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Pasta
is Energy that Keeps You Fuller
Welcome to the new issue of The Truth About Pasta, the monthly newsletter from the
International Pasta Organization. Each month's newsletter features a new and different topic -- all pointing to The Truth About Pasta. The truth is......pasta is healthy, sustainable, convenient, delicious, affordable, doesn't make you fat, and much, much more. Be sure to look for each new issue, with more topics and information.
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Evidence that Pasta is Energy that Keeps You Fuller for a Longer Time
As we learn more about diabetes and weight related issues, it becomes increasingly clear that the best foods fuel our body gently over time, rather than sending our blood sugar on a roller coaster ride.
Pasta is known as a complex carbohydrate food, because its starch structure digests slowly, keeping you fuller for longer. This is because pasta is low on the glycemic index, meaning that it has a better effect on blood sugar, offering the body a slow and steady source of energy.
Healthy pasta meals, with their documented difference on blood sugar, are a scrumptious solution to keep you satiated for longer. "Slow carbs, not no carbs," is what some
health experts
like to say.
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Experts Say...
Experts tell us
that "Glycemic index is one of many factors that impact the healthfulness of foods." Indeed, at the
Scientific Consensus Summit on Glycemic Index, Glycemic Load, & Glycemic Response
, in Stresa, Italy in 2013
,
Dr. Salwa Rizkalla
(left), of the University Pierre et Marie Curie, in Paris, France, explains that "it is important after eating to feel satiated and full, and not to eat more, to control our energy intake," and recommends "low glycemic index foods that do not give us the sensation of hunger."
Similarly,
Dr. Jennie Brand Miller
(right), of the University of Sydney, emphasizes the "quality of the carbohydrate," recommending carbohydrate foods that digest slowly. Luckily, traditional pasta meals fit the bill. In fact, research shows that eating pasta produces a low glycemic response,
not only at that meal, but also at the following meal, in a phenomenon known as the '
second meal concept
'.
According to a group of nutrition researchers writing the
Scientific Consensus Statement on Healthy Pasta Meals in 2010
, "pasta meals and other low-glycemic foods may help control blood sugar and weight especially in overweight people." Now, five years later, leading nutrition scientists will again be convening at
Expo Milano
to update these guidelines, and further explore pasta's role in health.
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Mothers Say...
Mothers know that children put their best foot forward when they're well-fed, which is why it's important to choose meals that keep families fuller for longer. For
Sally Kuzemchak
, registered dietitian and Cooking Light cookbook author, "pasta is a regular staple, especially for weeknight meals. It's fast, healthy, budget-friendly, and can be served in different ways on different days, whether topped with a hearty bolognese or tossed with veggies for Meatless Monday. And it makes everyone at my table happy."
As a mother of two growing boys, Sally knows that foods that provide long lasting energy are the key to keeping her family happy and healthy. That's why she likes packing a cheese tortellini in lunchboxes. As she
explains on her blog
, Real Mom Nutrition, "It's good warm or cold and keeps bellies full and energy up all afternoon."
Katie Sullivan Morford
, the registered dietitian and blogger behind Mom's Kitchen Handbook, draws her inspiration from the Mediterranean when cooking delicious and nutritious pasta meals for her family. Katie explains that "cooking pasta "al dente," not only maximizes taste, but is better for you. Indeed, pasta cooked so it has a little bite to it has a lower glycemic index than pasta cooked soft. That means that it takes longer to digest, causing less of a spike in blood sugar."
Katie also notes that "you can benefit even more by eating a moderate portion, rather than the mountain of noodles often served in American eateries." Pasta is such a filling food, that modest portions, served with vegetables, olive oil, cheese, and other toppings, can go a long way in keeping you energized and feeling full.
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Continuing the Tradition
Several generations ago, people didn't have access to readily available foods, 24-hour markets, or meal delivery services like we do today. That means that recipes had to keep people energized for several hours at a time. Pasta dishes, with their assortment of sauces, toppings and their slowly digesting starches, were the perfect pick to keep people of all ages satiated for hours on end. Quick cooking pasta meals were also a much-welcome way for families to get food on the table without diverting too much time away from childcare or the obligations of their work.
Even in more recent decades, our ancestors had to eat quick food that would sustain them for several hours, a practice that's having resurgence in today's on-the-go society. Drawing inspiration from Rimini, Italy in the 1950s,
Giovanni Gentile
, manager at Spaghetti Incident in New York City, serves "properly al dente spaghetti," in cones for takeaway. Gentile explains that, traditionally, "It was a frugal time, and they would put everything into cones so you could eat it on the street." Whether you enjoy traditional pasta dishes on the go, or in your own home kitchen, filling up on nourishing pasta meals, rather than highly processed food, is a great way to honor the cultural eating traditions of generations past.
