Nutrition-Related Questions

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'.

Pasta alone will not make you fat.  Calorie intake in excess of the body's energy needs can be stored as excess fat. Pasta is a good complex carbohydrate food. Watch the portion size and skip the heavy cream or butter based sauces to trim back the calorie content of the meal and choose nutrient rich pasta 'partners' that are high in fibre or protein and low in unhealthy fats, such as fresh herbs, vegetables, beans, and lean poultry.

Barilla's range of pasta sauces are all gluten free. Please refer to the individual product page or product label for final confirmation.