May is International Mediterranean Diet Month and this year, it’s a very special celebration as it marks 30 years from when the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid was first released. It’s hard to believe that before that time, this incredibly healthy way of eating had garnered very little attention. Then the Boston-based Oldways, a group dedicated to preserving cultural foodways, teamed up with the Harvard School of Public Health and the WHO to develop the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid.
The result was that they changed how we eat.
Scientific studies on the countless benefits of the Mediterranean diet followed at a fast and furious pace while chefs brought forth their tantalizing creations.
We haven’t looked back since.
Except for pasta. Somehow this favourite offering has been unfairly maligned.
Many people have incorrectly classified it together with the likes of white bread and sugar in its impact on various health measures such as its impact on blood sugar readings.
Pasta, cooked al dente, deserves a better reputation
Pasta cooked al dente, meaning to the tooth, results in lower blood sugar and insulin readings than other grain products made with the same type of semolina flour. A recent study, published in the Journal of Nutrition, looked at some of the possible reasons for this.
In the study, both spaghetti and penne were compared to bread and couscous and like other studies which showed pasta to have a low glycemic index (GI) (the rate at which it causes blood sugar levels to rise following consumption), the pasta led to lower blood sugar and insulin readings.
The researchers evaluated what’s called the food matrix (the structure of the food) which plays a role in how fast the food is digested. Pasta, by virtue of how it’s made, has a more complex matrix and is therefore broken down in the digestive tract more slowly. This is what yields a lower GI.
So if you have been avoiding pasta due to its blood sugar effects, it’s time to dig in and enjoy.
Avoid portion distortion
But the key to making it a healthy option is to steer clear of portion distortion. Somehow here in North America, we are used to seeing plates of pasta for one that would feed a family of four in Italy.
Pasta is a fabulous vehicle to up vegetable and pulses to your plate
It’s hard to keep pasta portions in control when you’re only topping it with a red sauce. Instead, think of pasta as a vehicle to add delicious and nutritious accompaniments.
If you’re trying to limit your portions, while one cup of pasta may seem like a meagre serving, it doesn’t have to be. Instead serve it with some of the following ingredients and it’s another story. Be sure to sauté them in extra virgin olive oil and maybe some chopped garlic for maximum taste and nutrition. Top it off with some freshly grated parmesan cheese and plenty of herbs (for even a bigger nutritional bang).
• Onions, peppers and mushrooms
• Canned white beans and spinach
• A few smashed anchovies, garlic and rapini (a.k.a. broccoli rabe) or plain broccoli (Cook the rapini or broccoli beforehand together with the pasta and then add it to the anchovy/garlic combo)
• A whack of caramelized onions
• Oven dried tomatoes and roasted garlic
• Canned chick peas, tuna, capers and diced canned or fresh tomatoes or grape/cherry tomatoes
• Sautéed greens of your choice, such as kale, chard and mustard or beet greens etc. (again lot of garlic)
• Assorted odds and ends of vegetables in your fridge like diced zucchini, green beans and more
The possibilities are endless and delicious. And if you’re hungry, keep in mind that your pasta dinner can be on the table in much less time than it would take for a pizza delivery!
Enlightened Eater 
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