Wholegrain pasta is lower in calories and contributes more vitamins and minerals than the white, refined equivalent, making it a healthier choice.
1. Whole-Wheat Pasta. Whole-wheat pasta is an easy-to-find nutritious noodle that will bump up the nutrition of your pasta dish. Made from whole grains, every cup of cooked pasta (140 grams) boasts 3 g of fiber and 8 g of protein per serving, per the USDA.
Brami Penne
For those who can't bear to give up traditional pasta, Brami blends nutrient-dense lupini beans with white semolina flour, which produces an end result that tastes similar to traditional white pasta but with a fiber count that rivals whole wheat.
Whole wheat pasta is healthier than white pasta, because it's packed with nutrients such as complex carbs, protein, fiber, iron, magnesium, and zinc. On the other hand, white pasta is made of refined carbs, meaning it has been stripped of many nutrients during its processing.
If you're trying to lose weight but craving pasta, stick to whole-wheat versions, or try new bean- and legume-based noodles that offer more protein and fiber. Zoodles and other vegetable "pastas" offer a low-cal alternative, but you'll want to eat them with more protein on the side.
For lower calorie and carbohydrate content, rice comes out top. But if protein and fibre is your aim, pasta wins over rice. That said, both can play a part in a healthy diet - and as the nutritional differences are quite small, it often comes down to which you would prefer.
Pasta can be healthy when it's paired with vegetables, protein, and healthy fats. The healthiest types of pasta include whole wheat pasta, as well as bean and vegetable based noodles.
Pastas made with vegetables, like fresh spinach pasta, get a boost of nutrients over regular pastas. Spinach is low in calories and high in vitamin A, a nutrient that benefits the health of your eyes. Spinach also contains a good dose of antioxidants, compounds that help protect your cells from damage.
Whole wheat pasta is often considered a healthier choice than white pasta because it packs nutrients, like protein, fiber, iron, magnesium, and zinc. White pasta, on the other hand, has been stripped of many of these nutrients during processing.
Gluten-free is healthier.
While it is a better option for those with wheat intolerances, gluten-free pasta is not necessarily any more or less healthy than other pasta types. In fact, the nutrient profiles remain very similar! The only thing that changes is the ingredient list.
Compared to pasta, rice—brown and white—contains far less protein (roughly 2 grams per serving compared to pasta's 8 grams) and fiber (1 gram for brown rice, . 5 gram for white compared to 2.5 grams in white pasta, 7 grams in whole-wheat).
Baked, mashed, or boiled, potatoes actually provide more energy-delivering complex carbohydrates than a cup of pasta. All varieties--russet, red, yellow, purple, and sweet--contain impressive quantities of vitamins and minerals.
The high number means they will spike blood sugar quickly. However when we look at GL which takes regular serving sizes into consideration, potatoes are lower (so a better choice) than rice or pasta. But not as low as whole wheat sourdough. The other limitation of GI and GL is they look at food in isolation.
Basmati rice is a staple in the Indian diet. This rice is grown in India's desert regions, making it a good source of nutritive minerals like iron, zinc, and calcium. It's also high in dietary fiber and has a low glycemic index. This makes it an ideal grain to have in your meal plan following a healthy diet.
Although your usual favourite carbohydrates, such as pasta, rice, noodles and potatoes are very popular, they're not the only options. You could try grains like couscous, quinoa and barley to introduce a new flavour to your favourite dishes.
While couscous and white rice have almost the same amount of calories per 100 grams, couscous contains more protein and higher amounts of vitamins and minerals so can be considered a healthier option in those departments. Both grains can support weight loss when incoporated into a balanced, healthy diet.
When it comes to health, you can choose either, but the type of pizza or pasta you compare will determine which is healthier. A tomato-based pasta is preferable to pizza or cream-based pasta. Thin crust, veggie-loaded pizzas contain less flour and more vegetables, making them an excellent choice.
Shirataki Noodles and Tofu Shirataki Noodles
If you're counting carbs and craving pasta, these are your best bet. Shirataki noodles are a traditional Japanese product made from a fiber called glucomannan, which is produced from konjac, an Asian root vegetable.