, it should be noted that, in addition to including the term “integral” in the package , the list of ingredients specifies that it has been made with wholemeal semolina . “It is the way to verify that it is not made with refined semolina and bran, that it does not have the same beneficial characteristics as whole semolina,” says Robles.
Fresh or dry? to the egg? Enriched with vegetables?
The differences between dry and fresh pasta are organoleptic and preservative. ” Regarding its nutritional value there are no differences, ” Hoyos says.
Something similar can be said about egg pasta: it does not alter much its nutritional contribution because “the amount of egg that is added is very small.” In any case, the flavor and texture provided by the egg can be interesting for the preparation of a recipe.
Multicolored, multi-vegetable pasta , enriched with vegetables … does not really mean any enrichment either. “If you look at the list of ingredients on the label, the percentage of vegetables that these pasta have is minimal and does not represent a real nutritional difference,” says Robles. So, if we want to benefit from the vitamins that spinach or tomato have, there is nothing better than resorting to the original raw material.
The ideal pasta dish
What if we serve the pasta with a good portion of vegetables? It is a perfect option, especially if the portion of vegetables is generous and the one of moderate pasta . “We can also combine pasta with a salad and a good quality protein protein source,” says Robles. His proposal would look like this:
- An amount of pastaequivalent to a quarter of the plate.
- Vegetablesor a salad will make up half of the plate.
- The remaining quarter, a good quality protein(tofu, textured soy, tuna …).
It is, after all, a magnificent example of the so-called Harvard dish , which serves as a guide to preparing healthy and balanced meals.
Nutritional properties
The nutrients provided by the pasta are summarized as follows:
- It contains, above all, carbohydrates(70 grams per 100 grams of raw dry pasta).
- It is an important source of fiber(6 g), provided it is whole grain or whole grain.
- It provides almost no fat(1.5 g of fat per 100 g of raw dry pasta).
- It has a small percentage of protein(12 g of protein per 100 g of raw dry pasta).
The fattening thing is not the pasta
Pasta is a more caloric food than others, like fruits and vegetables, but that does not mean that it should be avoided; quite the opposite. “The amount of pasta will be relative depending on the consumption of other cereals , bread, rice, oats …, since cereals must be present in every meal (always in a full version),” recalls Carrera.
The amount of cereal in the diet should be adjusted according to the physical activity carried out by each person and their age. “A serving of pasta for a middle-aged person with moderate activity will be between 60g and 80g raw .”
For those who are targeting weight loss, if they follow low calorie diets, the amounts will be lower, “but it would not be appropriate to eliminate it from the diet completely, since carbohydrates and fiber are also necessary in diets for weight loss . ” What must be discarded, Robles abounds, “are foods that, in addition to calories, are insane, such as alcohol or ultra-processed foods.”
It is not superfluous to repeat a phrase that also applies to other foods and it is true: “What makes you fatter is not the pasta, but the sauce we add to it .” Also, many sauces that are sold packaged are often unhealthy. Seasoning with minced garlic and olive oil is an excellent option. If we prefer tomato sauce, better made at home with natural or crushed tomato, but not with canned fried tomato.
How much can diabetics take?
Carbohydrate recommendations for people with diabetes are the same as those for the general population. Hoyos clarifies that people “who have diabetes have a difficult time metabolizing sugar or carbohydrates from the diet.” Therefore, “they have to control the amount of this nutrient ; they have to consume a certain amount at each meal and throughout the day, which will vary depending on the calories that it is estimated that that person should consume per day “.
Healthy recipes to enjoy pasta
We propose the following recipes. As specified in some of them, they can be suitable for celiacs using gluten-free pasta and replacing some ingredients.
