Pasta - Whole Grain vs Regular

SarahEllis28

I'm looking over the nutrition facts for both and they're pretty much the same. The only difference is the whole grain pasta has 41 carbs and the regular pasta has 42, and there's more fiber in the whole grain of course. I know the whole grain pasta has better ingredients but if we're strictly looking at the nutrition facts, what's the point of going for the whole grain?

This all came up because I'm making pasta tonight and the hubs is shaking his head (no way) in regards to eating the whole grain. I was going to make both so I could eat the whole grain but now I'm not sure if it's worth it.

weaklink109

Whole grains take longer for your body to assimilate and because of this, they don't make your blood sugar spike the way white carbs can. For this reason, they make you feel fuller longer..this is also due to the increased fiber in the whole grain item.

If you can't get your hubby to go along with eating what would be better for him, it is still worth it for YOU to make the whole grain pasta for YOU. Have a good dinner.

SarahEllis28

You've convinced me weaklink. Thank you for your input!

Cute puppies!

unknownndoll

I thought that i had read pasta is low GI anyway... but the whole grain pasta is gross to me. Since they are the same calories i wont bother with the whole grain pasta again... we threw it out anyway.

tn2010

When I had gestational diabetes my nutritionist gave me a really great formula for figuring out carbs. Essentially you can subtract out the fiber. So if your whole grain pasta has 42 grams of carbs and 6 grams of fiber, you are essentially getting 36 total grams of carbs. Whereas your regular pasta will have only 2 grams of fiber, for a net of 40g of carbs.

recipe4success

I would have to see the labels to help you out with your question

I think whole grain pasta tastes way better than white pasta, and white pasta really doesn't give you any nutrients in comparison (yes they fortify it with some, but it is not the same).

HealthyChanges2010

I would have to see the labels to help you out with your question

I think whole grain pasta tastes way better than white pasta, and white pasta really doesn't give you any nutrients in comparison (yes they fortify it with some, but it is not the same).

I find it far better tasting as well, there's actually a taste to it and a terrific texture as well:drinker: Can't imagine eating white pasta again but for some it sounds like it is a struggle to make the switch over.

eekface

I agree with whole grain tasting better, i mean your putting sauce on it anyways so you don't really even notice and you get some added fiber!

recipe4success

I can understand why some don't like the taste though. For me it is personal preference...i far prefer bread, baked goods etc made with wholegrains compared to white

Laceylala

It also has to do with HOW the flour is made. Whole grain generally means less procesing..generally speaking of course. Not all products are equal.

timbotina

The ronzoni smart taste pasta is excellent!!

maestrachistosa

I agree with the other posts regarding the benefits of whole grain. However, it did take me a while to get used to the taste and texture. If your hubby is a "no go" with the idea, you might want to try one of the "blends" that I have seen around. Basically it is part regular and part whole grain pasta. It might be a good way to "transition" into whole grains. Or, you may just decide that the blend is good enough for both of you (my parents do that). I think Barilla makes them, but any brand will do. Hope that helps.

recipe4success

Catelli Smart pasta is a good choice if you don't want to go completely whole grain

MisdemeanorM

i was thinking this same thing the other day when buying flour. The cals were actually more than the white enriched. Plus, I just can't justify paying over twice as much for it on a regular basis!

recipe4success

i was thinking this same thing the other day when buying flour. The cals were actually more than the white enriched. Plus, I just can't justify paying over twice as much for it on a regular basis!

Yes, the calories are higher but it is far more nutritious. What i do sometimes is use half wholewheat and half white flour

SarahEllis28

I made both. I had the Hubs taste it and he immediately made a face. He didn't like the texture of taste. Then I had my 8 year old try it and he liked it, said it tasted the same. I like it as well. I agree there's a different texture but the taste if just fine, definitely more substance to it than regular pasta. I think I'll just keep making both. We only eat pasta about once a month (if that), so it's no big deal.

Thanks Everyone!

kayemme

can try spaghetti squash sometime, too, for switchup. i don't know the nutritional info for it, but it is a vegetable. ....

questionablemethods

I am another person who actually likes the taste of whole grain stuff much better than white flour stuff (one of the things I do in choosing bread to by is to go with the one that feels the heaviest!).

But, you might want to try some different whole grain pastas too. Some are much better than others, I have found. I am loving Garofalo at the moment. Good stuff: http://www.garofalopasta.com

can try spaghetti squash sometime, too, for switchup. i don't know the nutritional info for it, but it is a vegetable. ....

Another idea besides spaghetti squash is to peel zucchini into thin strips and use those strips as a sort of "zucchini pasta". Peel down to the core and then you can chop up the core and add it to the sauce or use it for something else.

