Pasta! What’s with all the Hype?

Pasta! As a staple in many people’s nutrition lifestyles, it is definitely a food item that has received a lot of bad rap over the years, many thinking that it is one of the reasons we have seen an increase in people’s waistline.  But is it all true?  There definitely are more varieties of pasta on the grocery store shelves than ever before now.  So which one do you choose?

By far, the best pastas you can choose are 100% Whole Wheat or 100% Whole grain pasta, as these offer more nutrition than whole grain pasta or white pasta.  However if we look to how quickly a 100% whole wheat pasta compared to a white pasta digests in our body, there is actually little difference.  This rate at which the carbohydrate in food is broken down into sugar for our bodies to use is called the glycemic index, and it is best to choose low Glycemic Index foods.  The Glycemic Index of 100% Whole Wheat pasta is about 32, while that of white pasta is 42, so not much of a difference, professionally speaking.   Pasta of these varieties have a lower glycemic index because the starch in the pasta is actually trapped within the protein of the food, and protein digests slower in the body, causing a slower rate of digestion, leaving you feeling fuller for longer.

Where you need to be attentive, is actually with multi-grain pastas or those made with whole wheat (not 100% whole wheat), because this means that they only contain part of the grain, and may also include refined grains.  To put another food item into perspective, rice pasta is considered a high Glycemic Index food with a GI of 70.  Generally speaking, a food with a glycemic index above 70 is considered high, medium glycemic index is between 56-69 and a low glycemic index food is one with a GI less than 55

Another factor which affects how slowly the pasta digests in your system is the length of time the pasta is cooked for.  Pasta cooked al dente (a little tender)  gives it a lower glycemic index too.  A great way to think about this is when pasta is cooked and eaten this way, your body needs to work a little harder to process the pasta to break it down, digest it and use the energy from the pasta for your body.  Consider cooking your pasta this way next time and see how full you feel with a smaller portion.

When considering the nutritional content of different pastas, here’s how it all gets broken down (with respect to the most important nutrients of concern):

http://webprod3.hc-sc.gc.ca/cnf-fce/index-eng.jsp

If pasta seems to be a good option for us to include in our weekly diet, why do so many people seem to be turned away from it?  Truthfully it comes down to 2 things:  How much you eat, and the time of day at which you eat it.  One portion of pasta is ½-Cup cooked, as per Canada’s Food Guide.  Most of us can easily fill 1-2 plates of the food, which can equal anywhere from 3-6 portions.  It’s quick and easy to make so it becomes a meal for most.  What we have to consider is this: when you have pasta as a meal, you are only including one food group – Grains and Starches.  Try to pay closer attention to how to make a whole meal out of pasta.  What protein and vegetables can you add to the dish to make it complete?  Ground turkey or chicken, tuna, salmon, chick peas, sliced chicken, or other lean meat, even eggs are great sources of protein to help fill up that plate and cut back on the pasta.  Frozen vegetables can quickly be added to the dish, broccoli, arugula and spinach, or whichever vegetables your heart desires.  The key is to make a whole meal out of the dish, making the vegetables the primary ingredient, with the pasta and meat as the secondary.  If you make your dish in this way, then having this as your dinner meal is perfectly ok!

If you are adamant on having a big plate of pasta still with all of this information I’ve shared, then you are better to have the dish earlier in your day (for example at lunch) so that you have a larger portion of your day to use the energy that the pasta is giving you.  When you eat a large portion of pasta at dinner time and after dinner you read a book, watch tv, or just sit, your body is not using that energy for anything and that’s where the health problems can slowly start to creep up on you.

Dietitian’s orders would be to start incorporating pasta as a whole meal moving forward, and if you’re out for dinner, or wanting to try a few different things from a menu or buffet table, monitor your portion.  Moderation is the key with everything in life, and we need to ensure that we don’t fill up on one food item so that we can gain all of the nutrition benefits from vegetables, meats and alternatives, dairy products, fruits and other grains that are great options to substitute out for pasta too.

Next time you do decide to have pasta at home, once it’s cooked, measure it! I bet most are unaware of the portion they are eating, and see where you can make a few adjustments to make this more of a complete meal.