For many years, there have been serious battles between nutritionists around the world regarding how healthy pasta is. Some say that pasta is a source of vitamins E, B, PP. They also have a lot of fiber (if the product is made from whole grain flour), carbohydrates. Most people are inclined to believe that there is nothing useful in pasta, there are too many “empty” calories in them, and the composition of the product contributes to obesity. Nevertheless, both models and athletes eat this dish. Let's try to figure out how harmful or useful pasta is. The calorie content of the product will also be clarified during the study.
You can find out how many calories are in pasta by looking at the packaging. Usually it is on it that the composition, the amount of proteins, fats, carbohydrates in the product, as well as its energy value are written. These data can not be taken as a basis, because the caloric value of the product in dry form is indicated here. During heat treatment, the figure decreases by about half. It is also worth knowing that pasta calorie content is different and depending on what kind of flour they were made from. In hard grades, the energy value is much less.
If we talk about the composition, then it is worth mentioning that there are a lot of carbohydrates and starch in pasta. The glycemic index depends on their quantity in the product. It can be both medium and high. Sometimes egg white is added to the product in order to reduce this figure. Depending on the type of flour, the protein content can be varied, but it should not exceed 20 percent. Since this protein is vegetable, inferior, it contains very little lysine and tronin, which is necessary for our body. If we talk about fat, it is usually not enough in pasta, except for Chinese noodles, in which about 15 percent of fat can be an exception. Noodles with cooking oil are not worth it.
What is the advantage of pasta over other dishes? Besides the fact that this product is relatively cheap, it is easy to prepare. The ability to quickly saturate the body, combine with many products also speaks in favor of the product. In addition, there is no waste from pasta, they can be served as a side dish for meat, sausages, etc., as well as an independent dish.
Having listed the pros, we must not forget about the minuses of the product. For example, if cooked incorrectly, pasta loses many of its beneficial properties, of which there is already a small amount. If you add animal fats to them, pasta calories will be extremely high, but it will not bring benefits to the body. A high glycemic index of a digested dish can cause an insulin peak.
Macaroni diet
Everyone heard Sophia Loren's catch phrase that she owes her figure to pasta. But how to observe this diet of the Hollywood diva without harming your own body? According to all the rules, you should temporarily abandon meat, various sauces, sausages, smoked meats and salted foods, sugar, etc. Replace these products with fish, seafood, olive oil, vegetables, fruits and cereals. The duration of the diet is from 1 to 2 months. Its advantages include the fact that you do not feel hunger, strengthen your immunity, and lose weight. But do not lean heavily on pasta. Their calorie content, although low, but, overeating, lose weight will not work.
Cooking pasta
In order for the result to exceed all your expectations, it is worth cooking the spaghetti correctly. For 1 liter of water, 100 grams of pasta. In boiling liquid, keep them no more than 5 minutes. Even if it seems that they were not cooked, it's okay. Due to this, carbohydrates are less absorbed and stimulate the intestines. You are full, but not gaining weight. Thus, cooked pasta calories are within 150 kcal.