What is the nutritional value of pasta and to what extent do pasta dishes fit into a healthy diet? Pasta, like no other dish, is associated with top sports and therefore with an extremely fit and healthy lifestyle.
On the other hand, people sometimes call pasta a fattener. So where does the truth lie? For that, we need to look at the nutritional value of pasta.
The nutritional value of pasta
What is the nutritional value of pasta? What is the nutritional value in general? The nutritional value of all foodstuffs (including pasta) is stated on the label.
This is mandatory, to inform the consumer about what he or she eats. The nutritional value refers to all the important nutrients in our food.
It’s the standard list that you might not readily rattle off, but no doubt looks familiar when you see it:
Fats (of which saturated, unsaturated and polyunsaturated)
Carbohydrates (of which sugars)
Proteins
Dietary fiber
Salt
In addition, vitamins and minerals are also counted when preparing the nutritional value.
The list above gives you energy, the vitamins and minerals help your body grow, repair and function.
Pasta nutritional value overview
So what does the nutritional value table for pasta look like? We measure the energy value in kilojoules and in calories in pasta.
Per package these values always differ slightly, but in 100 grams of spaghetti you end up with approximately 1570 kj and 360 kcal.
Furthermore, we see:
Fats 0.9 grams, of which 0.1 grams saturated fat
Carbohydrates 60-70 grams (of which 3-4 grams of sugars)
Fiber 1.0 to 4.0 grams
Salt 0.002 grams
Protein in pasta lists 12 to 15 grams on different brands of Italian spaghetti. Protein is important for strong muscles, healthy bones and a healthy nervous system.
But how do you interpret these figures? ‘Calories pasta’, ‘kcal pasta’, ‘protein pasta’; is it healthy or not? It has a relatively high amount of carbohydrates and, in particular, whole wheat pasta contains a lot of healthy fiber. So that’s a good thing.
On the other hand, there is hardly any salt in it and little (unhealthy) saturated fat. That too is positive. Unsaturated fats are actually good for you. They reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, among other things.
Pasta healthy
The conclusion: pasta is healthy. Whole wheat pasta in particular contains plenty of healthy ingredients for the body.
It is so popular among top athletes (especially endurance athletes) because pasta gives you a lot of energy. This is mainly due to the so-called multiple sugars (from the carbohydrates in pasta) which are not absorbed into the blood so quickly and therefore provide energy for longer.
This applies to all pasta types. The wholemeal types also provide the healthy fibres as a bonus.
So there is nothing wrong with pasta in your diet. Just like potatoes, rice or bread; also products that are avoided by some. Apart from any allergies (in which case you should opt for gluten-free pasta, for example), pasta fits in perfectly with your daily meal, as long as you eat a varied and healthy diet.
Not too much meat, fresh vegetables, vary the fish and certainly no huge amounts of cheese. Let it taste good!