Cox News Service
ATLANTA -- Have you heard the joke about "the pasta diet"?
It goes like this. You walk "pasta" the doughnut shop. You
walk "pasta" the candy store. You walk "pasta" the ice cream
parlor. You lose weight. Pretty silly; but as with most good
comedy, it's based on the truth. And, despite a recent bad
reputation, it's probably not the pasta that's making you fat.
All carbs got hit pretty hard in recent years, identified as the
culprits in weight gain because of the way the digestive system
quickly absorbs their energy. The argument goes that carbohydrate
calories more easily convert into body fat.
Recently, that dietary advice was fine-tuned a bit to encourage
choosing whole-grain versions dubbed "quality carbs" such as
brown rice, whole-grain breads and whole-wheat pastas. That's
because the fiber in whole-grain foods slows down absorption a bit,
therefore tempering or preventing the sugar rush blamed for body
fat deposition.
A food's individual effect on blood sugar is scored by the
glycemic index, developed by researchers at the University of
Toronto. The higher the GI score, the greater the effect on
elevating blood sugar.
So, where does that leave fettuccine cloaked in a meaty
Bolognese sauce? Or hand-tucked tortellini stuffed with ricotta and
roasted leeks? Grab a fork and read on.
Pasta 101
Sharing is good. When a pasta dish is so intensely good, you
only need a small plate to satisfy a craving. Those huge platters
of pasta served at some Italian-American eateries as an entree for
one are definitely not advised if you're trying to stay trim.
Portion control is just the first lesson in learning how to add
pasta to a healthy diet.
What's in the pasta? The second lesson is about ingredients.
Respect for the highest-quality pasta preparation and enjoyment is
the driving force behind Elisa Gambino's Atlanta-based Via Elisa
Fresh Pasta. Gambino, who was a producer for CNN in Rome, began a
new career in 2002 reproducing the pasta she had enjoyed in Italy.
"I use 100 percent organic semolina flour and eggs from
free-range hens. It makes a huge difference in the taste and
texture of the pastas," she said. "The best pastas are silky."
Interestingly, there's a surprising win-win for taste and health
when you carefully examine the properties of pasta ingredients.
Coarsely ground semolina flour, which is made from the
highest-grade durum hard wheat, cooks up firmer than pastas made
with soft-wheat flour. Because the starch particles in semolina
pastas are larger, they are not absorbed as quickly. Finely ground
grain is more rapidly digested, and so it has a higher glycemic
index than more coarsely ground grain.
Pasta dough made with more egg solids, as with Gambino's Italian
method, will have more protein and some fat in the mix, so it will
have a lower glycemic effect, too. Another nutrition note: Dried
pasta cooked as recommended al dente (when there's a light
resistance when bitten into) has a lower glycemic index ranking
than pasta boiled until soft and mushy. So, score one more for
cooking pasta properly.
Partner with vegetables
While individual foods may be measured alone in nutrition labs
to learn their glycemic ranking, they are rarely eaten alone. And,
according to Dr. Xavier Pi-Sunyer of the Obesity Research Center of
St. Luke's - Roosevelt Hospital Center, Columbia University, that
can change things.
"Response to a carbohydrate food varies with the amount of fat,
protein or both with which it is ingested," he said. Therefore,
spaghetti with meat balls would have a lower glycemic ranking than
spaghetti alone. This combination effect on blood sugar levels is
measured by the "glycemic load," which nutritionists find much
more useful. Order a fiber-rich garden salad with your spaghetti
and meatballs, and the glycemic load could fall even further. So,
primavera pastas served with fiber-containing vegetables or
raviolis stuffed with mushrooms are a good choice, too.
It's also interesting to note that the more fat or acid a dish
contains, the slower its carbohydrates are converted into sugar and
absorbed into the bloodstream. So, adding vinegar and olive oil to
a cold pasta salad or tossing angel hair with a simple saute of
crushed tomatoes will lower the dish's glycemic ranking. Ditto
fresh lemon squeezed on lemon pappardelle.
Gambino may not be thinking about its ultimate healthy effect on
blood sugar levels as she prepares her Passionately Perfect Tomato
Sauce with Italian plum tomatoes (acid), extra-virgin olive oil
(fat), sauteed carrots and celery (fiber), but her mission to
create the ultimate flavor experiences for pasta lovers is a living
lesson in the healthiest ways to enjoy these foods, too.
So, there's no reason to walk "pasta" her shop.
Carolyn O'Neil is a registered dietitian and co-author of "The
Dish on Eating Healthy and Being Fabulous!" E-mail: healthyeating
AT ajc.com.