Pasta - Whole Grain vs Regular

HealthyChanges2010

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.

Ok, glad you shared, I'm not losing my mind then. Both whole wheat and whole grain in regards to pasta are both decent choices then? If whole grain is better, I'll just keep buying that I see it far more often, I think the terms at times confuse me because I relate it to bread. Thanks!

white pasta isn't a high GI food? I was thinking it turned into sugar as soon as it hit the blood stream so it wouldn't be good food choice for a diabetic, unless of course mixed with lots of complex veggies and perhaps some protein tossed in. I need to simply pull out my GI book and glance through it now and again. I don't eat pasta often but it's nice to know more about food that you simply grab and cook and not have to figure it out then. lol

lilmissy2

It might have those nutrients but not insignificant amounts... I (as a dietitian) never count things as being nutritionally superior unless there is a significant difference. I will always be on the side of most amount of gain for minimum amount of pain... as I said before, if you are happy to have your pasta wholewheat then it is a good choice.

MFPfriend

Hmm... just a question. Could anybody possibly describe the texture difference between white and whole grain?

I personally LOVE wholegrain, wholewheat, and multigrain breads (I find them way more flavorful), but I assume there is a difference between liking wholegrain pasta and wholegrain bread, lol.

recipe4success

It might have those nutrients but not insignificant amounts... I (as a dietitian) never count things as being nutritionally superior unless there is a significant difference. I will always be on the side of most amount of gain for minimum amount of pain... as I said before, if you are happy to have your pasta wholewheat then it is a good choice.

I respectfully disagree. One does not eat a small amount of pasta, and thus the nutritional benefit is, consequently, not small either.

Take wholewheat spaghetti.

There is 1.13 mg of zinc in 1 cup. Even if someone eats only 1 cup (which is doubtful) that is a significant portion of the RDA for zinc (14% for females, and 11% for males). If one eats 2 cups, which i find much more realistic, those numbers are even higher.

recipe4success

Ok, glad you shared, I'm not losing my mind then. Both whole wheat and whole grain in regards to pasta are both decent choices then? If whole grain is better, I'll just keep buying that I see it far more often, I think the terms at times confuse me because I relate it to bread. Thanks!

white pasta isn't a high GI food? I was thinking it turned into sugar as soon as it hit the blood stream so it wouldn't be good food choice for a diabetic, unless of course mixed with lots of complex veggies and perhaps some protein tossed in. I need to simply pull out my GI book and glance through it now and again. I don't eat pasta often but it's nice to know more about food that you simply grab and cook and not have to figure it out then. lol

glad you found my post to be helpful. Much as with bread, wholegrain is better than wholewheat, but wholewheat is definitely better than white.

It was one of the things that most surprised me in school to discover that white pasta is a low GI food In contrast, it has a high Glycemic Load (GL), which takes into account the GI and the amount of carbohydrate actually eaten to determine the affect the food has on blood sugar levels. For that reason the GL is quite important for those who are diabetic.

HealthyChanges2010

Hmm... just a question. Could anybody possibly describe the texture difference between white and whole grain?

I personally LOVE wholegrain, wholewheat, and multigrain breads (I find them way more flavorful), but I assume there is a difference between liking wholegrain pasta and wholegrain bread, lol.

Hm, well I'll sure try, it's got a more chewy nutty texture. White pasta is quite a bit more gummy in texture where as whole grain will hold the sauce (if that's what you plan on using on it) a bit better because it's got some texture to it. It's a change I imagine for those that have not made the switch or that are new to whole grain.

Seems white pasta never fills me up and it's easy to binge on even when unplanned. Whole grain pasta I can't imagine binging on as it's very filling with one serving. I think it's the white carb thing that creates that craving for me and kicks in the 'need more' effect with the white.

Takes very little sauce to enjoy a meal with it, it can be had as a side dish with some veggies mixed in (even without sauce) and a nice salad.

I think tasting it will be the true test on how the difference is for you, but I hope I gave you at least a bit of understanding of the two.

Becca:flowerforyou:

HealthyChanges2010

Ok, glad you shared, I'm not losing my mind then. Both whole wheat and whole grain in regards to pasta are both decent choices then? If whole grain is better, I'll just keep buying that I see it far more often, I think the terms at times confuse me because I relate it to bread. Thanks!

white pasta isn't a high GI food? I was thinking it turned into sugar as soon as it hit the blood stream so it wouldn't be good food choice for a diabetic, unless of course mixed with lots of complex veggies and perhaps some protein tossed in. I need to simply pull out my GI book and glance through it now and again. I don't eat pasta often but it's nice to know more about food that you simply grab and cook and not have to figure it out then. lol

glad you found my post to be helpful. Much as with bread, wholegrain is better than wholewheat, but wholewheat is definitely better than white.

It was one of the things that most surprised me in school to discover that white pasta is a low GI food In contrast, it has a high Glycemic Load (GL), which takes into account the GI and the amount of carbohydrate actually eaten to determine the affect the food has on blood sugar levels. For that reason the GL is quite important for those who are diabetic.

Thanks! Boy have I ever been confused on the bread, I was thinking I needed to be buying whole wheat, and was thinking just the opposite true on whole grain. Glad you set me straight! Boy it can be confusing, but once it's in my head correctly I'm set. :drinker:

Appreciate your help,
Becca

MisdemeanorM

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.

Haha! Mine did just about the same thing! I was like... um... what do you think we ate last night for dinner?

lilmissy2

It might have those nutrients but not insignificant amounts... I (as a dietitian) never count things as being nutritionally superior unless there is a significant difference. I will always be on the side of most amount of gain for minimum amount of pain... as I said before, if you are happy to have your pasta wholewheat then it is a good choice.