It only takes a minute or so warm up up the "pasta" in a shallow pan with some sauce. Don't over cook it -- you want to keep the al dente texture, like pasta. It is a delicious, low calorie way to get in some more veggies!

tn2010

The barilla plus pasta has more protein in it and I find I eat FAR less than the regular or wheat versions. It is closer in taste to regular pasta and a good "gateway" to whole wheat.

questionablemethods

The barilla plus pasta has more protein in it and I find I eat FAR less than the regular or wheat versions. It is closer in taste to regular pasta and a good "gateway" to whole wheat.

I've enjoyed the Barilla Plus stuff too.

sandra80

my husband saw me putting away groceries the other day and saw that i had bought a whole bunch of whole wheat pasta. he started whining that i've gone too far. how dare i take this away from him too. he wants his regular food back...blah blah blah. to which i said i had made that switch 3 months before and he's eaten it every time and never noticed so he can't complain now that's he's seen the box. tough noogies. i don't have his metabolism and neither does my son. we have to watch what we eat.

lilmissy2

Do you really have 'wholegrain' pasta over there? Or are you all talking about wholemeal 'brown pasta'? Just curious.

To be honest, I think there is little nutritional difference between the 2 when it comes to pasta... although I like both equally. On the other hand, with your breads there is a huge difference between white and wholegrain. I think when it comes to carbs you just need to have some priorities. For me, totally couldn't be bothered cooking rice for 45 mins so basmati rice and mostly white pasta just because that's what is cheaper (coincidently those are also the 2 grains that I feel have the least difference nutritionally by having the brown version since they are still both low-medium GI). I eat plenty of wholegrains and loads of veg anyway so I'm not fussed about my fibre and rice/pasta are both probably a once a week thing. So yeah... priorities! :flowerforyou:

HealthyChanges2010

I am another person who actually likes the taste of whole grain stuff much better than white flour stuff (one of the things I do in choosing bread to by is to go with the one that feels the heaviest!).

But, you might want to try some different whole grain pastas too. Some are much better than others, I have found. I am loving Garofalo at the moment. Good stuff: http://www.garofalopasta.com

can try spaghetti squash sometime, too, for switchup. i don't know the nutritional info for it, but it is a vegetable. ....

Another idea besides spaghetti squash is to peel zucchini into thin strips and use those strips as a sort of "zucchini pasta". Peel down to the core and then you can chop up the core and add it to the sauce or use it for something else.

It only takes a minute or so warm up up the "pasta" in a shallow pan with some sauce. Don't over cook it -- you want to keep the al dente texture, like pasta. It is a delicious, low calorie way to get in some more veggies!

A picture says a 1000 words, glad you added that, think I'll give that a try!

Thank you for the idea:drinker:
Becca

HealthyChanges2010

Do you really have 'wholegrain' pasta over there? Or are you all talking about wholemeal 'brown pasta'? Just curious.

To be honest, I think there is little nutritional difference between the 2 when it comes to pasta... although I like both equally. On the other hand, with your breads there is a huge difference between white and wholegrain. I think when it comes to carbs you just need to have some priorities. For me, totally couldn't be bothered cooking rice for 45 mins so basmati rice and mostly white pasta just because that's what is cheaper (coincidently those are also the 2 grains that I feel have the least difference nutritionally by having the brown version since they are still both low-medium GI). I eat plenty of wholegrains and loads of veg anyway so I'm not fussed about my fibre and rice/pasta are both probably a once a week thing. So yeah... priorities! :flowerforyou:

I am a bit confused myself. I used to see only regular pasta and whole grain. Now I am seeing whole wheat. Dotti, could you clarify which one of the two is actually the healhier? (whole grain vs. whole wheat) I've only found the whole wheat in store brand and not in name brand. Which I thought odd but was afraid to look stupid asking it on here:blushing: typically I Google first to find things but it didn't clearly explain on Google to my understanding.

Thanks anyone for clarifying between the two.
Becca:flowerforyou:

Edited to add: Dotti unsure what 'wholemeal pasta' is, what I'm speaking of is brown pasta..not the bleached white enriched pasta. I know the type I purchase that is whole grain (which I thought all this time was whole wheat guess I mistakenly assumed) has good fiber in it, where as the white pasta I used to eat years ago has little to none and I'm relatively sure it's been added in if it contains any.

maestrachistosa

my husband saw me putting away groceries the other day and saw that i had bought a whole bunch of whole wheat pasta. he started whining that i've gone too far. how dare i take this away from him too. he wants his regular food back...blah blah blah. to which i said i had made that switch 3 months before and he's eaten it every time and never noticed so he can't complain now that's he's seen the box. tough noogies. i don't have his metabolism and neither does my son. we have to watch what we eat.

