Barilla is an Italian company that has been making pasta since 1877. To help you meet your daily whole-grain goals, Barilla introduced its line of whole grain pastas in 2008. These pastas are made from whole-wheat flour and have more fiber than traditional pastas. Including whole-grain pastas in your diet in place of traditional pastas can improve the nutritional quality of your diet.
Serving Size and Calories
Serving sizes on a food item's Nutrition Facts label are standardized to make it easier for you to compare similar food products. A food's serving size also dictates the calories and nutrient information listed on the label. Calories in food indicate the amount of energy the food provides. Pasta's standard serving size is 2 oz. of dry pasta. Each serving of Barilla's Whole Grain Pasta contains 200 calories.
Fat
Pasta is a low-fat food item. Each 2 oz. serving of Barilla Whole Grain Pasta contains 1.5g of fat, 0g of saturated fat and 0g of trans fat. Limiting the amount of saturated fat and trans fat in your diet can help prevent elevations in blood cholesterol levels and risk of heart disease. The American Heart Association recommends you limit your total saturated fat intake to less than 7 percent of total calories, and trans fat to less than 1 percent of total calories.
Carbohydrates
A healthy diet should contain 45 to 65 percent of its calories from carbohydrates, according to the McKinley Health Center. Carbohydrates in food are your body's primary source of energy. Fiber is a type of carbohydrate your body cannot digest. Increasing the fiber in your diet can help improve digestion and lower blood cholesterol levels. In addition, fiber in food takes longer to digest and can help control hunger for weight control. Women should try to eat 21 to 25g of fiber a day, and men 30 to 38g of fiber a day. A 2 oz. serving of Barilla Whole Grain Pasta contains 41g of carbohydrates and 6g of fiber.
Protein
As a plant-based food, Barilla Whole Grain Pasta will not provide you will all of the essential amino acids making it an incomplete source of protein. But if you follow a healthy diet that includes a variety of foods such as vegetables, other whole grains and lean meats, you will be able to meet your protein needs. Women need about 46g of protein a day, and men 56g of protein a day. A 2 oz. serving of dry Barilla Whole Grain Pasta contains 7g of protein.
References
- Barilla: Whole Grain Rotini Nutrition
- FDA: How to Understand and Use the Nutrition Facts Label
- Harvard School of Public Health: Fats and Cholesterol: Out With the Bad, In With the Good
- American Heart Association: Know Your Fats
- McKinley Health Center: Macronutrients
- CDC: Nutrition for Everyone: Protein
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