Return to Article index

Article 7. Pasta - is it (really) healthy fast food ?

Pasta - also known as noodles of many different kinds, has become one of the most popular staple foods in North American cuisine. Originating in Italy where it forms part of a meal as a separate course, it comes in many shapes and sizes from yard-long spaghetti to spiral shapes in a range of colours. Usually made of durum wheat it is economical and simple to use. It is low in calories but murder for people with a wheat allergy and low glucose tolerance. It is however a boon for busy people since a meal featuring pasta can be made in 15 minutes (or less!). Pasta may be used in soups and casseroles, salads and even desserts. It may be served with many different cooked and raw sauces, mixes or, just with plain olive oil and garlic, to make a hearty and satisfying meal.

Long praised by nutritionists as “healthy food” because of its low caloric content and absence of cholesterol, their current preoccupation and paranoia, it may however pose some health threats, depending on the quality of pasta used.

Indeed, pasta is low in calories, and almost fat-free .. but does it have anything else going for it? Not much. In fact, it is not what I would consider “whole food” or “live food”, but something pretty dead, devoid of enzymes and most other nutrients considering the basic ingredients. With a shelf life that may extend for many years one may only wonder at the amount of preservatives added to it.

But let’s look at what the stuff is made of.: Refined wheat flour and water, with a squirt of oil and some egg and salt, food colouring in many cases, and so on. That’s about it.

Flour and water are also the basis of glue. Older readers might remember the time when houses were wallpapered with precisely this stuff to make the wallpaper stick to the wall. And stick it did for years and years.
.
It is that same glue, devoid of fiber, roughage and most essential nutrients, that also ends up clogging our intestines.

There is another aspect to this much loved provision. Pasta, being a very starchy food, may be good and fine for some people, perhaps 25-50% of the population, but the rest may not fare so well at all. People who have a low glucose tolerance, are insulin resistant, have fluctuating blood sugar levels, be diabetic, etc. may find that they do not convert these carbohydrates into energy, but instead straight into fat. Instead of obtaining energy from such food, it renders them sluggish instead. This kind of fare also wreaks havoc with those suffering from celiac disease and various other forms of gluten intolerance. Refined starches are also the culprits that contribute to elevated cholesterol levels, heart disease and other such degenerative disorders.

HIDDEN DANGERS

Most of the commercially available, low-priced pasta that we buy in packages and plastic bags is made from white bleached flour to which a range of chemicals have been applied to ensure a long shelf life for the product. The plastic wrapping also ensures that molds are allowed to grow on it. Molds do not have to be visible as thick gray coverings, they may be present (and usually are) in anything that’s wrapped in plastic.
According to Dr. Hulda Regehr Clark, author of The Cure for all Diseases (New Century Press, San Diego, CA) most commercially manufactured pasta is mold-ridden, and even after cooking, it may be toxic (and place additional strain on the liver - contributing to liver toxicity). All US brands of pasta she tested contained mold, including some health food store brands. Interestingly enough, none of the Mexican brands she tested contained any molds.

So what’s a spaghetti-addicted person to do in search of a quick pasta fix? After all, a pasta meal can be produced in just minutes. Well, there are alternatives, healthier ones:

a) purchase only freshly made pasta. There are a number of specialty stores (usually in Italian proprietorship) that make it fresh on the premises - kept in the cooler rather than cardboard box.
b) make your own. If you like spending time in the kitchen, invest in a pasta maker and make your own, using good flour, perhaps some specialty flours.
c) scour the health food stores and organic markets for pasta made with flour from “ancient grains” known for their health benefits and low gluten content, flour made from old but newly popular grains such as quinoa, buckwheat, soya, millet, teff and even rice.

More important than the pasta itself is the stuff you serve with it, the “pasta fixings”. Why not get away from the traditional tomato-sauce-and-parmesan-cheese or worse still, macaroni and cheese dinners, and combine pasta with a wide range of vegetables, cooked and raw, using herbs and spices known to have antibacterial and antifungal properties such as turmeric, oregano, hot peppers and, of course, garlic. The possibilities are endless and may cater to all tastes. And if pasta isn’t quite your cup of tea, why not enjoy just the fixings?
.
Pasta, the good kind, can also be turned into a tasty baked dish, sweetened with fruit, providing quite a substantial dessert, or brunch dish.

The following two recipes can be prepared simultaneously - one for immediate consumption and the other perhaps for the next day’s supper, or lunch, or brunch. Cook a large quantity of to quality pasta al dente.

Basic Hints on Cooking Pasta

You’ll need a large pot, a pinch of salt and a spoon of oil - pasta (be it spaghetti, linguine, macaroni, spaghettini, etc.) requires lots of space when cooking or else it will stick together.

In a large pot bring water to boil with a teaspoon of salt and about a tablespoon of oil. Add pasta and cook open (without the lid) for about 7 - ? minutes. The cooking time really depends on the type of pasta used. Freshly made pasta needs only a very short time in boiling water, and the thinner the noodle the shorter the cooking time. Needless to say, lasagna will take longer, as will pasta made from soy flour. Simply test after appropriate cooking time. Don’t overcook it. Pasta that’s still a little “al dente” (chewable), tends to be nicer. When done, pour off water and keep warm, but try to use shortly thereafter.

Visit the Recipes page:

Edith Carter

---