Pasta, bread, grains and cereals make up an important component of a healthy diet. The World's Healthiest Foods website calls wheat "the most important cereal crop in the world and ubiquitous in the food culture of North America and many other regions of the world." Maintaining as much as possible of the wheat's natural state retains the most nutrients from wheat pasta; refining and production strip nutrients from the wheat.
Identification
Wheat pasta, made from durum wheat semolina, is packaged in plastic bags, containers or cardboard boxes. It is sold dry or precooked, according to the United States Department of Agriculture's Household Commodity Fact Sheet. A serving size of 0.5 cup contains the equivalent of 1 oz. of grain, when using the MyPyramid.gov recommended daily allowance, which uses a 2,000 calorie diet as a basis. Approximately 6 oz. of grain, or 3 cups, fulfills the daily requirement for the grain category for adults.
Types
Whole wheat pasta holds the highest nutritional value, according to the George Mateljan Foundation, a nonprofit health advocacy organization. Whole wheat pasta is also high in fiber. The Household Commodity Fact Sheet reports that a single serving of whole wheat pasta, or 1/2 cup, contains 5 percent of the daily fiber necessary to meet the 2,000-calorie diet requirements of the MyPyramid approved by the United States Department of Agriculture. This serving also contains just 110 calories, with only 5 percent of the calories from fat.
Considerations
Enriched wheat pasta adds vitamins including niacin, thiamine, iron, riboflavin and folic acid to the daily diet. A 1/2-cup serving of enriched wheat pasta provides 6 percent of the daily requirement of iron, based on the MyPyramid.com 2,000-calorie diet, according to the Household Commodity Fact Sheet. Whole wheat pasta has more protein and minerals than refined wheat pasta.
Features
Manufacturers produce nutritional wheat pasta in various blended products. Whole grain wheat pasta includes the three elements of the kernel of grain: germ, bran and endosperm. Commercial pasta producers must use a minimum of 51 percent whole grain flour for the product to be labeled "whole grain." Whole wheat pasta products are made from either whole semolina or whole durum wheat. Both terms are used interchangeably to describe ground whole durum wheat products. Multi-grain pasta may incorporate wheat, but the term also describes products made with spelt and oat barley, according to the Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service.
Expert Insight
While some diet menus encourage diners to avoid pasta, the United Kingdom's Food Standards Agency states that "starchy foods...such as pasta....are a really important part of a healthy diet." The agency recommends that starches account for one-third of the daily diet and encourages diners to include at least one starchy food, including wheat pasta, for each meal.
References
- U.S. Department of Agriculture: Household Commodity Fact Sheet: Macaroni
- National Pasta Association: FAQs
- National Pasta Association: Pasta Nutrition
- Glycemic Research Institute: Glycemic Index Testing: Pasta
- Food Standards Agency: Eat well, Be Well - 8 Tips for Eating Well
- K-State: Department of Human Nutrition: Nutrition News
Member Comments