pasta vs wholewheat pasta

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Replies

  • LAWoman72
    LAWoman72 Posts: 2,846 Member
    edited January 2015
    neanderthin wrote: »
    That would only make me want the real deal more and yes that means the dirty white stuff that is evil except in Italy where they have single digit obesity and consume 4 times the amount then Americans do.....maybe it's the water the pasta is boiled in......it's a mystery and switching to whole wheat should alleviate the problem, no doubt about it.

    Hmmm, a little less than half of Italian men and one in three Italian women are overweight or obese, at least according to this study. It's only one study, but it spanned seven years. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20149969

    Obesity rates are only 1 in 10...but including overweight along with actually obese makes that rate much higher.

    Rates in Italian children are very very high, which doesn't bode well for Italy.

    It would be hard to put that all down to pasta (I doubt it) but OTOH, from what I understand, "traditional" Italian cuisine included much less pasta...lots of varieties of it, and frequent consumption, but in nowhere near the quantities we Americans think of as "a plate of pasta."

    I'm not the expert, though. I could be wrong about all of this.

    I mean I get that you were trying to be facetious/sarcastic, but the way you worded your post, it was hard to know which parts weren't meant to be sarcastic/facetious. So, for whatever it's worth, just putting in my own thoughts.




  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,207 Member
    LAWoman72 wrote: »
    neanderthin wrote: »
    That would only make me want the real deal more and yes that means the dirty white stuff that is evil except in Italy where they have single digit obesity and consume 4 times the amount then Americans do.....maybe it's the water the pasta is boiled in......it's a mystery and switching to whole wheat should alleviate the problem, no doubt about it.


    I mean I get that you were trying to be facetious/sarcastic, but the way you worded your post, it was hard to know which parts weren't meant to be sarcastic/facetious. So, for whatever it's worth, just putting in my own thoughts.



    Obesity is climbing in every first world Country and Italy as well. The more we know about nutrition the fatter we get and whole wheat to replace regular semolina is another good example of how information is being confused with knowledge. I suspect it will only get worse if the basic gist/information of this forum is any indication.
  • FatFreeFrolicking
    FatFreeFrolicking Posts: 4,252 Member
    edited January 2015
    LAWoman72 wrote: »
    neanderthin wrote: »
    That would only make me want the real deal more and yes that means the dirty white stuff that is evil except in Italy where they have single digit obesity and consume 4 times the amount then Americans do.....maybe it's the water the pasta is boiled in......it's a mystery and switching to whole wheat should alleviate the problem, no doubt about it.

    Hmmm, a little less than half of Italian men and one in three Italian women are overweight or obese, at least according to this study. It's only one study, but it spanned seven years. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20149969

    Obesity rates are only 1 in 10...but including overweight along with actually obese makes that rate much higher.

    Rates in Italian children are very very high, which doesn't bode well for Italy.

    It would be hard to put that all down to pasta (I doubt it) but OTOH, from what I understand, "traditional" Italian cuisine included much less pasta...lots of varieties of it, and frequent consumption, but in nowhere near the quantities we Americans think of as "a plate of pasta."

    I'm not the expert, though. I could be wrong about all of this.

    I mean I get that you were trying to be facetious/sarcastic, but the way you worded your post, it was hard to know which parts weren't meant to be sarcastic/facetious. So, for whatever it's worth, just putting in my own thoughts.




    That is correct.

    Italians do not consume large portions of food which is where Americans go wrong. It's all about portion size.

    Food is prepared much differently in Italy. They rarely use the typical American ingredients like mayo, butter, cream, canned goods, pre-made salad dressings, etc. It's all about the spices and olive oil.

    In Italy, people drink in 8 oz… coffee, soda, iced tea, wine. They don't have 16 oz. or 32 oz. glasses.

    Beer is the preferred beverage here in America. Wine is the preferred beverage in Italy and it also has less calories. Italians don't drink the way Americans do.

    Italians walk more. They don't rely on cars to get them to their destination. The cities in Italy were designed so that people can easily get to and from without needing a car.

    Also, Italians don't rush through meals. Dinner is like an event. They sit down for a while (a few hours) and actually enjoy their food. In America, most are done with a meal in less than 30 minutes. The body needs at least 20 minutes to feel full.

  • LAWoman72
    LAWoman72 Posts: 2,846 Member
    neanderthin wrote: »
    LAWoman72 wrote: »
    neanderthin wrote: »
    That would only make me want the real deal more and yes that means the dirty white stuff that is evil except in Italy where they have single digit obesity and consume 4 times the amount then Americans do.....maybe it's the water the pasta is boiled in......it's a mystery and switching to whole wheat should alleviate the problem, no doubt about it.


    I mean I get that you were trying to be facetious/sarcastic, but the way you worded your post, it was hard to know which parts weren't meant to be sarcastic/facetious. So, for whatever it's worth, just putting in my own thoughts.



