It is often said that pasta is a healthier option than other sources of carbohydrate than sugar and refined wheat flour products. In this case, pasta is often seen as a healthier option. However, many people depend on pasta for their primary source of carbohydrate. High consumption could cause bloating and other symptoms. In this case, we should consider replacing pasta with other sources of carbohydrate such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, breadfruit, corn and red rice. Reducing the consumption of pasta can be seen as a good way to improve our overall performance and energy level.
There are good reasons why we should address excessive consumption of pasta and add other sources of carbohydrate in our diet.
- It’s based on wheat: Wheat is a primary source of energy in many countries; but some people may have more sluggish metabolism level when digesting wheat. In these people, wheat doesn’t burn well and converted into energy. Some people are even not aware that they are intolerant to wheat at varying degree. They could experience slight bloating and fatigue after eating wheat-based products.
- We can eat too much of it: It’s easy for us to eat too much pasta. In many cases, pasta meals are consisted mostly of pasta; such as spaghetti. There’s only a few added protein and vegetables; we are essentially just eating processed wheat flour with some oil and seasoning. This is a calorie-dense food and we could gain weight quite easily; while getting limited nutritional benefits. If we want to eat pasta; it should be consisted of about a third of our meal. The rest can be vegetables and good meats, like fish.
- It has high GI value: When our blood sugar reaches a higher level, our body will create an insulin response. When it happens, nutrients; including fat, will be brought into our skin tissues; causing build-up of fat tissue.
- Low fiber level: Because pasta contains less fiber; it will be less filling and we could start to overeat. Pasta is actually recommended for people who are about to participate in a long-distance running event. However, if we don’t expend that amount of energy; pasta will only bring us troubles if we eat it excessively.
We should avoid having pasta-only meals; like spaghetti and others. Instead, we should add vegetables as a big part of our daily meal. Many Italian dishes put vegetables as the main ingredients. Vegetables could provide us with significant amount of nutrients and dietary fiber. We will feel full longer and we are able to function really well. Other than pasta, we could also choose boiled corn, red rice, black rice, potatoes and sweet potatoes with brighter or deeper colors. They provide much better nutritional values than pasta. In many cases, we can’t completely avoid pasta; it has become a common part in our daily routines. However, we can still avoid pasta-only meals and choose many healthier alternatives.
