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Barilla Plus Pasta | Healthy Food of the Day

December 28, 2008 on 1:21 pm | By Matt | In Healthy Recipes & Snacks | 2 Comments

Barilla Plus Pasta is higher in protein, Omega-3s and fiber than regular pasta. The question is: How does this healthier version of Barilla pasta hold up in the taste department? 

Nearly everyone loves a good plate of pasta. And provided you don’t smother it with Fettuccine Alfredo sauce or heap on the Italian sausage, pasta can actually be a tasty and filling addition to a healthy diet … in moderation.

The issue with most traditional pastas made with semolina flour is that they are relatively low in fiber and protein, and aren’t made with whole grains.

While a plate of spaghetti can make a pretty solid post-workout meal (your body uses the carbohydrates more efficiently after weight or resistance training), many a spare tire was built on top of too many bowls of penne. And the fact that most people overestimate what a serving of pasta really is (sometimes eating as much as three servings in a single setting), the extra calories can start to add up quickly.

One option is to switch to one of the 100% whole wheat versions of pasta out there, for example Hodgson Mills Whole Wheat pasta. However, some people find the flavor of whole wheat pastas to be a bit strong. The texture sometimes also suffers because of the presence of wheat bran.

Barilla Plus Pasta To The Rescue

Enter Barilla Plus Pasta – a multigrain pasta that is not only higher in protein than your average semolina pasta, but also higher in fiber and Omega-3 fatty acids, a class of healthy fats that has been associated with lowered risk of heart disease.

The first thing to understand about Barilla Plus Pasta is that while Barilla labels it “multi-grain” you shouldn’t confuse it with “whole-grain.” Barilla Plus Pasta is still made with semolina and durum flour — the basis of all traditional pastas — and these flours have been refined to remove the bran and germ. So it’s not 100% whole grain.

What Barilla has doneis enrich their Plus Pastas with the addition of a grain and legume flour blend made from lentils, chickpeas, spelt, barley, flaxseed, oat fiber, oats and egg whites.

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