    Obesity is climbing in every first world Country and Italy as well. The more we know about nutrition the fatter we get and whole wheat to replace regular semolina is another good example of how information is being confused with knowledge. I suspect it will only get worse if the basic gist/information of this forum is any indication.

    Yes. I agree.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,207 Member
    LAWoman72 wrote: »
    neanderthin wrote: »
    LAWoman72 wrote: »
    neanderthin wrote: »
    That would only make me want the real deal more and yes that means the dirty white stuff that is evil except in Italy where they have single digit obesity and consume 4 times the amount then Americans do.....maybe it's the water the pasta is boiled in......it's a mystery and switching to whole wheat should alleviate the problem, no doubt about it.


    I mean I get that you were trying to be facetious/sarcastic, but the way you worded your post, it was hard to know which parts weren't meant to be sarcastic/facetious. So, for whatever it's worth, just putting in my own thoughts.



    Obesity is climbing in every first world Country and Italy as well. The more we know about nutrition the fatter we get and whole wheat to replace regular semolina is another good example of how information is being confused with knowledge. I suspect it will only get worse if the basic gist/information of this forum is any indication.

    Yes. I agree.
    Personally I believe if everyone would plant and grow something eatable on their property it could begin a trend that could have a lasting stake in their health despite the lack of nutritional labels. I digress, :)

  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Well I have an Italian friend who is obese and has pasta at pretty much every meal (and it's normal for her). The main issue with that is that, as with every other high calorie food, if you overeat it a bit, it's way more damaging than overeating on veggies.

    About veggie 'pasta', it's good, but again, not a substitute for the real thing. It's just a different kind of side.
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    Caloric values are pretty similar, so eat which one you prefer.
  • apt100
    apt100 Posts: 4
    Hi There,

    Talking about pasta, what do you make of replacing eating pasta with noodles? I'm talking (well here in the UK) something like sharwoods egg noodles.

    Not sure if it makes a massive difference calorie wise but I have been known to substitute pasta for noodles in meals.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,207 Member
    apt100 wrote: »
    Hi There,

    Talking about pasta, what do you make of replacing eating pasta with noodles? I'm talking (well here in the UK) something like sharwoods egg noodles.

    Not sure if it makes a massive difference calorie wise but I have been known to substitute pasta for noodles in meals.
    Yeah, regular pasta will have considerably fewer calories than a noodle pasta where eggs are used.

  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    neanderthin wrote: »
    apt100 wrote: »
    Hi There,

    Talking about pasta, what do you make of replacing eating pasta with noodles? I'm talking (well here in the UK) something like sharwoods egg noodles.

    Not sure if it makes a massive difference calorie wise but I have been known to substitute pasta for noodles in meals.
    Yeah, regular pasta will have considerably fewer calories than a noodle pasta where eggs are used.
    neanderthin wrote: »
    apt100 wrote: »
    Hi There,

    Talking about pasta, what do you make of replacing eating pasta with noodles? I'm talking (well here in the UK) something like sharwoods egg noodles.

    Not sure if it makes a massive difference calorie wise but I have been known to substitute pasta for noodles in meals.
    Yeah, regular pasta will have considerably fewer calories than a noodle pasta where eggs are used.

    Egg noodles are typically 220 calories for 2oz dry.
  • snowflake954
    snowflake954 Posts: 8,399 Member
    edited January 2015
    Well, I am an American married to an Italian for almost 30 years. We live in Rome and have 3 sons. I make pasta almost every day. My family is skinny. The reasons Italians are slimmer than many other nationalities is due to lifestyle plus eating quality food. Yes, there are some obese and overweight, but the majority are in grand form. The OP asked about wholewheat vs white pasta. I pulled 2 boxes out of my cupboard. Both are Barilla ( no advertisement here) The whole wheat is 350 cals dry weight per 100g. The regular white is 359 cals dry weight per 100g. They are pretty much the same, only more fiber in the whole wheat. Be very careful, and read the package carefully. Many times cals are given for a "portion" Which is 80g, not 100g. Or, watch out for cals cooked vs dry. Many times you wind up comparing apples and oranges. I have done it myself. If you want to eat wholewheat pasta, be very careful of the quality you buy. Inferiore pastas breakup while cooking. I always buy Duram grain pasta, since it's better quality. I always cook it "al dente" in the Italian way. The taste is excellent if prepared correctly. I make a whole wheat pasta for myself, cooked in Marziano tomatoes, green olives, etc with no oil added. It's very filling at 50g of pasta. Anyone who is interested can ask me for the recipe. Pasta in moderation is excellent for losing weight. Best. :)
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,928 Member
    I eat a lot of pasta, and the white type and don't have any problems meeting my calorie goal. I make sure I have good quality produce, and I make sure my pastas don't have too many ingredients: it's all about the taste and if you have tasty ingredients you don't need to put much stuff in it.

