Carb Your Enthusiasm: It's the Best Day of the Year!

-



Did you know there is an entire day dedicated to one of the best foods ever? National Pasta Day is celebrated every October 17th. With a massive selection of shapes, sauces, and add-ins, the creative freedom in making a tasty pasta dish is endless. Unfortunately, pasta has started to get a bad rap in recent years due to its high carbohydrate content. For many people, such as those with diabetes or other chronic diseases, having to limit high-carb foods is inevitable. However, it is still important to note that carbs are the body's main source of fuel, and pasta is a great way to include them in our diets.

Carb content aside, pasta has so many other health benefits. It's a great source of micronutrients such as iron and various B vitamins (thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, folate). There are also many ways to utilize your sauce and add-in choices to help maximize these nutrients. For example, choosing a marinara sauce, which contains vitamin C, will help you better absorb the iron found in the pasta. Adding meat and/or veggies can also help to add some extra protein and other nutrients.

There are also many different varieties of pasta that offer different types of nutrients, such as whole wheat pasta if you are looking for a higher fiber option. There has also been a recent rise in protein pastas, which are often legume-based (chickpeas, lentils, peas, etc.) or made with soy protein. If you are someone who needs to limit carbs for health reasons, they even make lower-carb pasta nowadays. Whatever your preferences or health needs are, there is sure to be an enjoyable pasta option that you can dress up with whatever sauces, meats, or veggies you want!

October 17th is officially one of my favorite days of the year. Of course, you don't have to limit yourself to enjoying a big bowl of noodles to just this one day. From a refreshing pasta salad to a comforting lasagna soup, there are many ways to love pasta any time of year!

GM

References:

https://www.myplate.gov/eat-healthy/grains 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Sweet Benefits of Valentine's Day Chocolate

-
Image
 With Valentine’s Day coming, we all love those sweet treats that come along with the holiday, whether chocolate, baked goods, or even fruit candies.  But have you ever wondered if chocolate could be healthy for you? Chocolate has three categories we may all know: dark chocolate, milk chocolate, and white chocolate. This is determined by the amount of cocoa solids made from cocoa beans mixed with cocoa butter and sugar. In America, a standard bar of dark chocolate has around 70% - 85% cocoa.  Dark chocolate contains a large amount of flavonoids which are antioxidants that protect our bodies from damage. So the higher the content of cocoa the higher the amount of flavonoids.  While dark chocolate has the benefit of flavonoids, there are more benefits including: A source of important minerals - such as iron, magnesium, zinc, copper, and phosphorus  Non-dairy - a good option for those with a milk allergy or sensitivity  High in fiber - around 4 grams per ounce...
Read more

Nutrition Interventions and HIV

-
Practice Paper of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Nutrition Intervention and Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection Treatment of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Autoimmune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) can present many nutritional challenges, especially related to obesity due to treatments that have extended life expectancy for this population. Antiretroviral Therapies (ART)   have shifted nutrition concerns from undernutrition to obesity and cardiometabolic problems. HIV can alter metabolism, resulting in protein-energy malnutrition, anemias, and micronutrient deficiencies. Risks for chronic disease such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes are higher in this population than in the general population, and obesity and overweight incidence is increasing in people affected by this disease. Food insecurity is also higher than average in this population. RDs should use the nutrition care process and nutrition focused physical exams to identify malnutrition and n...
Read more

Heart-Healthy Snacking: The Best of Both Worlds for National Snacking Month and Heart Month

-
Image
  Designed by  Freepik February brings us two important topics to celebrate: National Heart Month and National Food Snacking Month! You may be asking yourself, are snacks even good for me? Yes, they are! A snack is typically eaten between main meals. Benefits of snacks include providing a boost of energy when several hours have passed between meals (which causes blood glucose levels to drop), helps reduce your appetite to decrease overeating at the next meal, can help maintain good nutrition if one has a poor appetite but cannot eat full meals due to an illness for example, and provide extra nutrients when choosing snacks like fresh fruit or nuts. The downfall of snacks is if the frequency of eating them is too much it can lead to reduced hunger at meals times causing some to skip a meal entirely. Many of us also prefer ultra-processed snacks such as chips, ice cream, candy, soft drinks, and cake which are not always the best option to fuel our day. A way to curb the downf...
Read more