Up until recently, pasta was on the list of foods to avoid in many diets. This is understandable, as they are high in calories and glycemic index, and are not considered to be wholesome foods for a healthy diet.
However, modern nutrition is a rapidly developing field, constantly making new findings and adapting more and more foods and meals for consumption during weight loss. This has also happened with pasta: there is now no longer a need to exclude it from your diet, as long as you are aware of which types will not negatively impact your figure.
You can eat pasta!
If you were to ask a nutritionist whether it is possible to eat pasta while losing weight, the answer would be a resounding yes, in most cases. However, there is one condition: it must be made from durum wheat. These products undergo a lesser degree of heat treatment and contain more bioactive substances, which makes them more than simply tasty but also a healthy food choice.
But what about their high caloric value? It turns out that this issue can be easily resolved using some simple mathematics. For example, 100 g of dried egg noodles contains 345 kcal, which is clearly excessive for someone trying to lose weight. However, during cooking, they absorb water and swell. Their volume almost doubles in size, leaving you with 200 g of the cooked product, while the caloric value remains the same. This means that 100 g of cooked egg noodles will now contain 172.5 kcal, which is still a lot, but not as much as it seemed at first.
There are many reasons why nutritionists recommend including pasta in your diet during weight loss.
First, it contains fiber, which performs two useful functions at once: it provides a long-lasting sensation of fullness by absorbing water in the stomach. It also absorbs and successfully removes toxins and other harmful substances, thus cleansing the intestines.
Second, pasta is not a source of carbohydrates only, as many people believe, and therefore label it as a product to avoid in a healthy diet. It also contains proteins, which will help prevent muscle loss during weight loss. This makes it possible for the body to eliminate fat stores more quickly.
Third, it contains the amino acid tryptophan, which enters the brain through the blood and is converted to serotonin, also known as the “happiness hormone”. It helps to avoid stress (one of the causes of excess weight) and compulsive eating.
This means that carefully selected pasta can be safely included in the diet of any weight loss program two to three times per week.
A page from history. The oldest noodles were found in China during excavations of an ancient settlement on the banks of the Yellow River. Archeologists have established that it is 4000 years old.
Which brands to choose
As mentioned above, pasta made from durum wheat is acceptable in a healthy diet. However, how can you distinguish them from soft wheat pasta? This is a rather difficult question, as they are nearly identical in taste and appearance. A laboratory analysis is the only way to tell them apart for sure.
The only alternative, therefore, is to rely on the information provided by the manufacturers on the packaging. Here is what the different designations mean:
- Group A (premium, 1st, and 2nd grades) is made from durum wheat and should be the type you buy for a healthy diet.
- Group B is made from soft wheat.
- Group C (premium and 1st grades) is made from wheat baking flour and is the lowest-quality and most harmful option of them all.
Let’s take a closer look at the brands that offer a high-quality healthy product.
Shebekinskie (Russia)
Group A. This brand has several advantages: high protein content (13.6%), low prices, and a wide range to choose from.
Gallina Blanca (Spain)
Group A. A high protein content (13.4%), no impurities, and a wide range of choices make this very popular.
VkusVill (Russia)
Group A. Contains 7% soft flour (a minus) and quite a lot of protein at 13.1% (a plus). It is marketed as a natural product without chemical additives.
Makfa (Russia)
Group A. Contains a small amount of impurities, which, according to the standards, should not be present in pasta made from durum wheat. However, it does have a high protein content of 14.2%.
Genuss Pur (Germany)
Group A. Contains too little fiber, so you cannot expect to feel full for a long time after eating it. However, it does contain a lot of protein at 13.6%.
Maltagliati (Italy)
Group A. Contains not so much protein (11.8%). This brand offers colorful pasta products made with natural dyes such as spinach and tomatoes.
PastaZara (Italy)
Group A. Contains 3% soft flour and not so much protein at 10.7%. Just like with the Maltagliati brand, the colored pasta products do not contain any chemical dyes, only natural ones, so there is no reason to avoid including them in your diet.
Barilla (Italy)
Group A. Barilla is one of the most popular brands in the world. They are in high demand due to their excellent taste, wide range of choices, and reasonable prices. Although they do not contain as much protein as pasta from similar Russian brands (11.8%).
Alce Nero (Italy)
Group A. Does not contain as much fiber as they claim on the packaging. They do have a line of organic pasta with nettle, but do not be fooled: it contains too little of the vegetable extract to have any kind of beneficial effect on your body. They also do not contain as much protein as you would like (10.8%).
Don Gusto (Russia)