I respectfully disagree. One does not eat a small amount of pasta, and thus the nutritional benefit is, consequently, not small either.

Take wholewheat spaghetti.

There is 1.13 mg of zinc in 1 cup. Even if someone eats only 1 cup (which is doubtful) that is a significant portion of the RDA for zinc (14% for females, and 11% for males). If one eats 2 cups, which i find much more realistic, those numbers are even higher.

To be fair... the zinc that is in pasta isn't very easily absorbed... I guess I take these things into consideration. I think we will just have to agree to disagree.

Cytherea

Hmm... just a question. Could anybody possibly describe the texture difference between white and whole grain?

I personally LOVE wholegrain, wholewheat, and multigrain breads (I find them way more flavorful), but I assume there is a difference between liking wholegrain pasta and wholegrain bread, lol.

I'm the same way- I find the bread to be awesome, and I love it, but I do think that it is different with pasta. The texture is... sort of grainy, I guess, is the best way to describe it. Unlike bread, it doesn't add a fun crunchy texture to your food, it is just... very different. Doesn't feel like you are eating pasta. Coming from an Italian family, where we ate pasta all the time, it was incredibly hard for me to switch over and I still haven't done it fully yet. Like I said, the BEST way to do it is to have it in things with a lot of sauce and veggies and/or meat so you won't notice it. If it is too plain or too dry, you'll notice and it doesn't taste good. So if you are one of those people that puts a little bit of oil or butter on pasta, or not very much sauce, you'll definitely be able to tell if you use the whole grain stuff.

recipe4success

It might have those nutrients but not insignificant amounts... I (as a dietitian) never count things as being nutritionally superior unless there is a significant difference. I will always be on the side of most amount of gain for minimum amount of pain... as I said before, if you are happy to have your pasta wholewheat then it is a good choice.

I respectfully disagree. One does not eat a small amount of pasta, and thus the nutritional benefit is, consequently, not small either.

Take wholewheat spaghetti.

There is 1.13 mg of zinc in 1 cup. Even if someone eats only 1 cup (which is doubtful) that is a significant portion of the RDA for zinc (14% for females, and 11% for males). If one eats 2 cups, which i find much more realistic, those numbers are even higher.

To be fair... the zinc that is in pasta isn't very easily absorbed... I guess I take these things into consideration. I think we will just have to agree to disagree.

I am asuming you are talking about phytic acid.

Yes, wholegrains contain phytic acid, which can inhibit zinc absorption. However, when you cook the pasta (which of course one does) the phytic acid no longer has nearly as significant an affect on zinc absorption.

lilmissy2

lilmissy2

Maybe you are right but everything I have read has suggested that phytates will only be less of a problem if you soak the food for several hours in water. And even then it's only 'less of a problem', still not good absorption.

Also, maybe I am harsh, but I would totally say 1 cup is a serve of pasta. Then, by your own numbers, it only provides 7% of the RDA, barely considered a source, let alone a good one.

recipe4success

Maybe you are right but everything I have read has suggested that phytates will only be less of a problem if you soak the food for several hours in water. And even then it's only 'less of a problem', still not good absorption.

Also, maybe I am harsh, but I would totally say 1 cup is a serve of pasta. Then, by your own numbers, it only provides 7% of the RDA, barely considered a source, let alone a good one.

Well if we are being exact, i would say 1/2 cup = one serving, as per the food guide. However what i meant was that most people would normally eat more than that (say 2-3 cups of cooked pasta). I think it is rare that someone only eats 1 cup (at least in my experience).

lilmissy2

I would agree that 1/2 a cup = one portion but I would recommend 2 portions as a serve. I agree that most people eat 2-3 cups but I don't agree that they should... which is kind of relevant to the debate.

Edited to add that the 1/2 cup portion is from carbohydrate counting... our food guides are different. 1 pasta serve for us (and by us I mean Australia) is 1 cup.

KarenECunningham

There are some low carb pastas that are not whole wheat that are tasty and I bet he wouldn't be able to tell the difference (hide the box) To be honest I have tricked my family a few times by keeping the old container of things and putting in the healthy stuff. My husband insisted he would not eat light mayo and I used my deceptive little trick for about 6 months and then told him. He had never noticed the difference. It was sneaky but it was for his own good.:bigsmile:

thenebean9

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Dreamfields pasta yet! This stuff is AWESOME and it only had 5 digestible carbs per serving. It also doesn't spike your blood sugar, and I'm pretty sure I read that this stuff works great for diabetics. And the best part is that people can't really tell the difference!

Definitely give this stuff a try - it's the only pasta I ever buy!

recipe4success

I would agree that 1/2 a cup = one portion but I would recommend 2 portions as a serve. I agree that most people eat 2-3 cups but I don't agree that they should... which is kind of relevant to the debate.

Edited to add that the 1/2 cup portion is from carbohydrate counting... our food guides are different. 1 pasta serve for us (and by us I mean Australia) is 1 cup.

Ah that is interesting. Here in canada 1/2 cup = 1 serving.

lilmissy2

Yep, to be honest I couldn't tell you what the 'serves' are here in the UK... I'm an acute dietitian. But I know they have crazy serves for veg... ie in Australia it would be 1 cup raw or 1/2 cup cooked but in the UK it's like 'this many broccoli florets' and 'this many carrot rings'... basically its impossible to remember hahaha!

recipe4success

Yep, to be honest I couldn't tell you what the 'serves' are here in the UK... I'm an acute dietitian. But I know they have crazy serves for veg... ie in Australia it would be 1 cup raw or 1/2 cup cooked but in the UK it's like 'this many broccoli florets' and 'this many carrot rings'... basically its impossible to remember hahaha!

oh my goodness that sounds very hard to remember!! it is certainly hard to put things in the food guide which are easy to understand but also useful...