Pasta: benefits and harms. How often can you eat pasta?

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

Pasta is a favorite side dish for many people and a popular dish in many different countries. With cheese and minced meat, with intricate sauces, fried and simply boiled, they are loved by adults and children. Pasta is a versatile product that is used to cook soups and casseroles, it is used as a side dish and an independent dish. And of course, one cannot fail to note their wonderful taste. However, it still remains in question what pasta gives the body. The benefits and harms of this product will be discussed in detail by us today, after which you can draw your own conclusion.

Five Big Groups

Not all of us are well versed in Italian cuisine. And, sometimes hearing an unfamiliar name, they do not understand what it is about. Therefore, we want to briefly describe what pasta is. The benefits and harms of any of these varieties are almost the same, so we will not talk about each of them separately.

• Spaghetti - long products that fit perfectlyto serve with sauce. Capellini are small in diameter and round in shape, while Ligurian bavettes are flattened.
• Short products. There are more varieties here. Fusilli are in the form of a spiral, pene are tubes, pipe rigate are twisted in a semicircle.
• Figured products are suitable for filling with stuffing. These are farfallini - butterflies, casercheche - horns, or campannelle in the form of bells.
• Pasta for baking. These are canelonni, that is, large tubes, and lasagna - sheets that are layered with filling and baked in the oven.
• For soups, you can take small rings - anelli.
• Pasta colorata - that is, colored pasta.

Varieties and their features

Varieties depend on the raw materials from which the pasta was made. The benefits and harms will be slightly different, so you need to pay attention to the information indicated on the package.

• Group A is the best option for diet food, products are made from durum wheat of the second, first and highest grades.
• Group B is pasta made from soft, vitreous wheat of the 1st and highest grades.
• Group B - inexpensive products made from soft wheat varieties that are white or yellowish in color.

Of course, it is most useful to purchase quality products, that is, hard pasta. The benefits and harms depend on the method and amount of use of this product. However, considering it as an independent dish, it should be noted that suchproducts do not boil, do not stick together and will not add extra weight to you. They have a complex carbohydrate structure. As a result, the body will digest them for a long time, which means that you can forget about the feeling of hunger.

Useful properties

Now let's take a closer look at what the benefits / harms of hard pasta are. First of all, we need to talk about the composition. Often people prefer various cereals, believing that pasta supplies the body with simple carbohydrates. But this is far from true. Quality durum wheat products are a source of:

• B vitamins. Regular replenishment of these essential micronutrients is essential for all organs and systems.
• Vitamin E is a fountain of youth and a natural antioxidant.
• Pasta is full of minerals.
• Complex carbohydrates that keep you feeling full for a long time and do not raise blood sugar levels.
• Amino acids, which, in addition, help in the fight against depression.
• Another component that is abundant in durum pasta. Its benefits (harm) have long been described by nutritionists. The fact that a person does not feel hungry for a long time is the merit of fiber. And once a person is full, he is not drawn to snacks, and he works efficiently, and at this time the body effectively burns fat.

For those on a diet

It's actually a misconception that pasta makes you fat. Howeverthis is true only for a quality product. Actually, in Italy, only products made from durum wheat can be called "pasta". The he alth benefits and harms of such a product for Italians are obvious. Only with serious digestive problems, a dish of such pasta can cause constipation due to the high fiber content. They simply have no other shortcomings.

They do not contain even a gram of fat. Therefore, they are an ideal basis for nutrition during a diet. Calorie content is low, about 350 kcal per 100 g of product. Of course, flavored with butter and fatty sauce, they can become a threat to a slim figure. But with vegetable dressing, you can eat them without fear.

What do nutritionists say about soft wheat pasta? In Italy, France and Greece, such production is considered falsification and is prosecuted by law. Because such a product contains a huge amount of gluten and starch. This fundamentally changes things. Pasta containing such an amount of gluten and starch is unhe althy, poorly digested and contributes to slagging of the body. In this case, a slightly different effect occurs. A lot of sugar enters the blood, but soon the reserves run out and you feel hungry again.

Pay attention to the packaging

In theory, it is from the data indicated on the package that you can find out what kind of pasta you have in front of you. He alth benefits and harms are easily determined based on the composition. But we are often faced with the fact that the manufacturerindicates premium flour and water. However, the variety can be absolutely any, this information remains behind the scenes.

Carefully examine the purchase. Real durum pasta is amber yellow. But if they are very rough, light, with white patches, then ordinary flour was used. Also, try to bend the spaghetti. Made from soft wheat varieties, they will break quickly, while high-quality durum pasta will bend perfectly.

Nutritional value

There is always a small table on the pack where you can see important values. This is the ratio of fats, proteins and carbohydrates per 100 g of product. The more protein in the composition, the better the pasta. If the protein content is less than 11 g, then do not pay any attention to this product. The ideal option is those with a protein content of at least 14 g, they will have an elastic structure, and they are great for diets. The best option for those who adhere to a he althy diet is macaroni and cheese. The benefits and harms will be determined only by the amount of this delicious dish that you eat. With reasonable portions, you will provide the body with a complete set of protein and nutrients without compromising the figure.

Colorful pasta

Today, elegant painted butterflies and shells are in fashion, which children eat with great pleasure. However, you need to be very careful when choosing colored pasta. The benefits and harms of theseproducts are rated in the same way as everyone else, plus be sure to read what acts as a dye. Usually it is dill, beetroot, parsley and cuttlefish ink. However, unscrupulous manufacturers can also use chemical dyes. In this case, the various ingredients with the E index should be indicated in the composition. Refuse such a purchase. It is better to add onion skins, carrots or beets to the water when cooking.

Spelled pasta

Today, this is a rather rare and expensive product that can be found on supermarket shelves. In principle, they are sold at the price of meat. Whether such a price tag is justified is up to you. So, what is spelled pasta? The benefits and harms of this product lie in the raw materials from which it is made. Spelled is a valuable type of wheat used since ancient times. It has a high protein content and a good concentration of amino acids and B vitamins. The composition of such pasta is very simple: whole grain spelled groats.

Everything seems to be fine, but the price is still embarrassing. Judging by consumer reviews, pasta is delicious, does not stick together, but a similar product from durum wheat can be bought at a much lower price. Therefore, you can buy one package for yourself to try, and then choose your favorite product for yourself.

Instead of a conclusion

We told you about the benefits and harms of pasta. Now you know that without fatty sauces they can be eaten quite often, alternating with other cereals. However, you should choose products from durum wheat, which givethe body's energy supply, vitamins and minerals. In Italy, pasta dishes with various dressings are consumed daily, but the inhabitants of the country do not suffer from excess weight and he alth problems.