Pasta

Ashl3yS

Forgive me if this is a stupid question, but is whole wheat pasta really better than regular pasta? I bought groceries today and I bought some whole wheat instead of the regular kind (it's one of those little things that seems so easy to change) but I'm wondering if it really is better.

NakedLunchTime

Forgive me if this is a stupid question, but is whole wheat pasta really better than regular pasta? I bought groceries today and I bought some whole wheat instead of the regular kind (it's one of those little things that seems so easy to change) but I'm wondering if it really is better.

Absolutely! Google "Difference between white pasta and whole wheat pasta" You will be happy you made the switch! I actually like whole wheat and whole grain pasta better than regular now becuase it has more flavor!

neanderthin

No, nothing to worry about.

Acg67

Forgive me if this is a stupid question, but is whole wheat pasta really better than regular pasta? I bought groceries today and I bought some whole wheat instead of the regular kind (it's one of those little things that seems so easy to change) but I'm wondering if it really is better.

better in what way?

carrie_eggo

It's better because it's more nutrient dense. But it is not a "light" or "diet version of other types of pasta.

ElizabethRoad

Forgive me if this is a stupid question, but is whole wheat pasta really better than regular pasta? I bought groceries today and I bought some whole wheat instead of the regular kind (it's one of those little things that seems so easy to change) but I'm wondering if it really is better.

better in what way?

Taste, if you ask me.

WTJoyce

In general whole grain products are better than refined products from a nutirtional standpoint. It may take a little time to get used to the difference in texture and flavor, but personally, now that I am accustomed to whole grain I prefer ir, across the board (whole grain pasta, brown rice, whole grain breads.) I also limit the amount of refined sugar I use, replacing it with honey. About the only refined sugars I get are in Sweet Soops frozen yogurt and Equal Exchange dark chocolate.

CaptainGordo

Whole wheat pasta might have more fiber, but where both varieties of pasta are already processed... probably not much difference there are far as how your body processes it into fuel.

neanderthin

It's a media health food and they don't eat whole wheat pasta in Italy, or at least any self respecting italian wouldn't.......Again NA's with their obsession with nutrition and dissecting it have resolved the issue by coming up with whole wheat pasta. Is it better, not in the context of lifestyle. It's the little bit of fibre that makes everyone believe their eating healthier. Nothing wrong with the good ol' fashion and traditional semolina wheat.:devil:

Marll

Whole wheat pasta is no better for you than any other kind, and quite frankly tastes like crap. There is no reason to "get used to it" as most of it's contents are garbage too.

An excerpt from marksdailyapple.com:

Lectins are bad. They bind to insulin receptors, attack the stomach lining of insects, bind to human intestinal lining, and they seemingly cause leptin resistance. And leptin resistance predicts a “worsening of the features of the metabolic syndrome independently of obesity”. Fun stuff, huh?


Gluten might be even worse. Gluten, found in wheat, rye, and barley, is a composite of the proteins gliadin and glutenin. Around 1% of the population are celiacs, people who are completely and utterly intolerant of any gluten. In celiacs, any gluten in the diet can be disastrous. We’re talking compromised calcium and vitamin D3 levels, hyperparathyroidism, bone defects. Really terrible stuff. And it gets worse: just because you’re not celiac doesn’t mean you aren’t susceptible to the ravages of gluten. As Stephan highlights, one study showed that 29% of asymptomatic (read: not celiac) people nonetheless tested positive for anti-gliadin IgA in their stool. Anti-gliadin IgA is an antibody produced by the gut, and it remains there until it’s dispatched to ward off gliadin – a primary component of gluten. Basically, the only reason anti-gliadin IgA ends up in your stool is because your body sensed an impending threat – gluten. If gluten poses no threat, the anti-gliadin IgA stays in your gut. And to think, most Americans eat this stuff on a daily basis.

Phytates are a problem, too, because they make minerals bio-unavailable (so much for all those healthy vitamins and minerals we need from whole grains!), thus rendering null and void the last, remaining argument for cereal grain consumption.

What, then, is the point to all this grain madness? Is there a good reason for anyone (with access to meat, fruit, and vegetables, that is) to rely on cereal grains for a significant portion of their caloric intake?

The answer is unequivocally, undeniably no. We do not need grains to survive, let alone thrive. In fact, they are naturally selected to ward off pests, whether they be insects or hominids. I suggest we take the hint and stop eating them.

And with that, I’m done. I don’t think I could eat another bite.


