Is Pasta Healthy?
Is pasta a diet buster? Or can it fit into a healthy diet?
Pasta has gotten a bad reputation as some sort of carbohydrate nightmare. But I’m not sure that reputation is entirely deserved. It’s true that pasta is high in carbohydrates and probably isn’t going to fit into a low-carb diet plan. But as I’ve discussed in previous articles, the low-carb life isn’t for everyone. And if you’re not on a low-carb diet, then there’s no reason you can’t eat pasta—within reason, of course.
What is a Serving of Pasta?
A one cup serving of cooked pasta contains about 40 grams of carbohydrates. And in the context of a balanced diet, 40 grams of carbohydrates is not a big deal. It’s the same amount of carbs as in a cup of rice, for example. The problem is that, for some reason, when it comes to pasta, we seem to suffer from some pretty crazy portion distortion. For example, a one-cup serving of rice looks perfectly appropriate to us—even generous. But put one cup of pasta onto a dinner plate and it doesn’t look right at all.
Think of the last time you saw a television ad for pasta or pasta sauce or for an Italian restaurant. Picture the dinner plates: They’ve got piles of pasta higher than your head! A plate of pasta at an Italian restaurant might contain six to eight cups of pasta. We might not be quite that excessive when we make pasta at home, but few of us would serve ourselves just one cup of pasta. It’s just not what we’re used to seeing on the plate.
How to Portion Pasta
For some reason, when it comes to pasta, we seem to suffer from some pretty crazy portion distortion.
Personally, I’m a big fan of pasta and I always keep it on hand. It’s inexpensive, it’s fast to cook, and you can serve it a million different ways. But I have had to train myself to recalibrate the portion sizes. If you’re trying to figure out how much to cook, a serving of dried pasta is about two ounces. For long, skinny shapes, that’s a bundle the size of a dime. For littler shapes, it’s about a half cup. You can also mentally divide up the box. Each one pound box contains about eight servings. Once it’s cooked, a serving of pasta equals one measuring cup, or about the size of your fist.
Keep in mind that most eating plans will accommodate more than one serving of carbohydrate foods each day. There’s nothing to say you can’t budget your intake to allow for two servings of pasta at dinner. For more information on how many servings of different foods you can eat each day, check out my article on Keeping your Diet On Track.
Lower Carb Pastas
Another way to reduce the carbohydrate load of pasta is to look for the new pasta “plus” products, which are a lower in carbs and higher in protein and fiber. These products hit the shelves a couple of years back and I have to be honest with you: I was a little dubious. I thought they’d taste weird or have a heavy texture. But actually, I’ve become a fan.
In addition to the usual what flour, these pastas include flour from peas, lentils, and other legumes. Perhaps you remember I did an article a while back on resistant starches. Well, legumes are naturally high in resistant starches, and using legume flour reduces the amount of digestible carbohydrates in the pasta—at least, a little bit
The serving sizes and calories for the “plus” pastas are similar to that of regular pasta, but they are lower in carbs and higher in protein. There are a couple of brands of “plus” pastas available now. America’s Test Kitchen recently did a taste test and their testers liked Barilla Plus the best. The “plus” pastas are more expensive than regular pasta but its still makes for an inexpensive meal.
What Should You Eat with Pasta?
Once you’ve recalibrated your pasta serving sizes, you’ll probably find yourself with a little extra room on your plate—the perfect place to add another serving of vegetables! Make a larger salad or add a cooked vegetable to the meal. Sautéed spinach, zucchini, or broccolini usually go well with pasta and sauces.
You can also add vegetables to the pasta itself. Try coarsely chopping some kale and adding it to the water with rotini pasta. The two take about the same length of time to cook. When both are tender, drain and top with sauce as usual. Or, combine equal parts cooked linguine and shredded spaghetti squash and you can have twice as much for virtually the same amount of carbs! Here are instructions on preparing the squash.
I love to hear from listeners with comments and questions! You’ll find me on Facebook and Twitter. I answer a lot of listener questions in my free weekly newsletter, so if you’ve sent a question my way, be sure you’re signed up to receive that.
Have a great week and remember to eat something good for me!
(Speaking of eating something good, I’ve got a great Quick Tip to help you reheat your leftover pasta so it will taste like it was just cooked!)
About the Author
Monica Reinagel is a board-certified licensed nutritionist, author, and the creator of one of iTunes’ most highly ranked health and fitness podcasts. Her advice is regularly featured on the TODAY show, Dr. Oz, NPR, and in the nation’s leading newspapers, magazines, and websites. Do you have a nutrition question? Call the Nutrition Diva listener line at 443-961-6206. Your question could be featured on the show.
