New year, new you, new diet. It’s a familiar aftertaste. One popular diet technique is creating a food blacklist. It’s common to give up “carbs” and processed foods. This may mean avoiding supermarket staples such as pasta.
But do we really need to ban pasta to improve our diet?
This is what we call a reductionist approach to nutrition, describing foods based on just one of their primary ingredients. Pasta isn’t just about carbs.1 cup (about 145 grams) of boiled pasta contains about Carbs 38g, 7.7g protein, 0.6g fat. In addition, it contains all the moisture that is absorbed from cooking, as well as plenty of vitamins and minerals.
“But pasta is mostly carbs!” I hear you cry. This is true, but it’s not the whole story. You have to think about context.
your day on a plate
you probably know that Recommendation How much energy (kilojoules or calories) should you eat per day. These recommendations are based on your size, gender, and physical activity. But you may not be aware that there are also recommendations for the profile of this energy-supplying macronutrient (or food type).
Fats, carbohydrates, and proteins are macronutrients. Macronutrients are broken down in the body to produce energy for the body.
Acceptable range of distribution of macronutrients State the ratio or percentage of macronutrients that provide this energy. These ranges have been set by experts based on health outcomes and models of healthy eating. They aim to have enough of each macro, but not too much. Eating too much or too little of any kind of food can affect your health.
The ratios are also designed to ensure that we get enough of the vitamins and minerals that accompany the energy of the foods we normally eat. % must be taken from fat.
manja pasta
Macronutrient ratios mean that consuming 1.2 to 6.5 times more carbohydrates than protein per day is good for health.
Pasta has a carbohydrate to protein ratio of 38g to 7.7g, which corresponds to a roughly 5:1 ratio and is within the acceptable macronutrient distribution range. This means that pasta actually contains enough protein to balance the carbs. Wheat is another source of protein, 20% of your protein intake Globally.
If you’re worried about calorie levels and weight gain, it’s not that simple.
In the context of an otherwise healthy diet, people have been shown to lose more weight when their diet includes pasta on a regular basis. and, systematic review Out of 10 different studies, pasta was found to be better than bread or potatoes for post-meal blood sugar levels.
Instead of giving up spaghetti, reduce portion sizes or have a higher fiber content and advantage For gut health, it helps you feel fuller for longer.
For gluten free pasta slightly less protein from wheat pasta. Therefore, for most people, switching to gluten-free pasta does not provide additional health benefits, even though it is healthier for those with gluten intolerance.
Pass pesto and leftover bolognese
Pasta is also usually not eaten on its own. That’s why some people warn about the danger of spiking your blood sugar after eating.”naked carbs(meaning only carbs, not other foods), which is usually not a risk with pasta.
When pasta provides the base of a meal, it can be a means of helping people eat more vegetables in smooth or chunky vegetable sauces. It’s the place. Hide pureed or grated vegetables.
Not eating only pasta is also important for your protein profile. complete proteinIn other words, to get all the different types of amino acids (the building blocks of protein) you need to survive, you have to eat them in combination.
But pasta packs a nutritious punch, despite its often heavy focus on carbs and energy. Like most foods, it contains micronutrients as well as macronutrients. .
1 cup Boiled pasta contains about a quarter of the recommended daily intake of vitamins B1 and B9, half the recommended amount of selenium, and 10% of the iron requirement.
The pasta news is even better when eaten as leftovers.When the pasta is cooked and chilled, some of the carbohydrates are convert to resistant starchThis starch gets its name because it is resistant to digestion, so it contributes less to energy and good for blood sugarTherefore, leftover pasta, even when reheated, will still be lower in calories than it was the night before.
Let’s take a closer look at the “carb” options
While there is a lot of talk about reducing carbohydrate intake for weight loss, remember that carbohydrates come in many different forms and in many different foods.
Some, like pasta, offer other benefits. Others, like cakes and candies, add little else. , first think about the sweets you eat alone.
Emma Beckett is Senior Lecturer (Food Sciences and Human Nutrition) in the Department of Environmental and Life Sciences, Newcastle University.First appearance of this work conversation.
