Lovers of Italian cuisine regularly include it in their menus. However, for all those who watch their line, a question always arises: do they make you fat? Answers.
Pasta is still as appealing as ever: 7 out of 10 French people consume it at least once a week. And in 2020, we consumed 9.1 kg of it per inhabitant according to the SIFPAF (Union of pasta manufacturers in France).
The problem is the accompaniment
Spaghetti, Penne, Rigatoni, whatever their form, pasta is one of the most popular foods among the French. Easy to cook, it’s the practical and economical solution when you’re out of ideas. But the recurring question for slimming candidates is “do they make you fat”? To answer this, several factors must be taken into account.
First the quantity. You should know that 100 g of cooked pasta provide an average of 125 calories. This represents 4 tablespoons. But in general, we consume 200 g. So in itself, it does not represent a risk for the silhouette. The problem is their support. What makes you fat is the butter, the cheese or the sauces you add to it. “All these additions significantly increase the caloric value and put the figure at risk”, warns Doctor Laurent Chevallier, nutritionist.
Prefer whole pasta
Apart from the quantity and the accompaniments, the other risk is the type of pasta eaten. “White pasta has a high glycemic index. This means that it quickly raises blood sugar levels, in other words blood sugar. The pancreas will produce insulin to bring glucose from the blood to the muscles. Gold spikes and drops in blood sugar create “pumps”, irrational eating behaviors (cravings, etc.), and ultimately various pathologies (obesity, diabetes, etc.), says the specialist.
So should we remove them from our diet if we fear for our line? The answer is no, provided you consume them complete, or semi-complete. Their glycemic index is much lower, and thus, they satiate better, and there is no risk of insulin spikes, long-term diabetes, or weight gain.
Half pasta, half vegetables
Another reflex to adopt, accompany them with cooked vegetables. “You can eat them on a dessert plate to limit the quantities and divide the plate in two: half vegetables, half pasta”, advises Dr. Chevallier. They can thus be mixed with homemade ratatouille, pan-fried mushrooms, diced tomatoes, etc. This way of eating them gives flavor without increasing the caloric addition.
Finally, if you practice regular physical activity, you can increase the quantities and eat them on a normal plate, always complete and accompanied by vegetables, respecting the 50/50 proportion. If you are planning a long jog one morning, this is the perfect dish to eat the night before. It will allow you to go the distance without any problem.
Thanks to Dr Laurent Chevallier nutritionist doctor in Castelnau-le Lez and author of “So we eat what?”, published by Fayard.
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