Grocery guru: Pick your pasta
In the mood for some comfort food? You’ll be pleased to know that pasta can be a healthy choice. Our dietitian, Melissa Meier, has boiled down your healthiest choices so you can choose wisely.
Our dietitian shows you the best choices
It’s a familiar thought: pasta is bad for you because it’s full of carbs. Right? Well, not exactly. You might be pleasantly surprised to learn that pasta can offer valuable nutrition – like long-lasting energy to fuel your busy day, plus fibre to support a healthy gut.
The deal breaker is actually the portion size. Reality check: a healthy serve isn’t the mountains of pasta served up at your local Italian. Rather, a good rule of thumb is about one cup of cooked pasta per person. Yep, that’s quite a harsh reality check! The good news is that by limiting the pasta
portion size, it leaves enough room on the plate for plenty of all-important vegies and a little bit of lean protein, like beef or chicken.
And which pasta to actually choose? It seems like a simple question, but choosing the most nutritious option can quickly become a dizzying task. No longer are your only options just white or wholemeal. There’s now pasta made out of everything from chickpeas to buckwheat, and even zucchini to choose from too. So to give you a helping hand, our dietitian has highlighted some of the best varieties.
The old faithful
Traditional pasta is a great kitchen staple. A wholemeal variety will have significantly more vitamins and minerals than its refined white counterparts (and these days they have a mild flavour, not far from their white cousins). Studies have actually linked eating more wholegrains with living longer, plus reduced risk of heart disease and diabetes – so it pays to make the switch.
Our pick:
Barilla Whole Grain Penne
Per 100g: 1456kJ (348cal), 13g protein, 0.5g sat fat, 62.5g carbs, 10g fibre, 15mg sodium
The allergy-friendly
Gluten-free pasta is often made from refined corn and rice flour, offering little nutrition. So, if you have coeliac disease or an allergy to wheat, or just want something different, pasta made from a wholegrain like buckwheat or quinoa is highly recommended because it provides more fibre, vitamins and minerals than standard gluten-free options.
Our pick:
Macro Buckwheat Spirals
Per 100g: 1520kJ (364cal), 15.5g protein, <1g sat fat, 63.7g carbs, 4.8g fibre, <5mg sodium
The trendsetter
You’ve probably noticed the low-carb trend is having its time in the sun (again). Enter: low-carb pasta substitutes like zucchini noodles. While from a nutrition standpoint, completely eliminating carbs is unnecessary, these zucchini noodles (sometimes called zoodles) can be a good choice for a lighter meal. Alternatively, a handy way to make pasta dinners lighter is to replace some of your regular pasta with noodles made out of vegetables.
Our pick:
Woolworths Simply Steam Zucchini Spaghetti
Per 100g: 63kJ (15cal), 1g protein, <1g sat fat, 1.6g carbs, 1.9g fibre, 5mg sodium
The newcomer
Pasta made from beans, chickpeas and lentils is a great way to boost your fibre intake. Fibre not only supports a healthy digestive system, but it also helps you feel full for longer, so it makes a more satisfying choice at meal times.
Our pick:
San Remo Pulse Pasta made from Red Lentils
Per 100g: 1500kJ (359cal), 23g protein, 0.3g sat fat, 58g carbs, 6g fibre,
12mg sodium
The hunger buster
Your run-of-the-mill pasta has 12-13g protein per 100g – but you can get some varieties with more than double that amount! Not only will a higher protein choice help to balance out a traditionally carb-heavy meal, it will also keep you feeling full and satisfied long after dinner – goodbye late night munchies!
Our pick:
Vetta High Protein Low Carb Penne Rigate
Per 100g: 1436kJ (343cal), 24.9g protein, 0.3g sat fat, 50.5g carbs, 10g fibre,
35mg sodium