Classic! That's so AWESOME that you totally pulled the switcheroo! Love it!

princessorchid

It's to do with the GI - basically (dragging this out of the grey matter now from my uni days!) how white flour/pasta etc is processed is the "shell" is removed from the outer of the grain. I think the GI has to do with the rate at which the sugars in carbs are absorbed into the body - low GI foods are slow releasing, so you get a more even distribution of energy, whereas high GI foods you get a spike and then a quick fall.
So all carbs have a GI of 0-100, with 100 being totally processed white wonderbread.

Although whole wheat pasta and white may have smilar kcal, you need less of the whole wheat to feel full, and you will feel fuller for longer. I know I used to only eat white pasta and I would be hungry half an hour after eating a huge bowl! Whole wheat or spelt pasta can keep me going for ages.

Cytherea

I LOVE whole grain/whole wheat bread, but really don't like the pasta. I tried it a few years ago and I just couldn't get over the texture.

I wanted to try again because I know it is better, so I started buying some. I find the spaghetti is actually pretty good- as long as it isn't plain. The first time I made it, I did half that and half regular spaghetti in a recipe I made with homemade sauce and peas (and the pasta cooks in the sauce). My husband couldn't tell the difference, and neither could I. So next time I made something, I used all whole wheat spaghetti. I've made it almost every time now. There was only ONE time we both could taste the awkward texture and didn't like it, and it was because there wasn't enough sauce to really cover the pasta.

So if you are mixing it in with a dish, whether that's some sort of baked pasta in sauce (like a baked ziti) or cooking it with everything (like a chicken fettuccine) where you mix the pasta in so it is totally covered in whatever the sauce is, I think it is perfectly fine. If you are going to spoon something over it (like I did with a shrimp scampi), you might want to use something else if you don't like the pasta all that much.

lilmissy2

Becca, I'm totally confused as well haha crazy American foods! I'm not sure about your labeling but here (well, in Australia but I think it's the same here):

Wholemeal = wholewheat = processed grain but slightly less processed than white - will just look like brown pasta, might have a slightly grainy texture

Wholegrain = contains actual grains ie you could look at it and SEE actual full grains... having a hard time picturing that in pasta which is why I was asking

The reason I say there is little difference in pasta is because both wholemeal and white are very processed. Yes, there will be slightly more fibre in wholemeal (but not really significantly more per serve) but there won't really be a lot of benefit compared to the loss of taste (for people who aren't into wholemeal... of course if you are happy to have it then it is a good choice). The reason that wholemeal pasta isn't much lower GI than regular pasta is because while the full grain may have been used, it has already been broken down by processing(much like the white version) so your body won't need extra time to break it down. If there were actual whole grains in it then that would be a better choice and likely to be significantly higher in fibre (and much lower in GI).

Hope that helps and didn't just confuse you more!! :flowerforyou:

Giggles27

I love whole wheat pasta...YUMMY!!!

HealthyChanges2010

Becca, I'm totally confused as well haha crazy American foods! I'm not sure about your labeling but here (well, in Australia but I think it's the same here):

Wholemeal = wholewheat = processed grain but slightly less processed than white - will just look like brown pasta, might have a slightly grainy texture

Wholegrain = contains actual grains ie you could look at it and SEE actual full grains... having a hard time picturing that in pasta which is why I was asking

The reason I say there is little difference in pasta is because both wholemeal and white are very processed. Yes, there will be slightly more fibre in wholemeal (but not really significantly more per serve) but there won't really be a lot of benefit compared to the loss of taste (for people who aren't into wholemeal... of course if you are happy to have it then it is a good choice). The reason that wholemeal pasta isn't much lower GI than regular pasta is because while the full grain may have been used, it has already been broken down by processing(much like the white version) so your body won't need extra time to break it down. If there were actual whole grains in it then that would be a better choice and likely to be significantly higher in fibre (and much lower in GI).

Hope that helps and didn't just confuse you more!! :flowerforyou:

Dotti,
I have 'things' floating in mine, the whole grain variety. "SEE actual full grains" So yes those must be the actual full grains, they are specks for lack of better word, I'd send you a piece if you weren't so far away and I wasn't pretty sure it'd end up in pieces the size of rice for you to inspect. lol

Thanks for your input x
Becca

recipe4success

Yep i've used wholegrain pasta too, and i have to disagree because even wholewheat pasta is far better nutritionally than white enriched pasta is.

The wholewheat pasta has not only fibre, but also other nutrients (B6, Zinc, Vit E, Folate) which is of increased nutritional benefit. yes, i know that white enriched pasta has folate in it also.

Pasta is a low GI food to begin with, so that is why changing it to wholewheat has little effect in that department.