Is Pasta Healthy or Unhealthy?
The answer to this question depends on your lifestyle. If you are eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, then pasta will not have any negative effect on your body. However, if you eat unhealthy food regularly, then it might cause some problems.
If you want to lose weight quickly, then it would be better to choose a low carb diet rather than pasta. You can use a pasta substitute instead of pasta.
On the other hand, if you want to maintain your current weight, then it would be best to stick with traditional foods such as meat, fish and poultry.
In either case, it is recommended to avoid processed foods. They contain many additives which may cause problems.
There are several types of pasta:
Rice flour – This type of pasta contains only one ingredient, rice. Rice flour does not provide much nutrition compared to regular pasta. Risotto – A risotto consists mainly of chicken stock and water with a few ingredients like mushrooms, carrots and potatoes cooked together in a sauce made from these ingredients.
However, it is quite filling and nutritious. It contains a lot of fiber. Egg noodles – These are made from eggs and wheat flower. They are soft and have a creamy taste. They are considered to be healthy but should be taken in limited quantities. Whole grain noodles – These contain more nutrients than regular noodles. However, they still contain a lot of carbohydrates. You should eat this in limited quantities. Regular flour noodles – These are the most common types of pasta available in the market.
So, let’s talk about the main question: “is pasta healthy?”
The answer is YES. Pasta is nutritious as long as you make sure that you are eating the right type of pasta. You can add vegetables to enhance the flavor and make it more nutritious. You can make pasta with chicken, seafood or beef to add more taste to it.
But if you are planning to eat pasta on a daily basis, then we don’t recommend this. Pasta is considered to be unhealthy when eaten in large quantities.
So, what’s the right quantity?
Many nutritionists agree that eating up to 3 servings of past a week is fine providing that you keep the rest of your diet balanced. If you are eating pasta with vegetables then it would be much better.
If you have been told by your doctor to avoid pasta, then you should not eat it at all.
If you are trying to lose weight, then you should try low-carbohydrate diet as it is more effective in such cases. However, if you are not planning to lose weight and have no medical conditions that require you to cut down on carbs, then you can enjoy your pasta once in a while.
In short:
YES, Pasta is healthy if taken in moderate amount and with variety of food.
Sources & references used in this article:
Meals described as healthy or unhealthy match public health education in England by A Laguna-Camacho, DA Booth – Appetite, 2015 – Elsevier
Interpretations of healthy and unhealthy eating, and implications for dietary change by R Povey, M Conner, P Sparks, R James… – Health Education …, 1998 – academic.oup.com
Defining and labelling ‘healthy’and ‘unhealthy’food by T Lobstein, S Davies – Public health nutrition, 2009 – cambridge.org