Read more: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/why-grains-are-unhealthy/#ixzz1h7ng7AZI

WTJoyce

I spent over 30 years in kitchens.

The one thing I learened is that taste is completely subjective.

Never having actually eaten crap, i'll take your word for it as it appears you have.

Marll

I spent over 30 years in kitchens.

The one thing I learened is that taste is completely subjective.

Never having actually eaten crap, i'll take your word for it as it appears you have.

HAHA. Well, ok we all know "tastes like crap" is a saying. How about I amend my statement to say "tastes horrible". I am convinced that anyone that thinks that whole wheat pasta tastes good is kidding themselves and only say that because they believe it to be healthy.

I don't believe that any grains are healthy, so I avoid it 90% of the time, and if I were to indulge occasionally I go in knowing that it's garbage (potentially tasty, but still garbage) and wouldn't offend my pallete with a horrible tasting version.

One tagline that I just cannot stand to hear (which is everywhere today) is "Heart healthy whole grain". It's such a nonsensical statement that is being shot full of holes more and more as researchers, doctors and every day people realize the havoc it wreaks on the human digestive system. I know more and more people that go off of the stuff every year and feel better for it.

mrsjennifermaffei

What I've learned from my "lifestyle" change is that I can't teach myself to change everything as that would really make me feel hungry and on a diet. Instead, I just portion control the pasta dishes I eat or work out more to make up for it. Some things you really need to keep in your life and just indulge in once in awhile.

agthorn

Forgive me if this is a stupid question, but is whole wheat pasta really better than regular pasta? I bought groceries today and I bought some whole wheat instead of the regular kind (it's one of those little things that seems so easy to change) but I'm wondering if it really is better.

better in what way?

Taste, if you ask me.

Ugh, no way. I've tried several brands of whole wheat pasta and all of them were awful. So as WTJoyce said above, taste is completely subjective

maryjay51

i pay a little more for it but i get this pasta called super pasta at the grocery store.. its high in protein and fibre and so when i need a pasta fix thats what i use.. i measure out a serving and make sure i eat a ton of ther things with it like a good protein and veggies so i dont crave more of it . nothing wrong with eating pasta in moderation .. a big mistake we all make is not to measure it

rbryntes

I am convinced that anyone that thinks that whole wheat pasta tastes good is kidding themselves and only say that because they believe it to be healthy.

Here I thought I just preferred the taste of whole wheat pasta, or even sprouted pasta, despite knowing there's no real difference. I must be wrong in my subjective taste opinion.

I also prefer brown rice.

UpEarly

Some people love the taste and texture of whole wheat pasta, I'm just not one of them! The closest I can get is the Barilla multi-grain pasta. It has a little more fiber, but lacks the 'grit' of true whole wheat pasta.

I've tried whole wheat pasta and didn't like it *at all*. It's just not a change I am willing to make. I simply to refuse to eat food I dislike just because 'it's good for me'. I get my fiber and whole grains elsewhere in my diet. :-)

Acg67

Other then handmade fresh pasta, this is the best tasting i've had. pricey though

Sweet_Potato

My body has a really hard time processing whole wheat pasta-- I become painfully bloated for days-- so for me it's better to have regular pasta. But brown rice pasta is the best of all. The good brands (I use Trader Joe's) have a great chewy texture and they don't cause any digestive distress.

KC5ZRQ

Better in what way? Is it better for weight loss? No, it's pasta and pasta is high in calories and carbohydrates and not very high in nutrients. Sure, you can use portion control to still lose weight by eating pasta, but usually pasta is consumed in large portions and I'm always still hungry after eating pasta.

I have a taste for whole grains, so yes, I like whole wheat pastas, and yes they have more fiber and nutrients than enriched pastas. Yes, whole grain is better. Don't like the taste of whole grain? You can blend whole wheat and enriched and it tastes more like enriched. Better than 100% enriched.

BrettPGH

I'm a carb lover and I have pasta probably twice a week. And I would sooner gain back every single pound than eat whole wheat pasta. Blech!

Nice to find out I really don't have to.

Run4UrHealth

Maybe try to mix half and half...that is what I am going to try next time I make pasta.

formersec

Grains are unhealthy? News to me. Maybe if you have a wheat allergy or some such, but for the average person, on moderation, grains are good for you. They have numerous B vitamins and minerals.

My mother was Italian; so pasta was a staple in our house. However, in Italy, pasta is generally served as a first course or a side dish. In America we eat a dinner size plate helping. That's where we go wrong. It's like everything else. In moderation nothing is bad for you.

