Pasta Nutritional Facts & Benefits

The health benefits of pasta include improved energy and productivity, improved digestion and better brain functions. Although most people are generally of the opinion that pasta is a type of unhealthy and fattening food, the truth can be very different.

 

While ready-to-make pasta may contain many calories and preservatives, original homemade pasta, which is prepared in the way the Italians make it, is a healthier option that contains fewer calories. Pasta can also be combined with tons of vegetables to further improve its nutritional value. 

Benefits of Eating Pasta 

Most people in India are probably of the opinion that pasta is a type of unhealthy and fattening food. It’s true to an extent, as most ready-to-make pasta and the ones prepared in restaurants have a lot of calories and preservatives, but there’s another side to the story. The original homemade pasta, which is prepared in Italy (where it originated), is a healthier dish with lower calories and tons of vegetables being highly nutritious. In this article, we’ll take a look at calories in pasta, its nutritional composition and pasta health benefits.

Calories in Pasta

Pasta is available in a lot of different forms that contain a varying number of calories. The way pasta is prepared also makes a difference in the number of calories the pasta dish will contain. However, as pasta is prepared out of wheat, the main source of calories in pasta is carbohydrates. Let’s take a detailed look at pasta nutrition facts and caloric content of pasta: 

As seen in the table above, pasta contains a lot of calories as it is rich in carbohydrates. One of the ways you can make your pasta healthier is by using low carb pasta or whole wheat pasta to cut down on the calories. You should also add a bunch of vegetables to your pasta while preparing so you can get an assortment of different nutrients. It will take you significant physical effort to burn off the 350 calories in pasta. To burn these 350 calories, you will have to walk or cycle for about an hour, or run for about 35 minutes.

Calories in Different Types of Pasta

While the above list of nutritional content is for a bowl of cooked pasta with condiments and spices, let’s take a look at the number of calories the different types of pasta contain. Knowing the same will help you plan your diet accordingly: 

As you can see above, different types of pasta have a highly varying calorie content. If you are health conscious and following a diet, you can choose to cook one of the low-calorie pastas listed in the table above. Options like Cannelloni, Ravioli or Shirataki are excellent low-calorie choices of pasta that you can cook while remaining on a diet. Now, let’s take a look at the list of various pasta benefits.

Benefits of Eating Pasta

Let’s take a look at some of the pasta health benefits you can get by incorporating it into your diet:

 

• Pasta contains fibre, which is important to the body for the proper functioning of the digestive system. As per many scientific studies, fibre is also responsible for lowering the risk of diseases like diabetes, heart disease and even reducing the level of bad cholesterol.

• Pasta, which is prepared out of whole wheat, can keep your stomach full for a long time, reducing the chance of you ending up binge eating. Carbohydrates in the pasta can also give you enough energy to last throughout the major portion of your day.

• Pasta can be prepared in a variety of ways, so you can add different kinds of spices and vegetables to your pasta dish to make it more delicious and nutritious as per your needs.

• As per a report, the compounds and nutrients in pasta can help reduce the risk of certain types of cancers like stomach and colon cancer. It also reduces the risk of heart attack due to lowering cholesterol.

• As mentioned previously, pasta is usually made out of wheat. As a result, there is almost no fat in pasta. 100 grams of pasta may contain anywhere from 1-2 grams of fat, a very low number. Eating lower amounts of fat can speed up your weight loss process.

• If you have a gluten allergy, there are tons of gluten-free pasta available in the market. These kinds of pasta are prepared from ingredients such as rice, quinoa, corn, etc.

Final Takeaway

When prepared in a healthy way, pasta can be very nutritious and fulfilling and provide you with a lot of energy. You can prepare it in a variety of ways and by using different kinds of pasta to suit your requirements. While diet for weight loss is an important part of taking care of your health, you cannot ignore unexpected diseases or accidents. These can strike anyone anywhere without warning. However, you can do your best by protecting yourself and your family financially. Get a good health insurance plan that takes care of your financial needs in the case of hospitalisation. With insurance plans available at Bajaj Markets, you can enjoy benefits like cashless claim settlement, a wide network of hospitals and easy online renewals. 

 

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