Pasta Eaters Consume More Vegetables

I love pasta—it’s one of my go-to meals most weeks. It’s easy, I just cook up some pasta to the al dente stage, and while it’s cooking I sauté veggies, garlic, herbs, plant protein (beans, nuts, tofu), and olive oil and toss it with the cooked pasta. In fact, pasta is part of the healthful Mediterranean diet tradition. Yet, many people fear carb-containing pasta as a “fattening” food. However, that’s not what the science says. A study found that adults who eat pasta are linked with higher daily vegetable consumption, lower fat intake, and higher whole grain intake, compared to non-pasta eaters. Evaluating data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2001-2012, researchers found that pasta eaters have higher intakes of vegetables, in particular red and orange vegetables, like tomatoes and peppers, eating twice as many tomatoes as non-pasta eaters. They also ate more whole grains, less sugar, and lower solid fats, resulting in a better overall quality of diet. This is good news—plus it makes perfect sense. When we eat pasta, we usually include tomatoes and an assortment of veggies. Consider pasta (in moderation) the blank canvas on your plate to paint with a variety of healthful plant foods.

(Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, September 2017))

Read the full study here.

For other plant-based pasta recipes, check out:

Mushroom Bomb Lentil Pasta
Pasta with Marinara and Roasted Vegetables
Penne Pasta Tomato Salad with Lemon and Pistachios

Image: Fresh Cranberry Beans with Pasta and Greens, Sharon Palmer, MSFS, RDN