    It might be a bit on the heavy side, but I just had pasta alla gricia last week: just pasta, starchy water from cooking the pasta, streaky bacon (well, it's supposed to be guanciale, but streaky bacon is all I can get here) and pecorino romano. It's so simple, and so tasty! And that's what I'm doing with all my pasta dishes: keep it simple, use natural good-tasting ingredients. No need to go complicated here.
  • britishbeau
    britishbeau Posts: 60 Member
    neanderthin wrote: »
    Suzanneishere wrote: »
    If you are missing your pasta, try a Spiralizer:
    http://www.amazon.com/Paderno-World-Cuisine-A4982799-Tri-Blade/dp/B0007Y9WHQ

    81ZItc34afL._SL1500_.jpg

    It slices different veggies in different ways. I am here to tell ya - zucchini makes fantastic spaghetti!! And spiral sliced jicama roasted with seasonings tastes a lot like matchstick french fries...

    Here's a website full of recipes and ideas:
    http://www.inspiralized.com/howto/
    That would only make me want the real deal more and yes that means the dirty white stuff that is evil except in Italy where they have single digit obesity and consume 4 times the amount then Americans do.....maybe it's the water the pasta is boiled in......it's a mystery and switching to whole wheat should alleviate the problem, no doubt about it.

    i always wondered about that, i can only think its because they have home cooked foods, very fresh and alot more veg in it and not msg filled sauces out of jars. but im not american either so i couldnt really say.

    Thanks for the replies guys. i should really cut down on the white breads, pastas, potatoes and rice, all my fav foods. i never even thought about this before, but it does spark cravings and blood sugar levels. its been an eye opener :smile:
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    britishbeau wrote: »
    neanderthin wrote: »
    Suzanneishere wrote: »
    If you are missing your pasta, try a Spiralizer:
    http://www.amazon.com/Paderno-World-Cuisine-A4982799-Tri-Blade/dp/B0007Y9WHQ

    81ZItc34afL._SL1500_.jpg

    It slices different veggies in different ways. I am here to tell ya - zucchini makes fantastic spaghetti!! And spiral sliced jicama roasted with seasonings tastes a lot like matchstick french fries...

    Here's a website full of recipes and ideas:
    http://www.inspiralized.com/howto/
    That would only make me want the real deal more and yes that means the dirty white stuff that is evil except in Italy where they have single digit obesity and consume 4 times the amount then Americans do.....maybe it's the water the pasta is boiled in......it's a mystery and switching to whole wheat should alleviate the problem, no doubt about it.

    i always wondered about that, i can only think its because they have home cooked foods, very fresh and alot more veg in it and not msg filled sauces out of jars. but im not american either so i couldnt really say.

    Thanks for the replies guys. i should really cut down on the white breads, pastas, potatoes and rice, all my fav foods. i never even thought about this before, but it does spark cravings and blood sugar levels. its been an eye opener :smile:

    Oddly enough I'm American and yet always make my own sauces at home with fresh ingredients when the season permits, including lots of veggies. Sauce from a jar seems barbaric and to ruin the point of a pasta meal entirely, with or without MSG.

    (And I'd love the recipe snowflake mentioned above, with the tomatoes and green olives.)
  • samantha1242
    samantha1242 Posts: 816 Member
    I love pasta. I buy whole wheat (maybe for the fibre?), but I will eat both kinds. However, I personally feel more full/blah/sluggish/woahiatetoomuch after eating white pasta vs whole wheat pasta. I don't think there is much of a calorie difference in the kinds I buy (Catelli).
  • snowflake954
    snowflake954 Posts: 8,399 Member
    OK, I'm inspired to share my pasta recipe.

    Tomato and Olive Pasta
    302 cal


    I/2 cup chopped onion
    .25g chopped green olives (in brine)
    oregano and basil--fresh if you can get it
    pepper
    any other spices you like--paprika, pepperoncino, etc.
    4 roma tomatos peeled and chopped--San Marzano are what we have here, even canned, but use what you've got.
    50g whole wheat pasta

    Put all ingredients except pasta in a medium non stick frying pan. Add a glass of water (medium size glass). Cook on medium until bubbles a bit--5 min. Add pasta and make sure water almost covers it. Cook on low heat until water is almost absorbed. Stir often. Test pasta to see if cooked, if not, add alittle more water and let it absorb. Turn off heat and let sit a few minutes.

    I add no extra salt since the olives are salty, and I add no oil. This is a goodly portion and I usually just have a fruit with it. I especially like it on days I've been to the pool. Any questions, just ask. :)

  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    Thanks! I love olives, and that looks delicious.
  • jke78
    jke78 Posts: 59 Member
    I've never understood how people could eat white bread, I mean, ick. Needless to say my kids only eat whole wheat because that is all I buy. They will flat out turn down anything on white bread. The pasta doesn't bother me that much because we just don't eat it so I haven't really compared.

    Now, I have noticed that whole wheat hot dog buns do contain like 20 more calories than white. Here is the trade off, the whole wheat is providing more "bulk" and will stay with you longer as far as hunger. Better for your blood sugar, better for your colon, better for your heart.
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