Healthy Whole Grain Pasta Recipes
Traditionally pasta is a food that is rich in carbohydrates, low in fat, but offered little nutritional value. Even enriched pasta does not provide many nutrients to children who need large amounts of vitamins and minerals. About a decade ago, during the era of the low carb diets, pasta companies tried to make pastas that were low in carbs. While this was a good idea, the results left a lot to be desired. Certainly any pasta dish can be made into healthy pasta dishes by adding healthy ingredients, but the fact still remains that pasta dish recipes offer more carbohydrates than most health conscious people want to consume. However, the progress made by pasta companies over the past decade shows that they have made strides in producing healthier pasta. As such, some very convincing whole grain and whole wheat pastas are available. Thus, one does not only get lower carbohydrates, but higher amounts of fiber.
Healthy pasta has been a boon to families who are looking for versatile meal solutions that the whole family can enjoy. It is amusing, and a bit sad, to think of low income families of the past served their children macaroni and butter. As children can be cute, but odd creatures, many are quite content to make a whole meal of a pasta dish recipe that is basically pasta and butter. Unfortunately, such a bland pasta recipe would fill the stomachs of children, but offer little nutritional value. With the availability of 100 percent whole grain or whole wheat pasta, parents can rest assured that their little pasta lovers will finally be getting the fiber and nutrients that they would not be getting with traditional, refined pastas. Thus, every ingredient in a pasta dish recipe can be healthy.
In the past, in order for a pasta dish recipe to be healthy, vegetables and beans had to be added. Still, the pasta, itself, was filled with empty calories and carbs. And, of course, the pasta was the bulk of the meal. With the healthy pastas of today, it is difficult to find a healthier pasta dish recipe than one that includes 100 percent whole grain or whole wheat pasta and variety of vegetables tossed with garlic and olive oil. Of course, that is just one idea for a healthy pasta salad, and with the versatility of healthy pasta, the number of possible pasta dish recipes are endless.