Pasta

Benefits

A useful source of protein, B vitamins, iron and other minerals.

Low in fat and sodium.

Versatile and inexpensive.

Drawbacks

Often topped with high-fat sauces.

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Ordinary white pasta is made from refined flour. Because refined flour is digested quickly, a large plate of pasta can send your blood sugar levels soaring, only to crash several hours afterward, Such blood-sugar swings are linked with weight gain, which is why some nutrition experts have begun to recommend that people limit the amount of white bread and white pasta they consume.

Whole grain pasta contains about three times the fiber of white pasta and does not cause dramatic blood sugar swings and a diet rich in whole grains has been shown to lower the risk of diabetes, heart disease and several forms of cancer.

One cup of cooked pasta contains 210 calories. The trouble is that people tend to eat more than one cup of pasta in a sitting. A serving at restaurant can sometimes contain more than 700 calories and as many as 50 g of fat.

Nutrition

Pastas are a good source of iron( about 2mg in 1 cup serving) and potassium; many are also enriched with thiamine, niacin and other B vitamins. Egg noodles provide complete protein, but they also contain a modest amount of fat and about 50 mg of cholestrol per serving.

Did you know?

Pasta is a "Mood Food"

The brain uses the chemical serotonin to make us feel good. When you eat carbohydrates such as pasta, there is a rapid increase in blood sugar and serotonin levels. the good feeling arrives within about 30 minutes and last for several hours. Eating protein with pasta can negate the effect, while whole grain pasta, which take longer to break down, prolong it.