If you’ve ever felt bad for eating pasta (or any carbs), dietitians want that to end here.
“Pasta is definitely demonized and it shouldn’t be,” Caroline Susie, a registered dietitian based in Dallas and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, tells TODAY.com.
“First of all,” she says, “it’s delicious.”
Pasta is a major part of cuisines around the world, “so it does break my heart that carbohydrate-rich foods — especially pasta — tend to get demonized in our society today,” agrees Whitney Linsenmeyer, PhD, assistant professor at Saint Louis University and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
Not only does pasta taste great, but it’s also both exceedingly versatile and affordable, Susie adds. “And if you’re living with picky eaters, it can be a great vehicle for other foods, particularly vegetables,” she says.
It’s also easy to meal prep because it can be made in batches and reheated throughout the week, even added to soups or eaten cold in a veggie-packed pasta salad, Linsenmeyer adds.
Whether you’re a fan of the classic weeknight spaghetti and meatballs or you prefer more intricate recipes, there are plenty of great reasons to make pasta a part of your healthy meal plan.
Pasta nutritional benefits
All pasta is going to provide some nutrients, including carbohydrates (one of our body’s main sources of energy), as well as fiber, protein, vitamins and minerals.
Most of the pasta you’ll find in the grocery store is refined pasta, meaning it’s made from grains that have had parts of the wheat kernel removed. This kind of pasta is also typically enriched, meaning it has had B vitamins and iron added back in, Susie explains.
“Refined pasta is going to be a little higher in calories and carbs, but it is also higher in B vitamins (than whole grain pasta),” she says.
If you love pasta, there’s no reason to cut it out from your diet, the experts say. It can be a great way to pack in vegetables, healthy fats from nuts, olive oil and…
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