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Recipe of the Month
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Pasta with Chickpeas, Tomato, and Spinach
Foods with fiber help keep you full longer. With 13 g of fiber per serving, this pasta recipe is a great choice. Chickpeas, tomatoes, spinach and a hint of rosemary make this a delicious pasta dish. Served warm with a sprinkle of Parmesan, this quick and easy recipe makes a perfect weeknight meal.
Ingredients:
1
small yellow onion (peeled and chopped into 1/4 pieces)
1
small yellow onion (peeled and chopped into 1/4 pieces)
8 ounces
medium-size whole-wheat pasta (such as rotini or shells)
1 tablespoon
vegetable oil
2 cloves
garlic (peeled and minced)
2
carrots (scrubbed and diced into 1/4-inch pieces)
1
celery stalk (diced into 1/4-1/2-inch pieces)
1/2 teaspoon
dried rosemary
1 can
16-ounce low sodium chickpeas (drained and rinsed with cold water)
1 can
14.5-ounce low-sodium diced tomatoes (including the liquid)
2 cups
spinach (washed and chopped)
1/2 teaspoon
chopped red pepper flakes (optional)
1/4 cup
grated Parmesan cheese
Directions:
- To cook the pasta, fill the pot halfway with water. Bring it to a boil over high heat. When the water is boiling, add the pasta and cook until just tender, about 12 minutes. Just before draining, reserve 1 ½ cups of the pasta water. Drain the pasta and set aside.
- While the pasta is cooking, cook the sauce: Put the skillet on the stove over medium-low heat and when it is hot, add the oil. Add the garlic, onion, carrots, celery, and rosemary and cook until the garlic is golden, about 15 minutes.
- Add the chickpeas and using the fork, lightly mash half of them. Add the reserved pasta water and tomatoes and cook 10 minutes.
- Add the pasta and spinach to the skillet mixture and cook until the spinach is tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed by the pasta, about 10 minutes. Add the red pepper flakes, if desired.
- Mix well and serve immediately, garnished with Parmesan cheese.
Note: Kale can be used instead of spinach
Yield: 4 servings.
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Video of the Month
Chef Stuart O'Keeffe shows how to make a delicious and easy pasta with shrimp dinner with tips for cooking perfectly
al dente angel hair pasta.
What is
al dente? It really just means the bite. Pasta should be cooked just long enough so it still has a firmness to the bite. O'Keeffe explains the different boiling times for a variety of pastas--fresh, dried, thin and thick.
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Angel Hair with Shrimp Pasta Recipe | Kitchen Daily |
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World Pasta Day & Congress
Oct. 25-27, 2015 at EXPO Milan
One of the world's most beloved foods has suddenly become one of the most misunderstood. As the 18th Annual World Pasta Day approaches on Sunday, October 25, the nonprofit International Pasta Organisation (IPO) wants to change that by sharing the truth about pasta to combat the rise of unhealthy fad diets and misperceptions about carbohydrates.
"We want to tell a story about how pasta can really make a difference at tables all around the world, from both a nutritional and environmental point of view," said Riccardo Felicetti, IPO Chairman. "Pasta is a healthy carbohydrate-containing food at the center of traditional eating patterns around the world such as the Mediterranean, Asian, Latin American and Vegetarian Diets and is one of the most environmentally friendly foods to produce." 
World Pasta Day has been celebrated internationally since 1998 to recognize the important
role pasta plays in helping feed the world in a variety of healthy and tasty cuisines. In recent years, fad diets touting grain-free eating have proliferated, leading to consumer confusion about the popular staple.
To address misperceptions and confirm the benefits of a pasta meal, nutrition scientists will meet in Milan at the World Pasta Day & Congress, October 25-27, hosted by the Italian Association of Confectionery and Pasta Industries (AIDEPI) during Expo Milano 2015.
As part of the event, the Boston-based nonprofit Oldways and IPO are organizing the 3rd Healthy Pasta Meal Scientific Consensus Conference. The conference brings together more than 20 scientists and health professionals from around the world to review scientific studies related to pasta and the Mediterranean Diet, published since the last World Pasta Congress in 2010. They will draft an updated Healthy Pasta Meal Scientific Consensus Statement.
Find out more about the World Pasta Day & Congress here.
World Pasta Day 2014 was celebrated in Buenos Aires, Argentina, hosted by U.I.F.R.A. This is the video of the event "Valor Agregado para la Nutritcion Familiar"
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World Pasta Day 2014 - Argentina |
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