Marll

Grains are unhealthy? News to me. Maybe if you have a wheat allergy or some such, but for the average person, on moderation, grains are good for you. They have numerous B vitamins and minerals.

My mother was Italian; so pasta was a staple in our house. However, in Italy, pasta is generally served as a first course or a side dish. In America we eat a dinner size plate helping. That's where we go wrong. It's like everything else. In moderation nothing is bad for you.

Grains are junk, it's not something that anyone that is human can actually process properly. Those vitamins that they have stored in them are effectively negated by the other properties present in grains (see above previous post). Some people have adverse reactions to it and others do not, but there is still some measure of damage being done to the digestive tract and organs. The only animals that can actually properly digest grains are certain types of birds. We've all been duped for years by our grain subsidizing government and grain pushing companies that they are good for us, but the higher rates of human disease in which eliminating grains stops the problem are not something that can be ignored forever. I've also never heard of anyone, even in government and nutritionist circles refer to grains as a superior food source, only that you can feed a lot of people cheaply. They probably won't kill you unless you are celiac, but they certainly aren't the best nutritionally dense source of food available. I don't see companies or the government pushing vegtables the same way they love to push their grains...food for thought IMO.

I also come from an Italian family, great grandfather was straight off the boat in 1890. In Italy they don't eat the same as we do here, the pasta is in much less quantity, or at least not daily, and my grandfather says that typically you wouldn't serve bread with a pasta meal as we love to do here. Italian cooking is SO much more than pasta, it's the bastardized, Americanized version of Italian cooking with all the junk pasta that's a real problem. It's just like any other ethnic food that is popular, it's so far removed from its roots that it's not event he same thing any more. I worked in a Chinese restaurant in high school and ate with the cooks on occasion. Their food was much more vegtable and meat based (though with rice of course, the least junky grain of them all) and tasted WAY better than anything the restaurant served. When I asked about it they told me "Only Americans eat that *kitten*, in China/Hong Kong nobody eats like this, or only for special occasions do we have so much fried stuff and sugar!"

Acg67

Grains are junk, it's not something that anyone that is human can actually process properly. Those vitamins that they have stored in them are effectively negated by the other properties present in grains (see above previous post). Some people have adverse reactions to it and others do not, but there is still some measure of damage being done to the digestive tract and organs. The only animals that can actually properly digest grains are certain types of birds. We've all been duped for years by our grain subsidizing government and grain pushing companies that they are good for us, but the higher rates of human disease in which eliminating grains stops the problem are not something that can be ignored forever.

While I agree that phytic acid and things like that do seem to cause the malabsorbtion of certain nutrients, i think the rest of that statement is a lot of tinfoil hat type stuff

I also come from an Italian family, great grandfather was straight off the boat in 1890. In Italy they don't eat the same as we do here, the pasta is in much less quantity, or at least not daily, and my grandfather says that typically you wouldn't serve bread with a pasta meal as we love to do here. Italian cooking is SO much more than pasta, it's the bastardized, Americanized version of Italian cooking with all the junk pasta that's a real problem. It's just like any other ethnic food that is popular, it's so far removed from its roots that it's not event he same thing any more. I worked in a Chinese restaurant in high school and ate with the cooks on occasion. Their food was much more vegtable and meat based (though with rice of course, the least junky grain of them all) and tasted WAY better than anything the restaurant served. When I asked about it they told me "Only Americans eat that *kitten*, in China/Hong Kong nobody eats like this, or only for special occasions do we have so much fried stuff and sugar!"

i agree with most of this statement though, a lot does depend on the region of italy you're talking about though.

Marll

Grains are junk, it's not something that anyone that is human can actually process properly. Those vitamins that they have stored in them are effectively negated by the other properties present in grains (see above previous post). Some people have adverse reactions to it and others do not, but there is still some measure of damage being done to the digestive tract and organs. The only animals that can actually properly digest grains are certain types of birds. We've all been duped for years by our grain subsidizing government and grain pushing companies that they are good for us, but the higher rates of human disease in which eliminating grains stops the problem are not something that can be ignored forever.

While I agree that phytic acid and things like that do seem to cause the malabsorbtion of certain nutrients, i think the rest of that statement is a lot of tinfoil hat type stuff

It may sound kind of tin-foil hat-ish, but I think that anybody looking at it logically should wonder about the government injecting itself into personal dietary considerations. The fact that they so heavily subsidize grain production in the US should give rise for concern about how much the stuff is pushed as being the most superior food source ever (All I ever hear anymore on commercials is "HEART HEALTHY WHOLE GRAINS!!!!!") There are much better options that are ignored or even demonized. Follow the money trail.

