While it seems to have earned a bad name, pasta isn’t the dietary
evil it’s often made out to be. In fact, when it comes to your weight
and blood glucose levels, the problem isn’t so much the pasta,
but what you put on the pasta and how much you serve up.
This is supported by an Italian study, which found that as part
of a traditional Mediterranean diet, those who ate more pasta
had a lower body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference and
were less likely to be overweight or obese. So, if you enjoy pasta,
go ahead – but aim for about one cup of cooked pasta and toss
in plenty of vegetables or serve a large salad on the side.And isn’t pasta off the menu?
How do I know which
foods have a low GI?
Lower-GI foods include legumes
(lentils, chickpeas and canned/
dried beans), rolled or steel-cut
oats, wholegrains such as barley,
quinoa, freekeh and burghul,
dense wholegrain breads, pasta
(not the gluten-free varieties),
sweetcorn, many fruits and
dairy products such as milk
and yoghurt. Unfortunately, not
all foods have been GI tested
due to the time and cost
that’s involved,
but your best bet
when shopping
for packaged
foods is to
look out
for the
You mentioned wholegrain
bread – but isn’t bread^
something to be avoided?
Many people seem to think
bread is bad. Yet the right type
can be a healthy carb choice, and
is often lower in carbs and GI
and higher in fibre and nutrition
than other carb choices such as
cracker biscuits, rice, pasta and
potato. The key is choosing the
right one. The best choices are
dense, grainy breads – ones with
lots of visible grains and seeds.
If you really don’t like grains,
or can’t manage them due to
dental or digestive problems,
traditional sourdough is the
next best option, but try to pick
a wholemeal or rye sourdough
for more fibre. What you putGlycemic Index Foundation’s
Low GI Certified symbol. As well
as certifying that a food is low-GI
(as tested by approved methods),
it must also be an overall healthy
choice within its category, having
to meet criteria for energy, total
and saturated fat, sodium and,
where appropriate, fibre
and calcium.special report