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Pasta provides steady energy.  Cooking pasta perfectly ‘al dente’ (still slightly firm) allows you to reap the full benefits of pasta’s already strong ability to increase satiety, delaying hunger pangs and providing fuel for working muscles long after meals. Due to the special protein structure of traditional pasta dough, pasta has a low to medium glycemic index (GI) value depending on the cut, which means that the body digests it more slowly than most other carbohydrates. That’s true for pasta that’s made from either soft or hard wheat. To keep the GI value low, cook your pasta to ‘al dente.’

Contrary to popular myth, adding oil into the water does not stop pasta sticking together. It will only make the pasta slippery which means your delicious sauce will not stick.

Instead, add salt to the pasta water when it comes to the boil and before you add the pasta. The salt will be absorbed by the pasta as it cooks, enhancing the delicious flavour of the pasta.

The Mediterranean style of eating is celebrated as one of the healthiest diets in the world. Pasta is a cornerstone of this diet, and in fact it is eaten regularly in Italy. Pasta is not only an affordable, healthy family meal choice, but also provides a delicious culinary vehicle in which to incorporate more vegetables, legumes, fish, meats and other healthy foods into your eating plan. Pasta can provide many of the key nutrients your body needs as part of a balanced diet.

The nutritional benefits of pasta are:

• SUSTAINED ENERGY:  Pasta is an excellent source of complex carbohydrates, which provide a slow release of energy to sustain you throughout the day.
• LOW SODIUM & CHOLESTEROL-FREE:  Pasta is very low in sodium and can provide important nutrients including iron and several B vitamins. Whole wheat pasta can provide up to 25% of daily fibre requirements in every one cup portion.
• LOW GI:  Pasta has a low Glycaemic Index (GI) so it does not cause blood glucose levels to rise quickly.  Blood glucose is sometimes referred to as blood 'sugar'.