You concede that phytic acid and other properties of grains seem to cause malabsorbtion of nutriens. What other things about grains and the effect on the body's overall health, not just weight loss, can be discovered? Why eat anything that potentially causes malabsobtion of any nutrients? And why is something with such negative properties touted as the king of all things consumable these days? I've never heard of anyone with a meat allergy, yet grains can nearly kill some people? Gives me pause and reason for concern. While I never had outward symptoms, I know that I don't feel as bloated and sluggish since cutting grains. Wheat almost killed a friend of mine before he found out he was celiac, and he's never fully recovered his body composition.

All in all, it's hard to change our thoughts on food, it's ingrained in most people and people get defensive for sure. It looks like you eat pretty clean and I applaud your results. I think that everyone could benefit in some way from cutting grains though, or the very least limiting consumption to semi-rare occasions, going in knowing it's not great for them, just like sugar.

Acg67

Grains are junk, it's not something that anyone that is human can actually process properly. Those vitamins that they have stored in them are effectively negated by the other properties present in grains (see above previous post). Some people have adverse reactions to it and others do not, but there is still some measure of damage being done to the digestive tract and organs. The only animals that can actually properly digest grains are certain types of birds. We've all been duped for years by our grain subsidizing government and grain pushing companies that they are good for us, but the higher rates of human disease in which eliminating grains stops the problem are not something that can be ignored forever.

While I agree that phytic acid and things like that do seem to cause the malabsorbtion of certain nutrients, i think the rest of that statement is a lot of tinfoil hat type stuff

It may sound kind of tin-foil hat-ish, but I think that anybody looking at it logically should wonder about the government injecting itself into personal dietary considerations. The fact that they so heavily subsidize grain production in the US should give rise for concern about how much the stuff is pushed as being the most superior food source ever (All I ever hear anymore on commercials is "HEART HEALTHY WHOLE GRAINS!!!!!") There are much better options that are ignored or even demonized. Follow the money trail.

I agree the government should stay out of what people eat, and you can say the same thing about the corn industry being heavily subsidized. But does that mean grains are the cause of all disease and terrible for you? nope

You concede that phytic acid and other properties of grains seem to cause malabsorbtion of nutriens. What other things about grains and the effect on the body's overall health, not just weight loss, can be discovered? Why eat anything that potentially causes malabsobtion of any nutrients? And why is something with such negative properties touted as the king of all things consumable these days? I've never heard of anyone with a meat allergy, yet grains can nearly kill some people? Gives me pause and reason for concern. While I never had outward symptoms, I know that I don't feel as bloated and sluggish since cutting grains. Wheat almost killed a friend of mine before he found out he was celiac, and he's never fully recovered his body composition.

That is why i don't stress over refined vs whole grains (refined actually contains little to no phytic acid and other things that may cause the malabsorbtion of nutrient, same reason why i don't eat brown rice, i don't like the taste and don't think the supposed benefits outweigh taste etc)

Meat kills people too from various contaminants

the bottom line is that most people can consume grains and it will have no negative effects on health or body composition if eaten in moderation

My1985Freckles

My body has a really hard time processing whole wheat pasta-- I become painfully bloated for days-- so for me it's better to have regular pasta. But brown rice pasta is the best of all. The good brands (I use Trader Joe's) have a great chewy texture and they don't cause any digestive distress.

I agree! My hubby has Celiac's so he isn't supposed to have any gluten (he still does from time to time). I LOVE the Rice pasta! I think it tastes soooo much better and doesn't leave me bloated either!

ElizabethRoad

I am convinced that anyone that thinks that whole wheat pasta tastes good is kidding themselves and only say that because they believe it to be healthy.

Are you really so self-centered that you can't imagine people having different tastes than you? Unbelievable.

pixiechick8321

Eep - a lot of thoughts here on the topic!

My two cents? Make your own pasta! It's really, really easy - flour and water, add an egg if you want - start with flour and a little water and keep adding more till you get the right consistency, then boil immediately. This way, you can use whatever flour type you want!

dls06

It's better for you but it doesn't mean you can eat more. It contains more fiber and is absorbed slower so it doesn't raise your glucose level as much as regular pasta.

And why does every question that pertains to carbs turn into the same argument started by the same people over and over.
We get it! You don't have to jump on every question with a response that starts an argument. I am so sick of it.
If you don't have something different to say then shut the F up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!