Wheat vs white pasta, rice, etc

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mari5283
mari5283 Posts: 28
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey everyone,
I'm wondering if anyone notices a big difference between white and wheat pastas and the like. Does it make a difference in weight loss? Or is it really just a matter of staying within your calories? I love rice and pasta but not a big fan of brown rice and wheat pasta. Thanks =)

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  • Actually_Mike
    Actually_Mike Posts: 61 Member
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    When I personally eat wheat/whole grain, it makes me feel more full for a longer period of time rather than white grains. If you do switch to wheat/whole grain, make sure the label doesn't say something like "enriched bleached flour" - that's just white bread that's basically colored to be wheat color. I suppose everyone is different though.
  • miss_september
    miss_september Posts: 153
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    Here is basically what a nutritionist explained to me: It makes a difference, not just in calories, but in fiber, vitamins, and the types of carbohydrates are in the rice and pasta. White rice and white pasta have simple, insulin-spiking carbohydrates that basically act like sugar. If you eat them before a workout, your body has easy access to those sugars. If you eat them and sit around, your body is more likely to store the sugars as fat once they are broken down and not used. The brown rice and whole grains, however, break down slower in your body, giving you smaller amounts of energy as they break down, and you are more likely to be able to use them up throughout the day.

    If you don't like brown rice, just realize that your white rice is empty-calories (doesn't provide the same level of dietary needs). If you don't like whole wheat pasta (and I totally don't blame you, many have poor texture and cardboard taste), I would suggest trying Barilla Plus, which is pasta made from non-wheat flours and is fortified with protein. The texture is very similar to white pasta, there is not "cardboard" taste, and the added protein in addition to the fiber and vitamins is a great plus! =-)
  • erikapereira
    erikapereira Posts: 196
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    Here is basically what a nutritionist explained to me: It makes a difference, not just in calories, but in fiber, vitamins, and the types of carbohydrates are in the rice and pasta. White rice and white pasta have simple, insulin-spiking carbohydrates that basically act like sugar. If you eat them before a workout, your body has easy access to those sugars. If you eat them and sit around, your body is more likely to store the sugars as fat once they are broken down and not used. The brown rice and whole grains, however, break down slower in your body, giving you smaller amounts of energy as they break down, and you are more likely to be able to use them up throughout the day.

    If you don't like brown rice, just realize that your white rice is empty-calories (doesn't provide the same level of dietary needs). If you don't like whole wheat pasta (and I totally don't blame you, many have poor texture and cardboard taste), I would suggest trying Barilla Plus, which is pasta made from non-wheat flours and is fortified with protein. The texture is very similar to white pasta, there is not "cardboard" taste, and the added protein in addition to the fiber and vitamins is a great plus! =-)


    your explanation sounds convincing. I had noticed that whole pasta have more calories and sugar

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