White vs. Whole Wheat Pasta
Question by Karla (Grand Rapids, MI)
Posted on January 18, 2008
When I was looking at the nutritional value of whole wheat vs. white pasta the only difference I can see is the dietary fiber content. Is that the only difference? I always hear that whole wheat is better, but are their other advantages besides fiber?
Amy's Answer
Amy Bragagnini, MS, RD, is a registered dietitian and consultant…Read Full Bio
There are a few differences between whole wheat vs. white pasta/bread. One difference is the way they are processed. Whole wheat pasta contains three important parts of the grain: the bran (outer layer), the germ (innermost area), and the endosperm (starchy area in between). The white pasta is processed and loses the bran/germ and only uses the starchy endosperm area. Another difference is the nutritional content of the pasta. Whole wheat pasta not only has a higher fiber content, but also contains several important vitamins and minerals such as vitamin B6, vitamin E, zinc, and folic acid. Keep in mind that a high fiber diet can help you to feel fuller longer. A feeling of fullness can help prevent you from overeating, which may lead to obesity. Finally, fiber can help regulate bowel movements/promote regularity and can help with blood glucose control.
2 Comments
dsymons January 21, 2008
I’ve been using whole wheat egg noodles, and have found that they are very tasty! I’ve adapted a recipe on here called “Lemon Chicken with Egg Noodles,” to use whole wheat egg noodles, and I add some broccoli to the pasta. It makes a great dish!
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August 28, 2008
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annalisa January 19, 2008
I recently tried RONZONI Healthy Harvest whole wheat pasta Penne Rigate on my kids and they loved the pasta. They usually don’t like any thing that is healthy. So when they ate the dinner and they wanted to have seconds I was surprised . I tried the recipe on the back of the box. I wanted to know if there are any more recipes that I can try with the whole wheat pasta.