Here is the truth about the study that says no.
Last week, science gave pasta lovers something to rejoice about. A new study seemed to negate the idea that eating pasta makes you gain weight.
But does this mean you can blindly choke on pasta? We took a close look at it.
In the study, involving more than 23,000 Italians, the researchers found that people who ate the most pasta had lower body mass index and healthier waist measurements, compared to people who ate less.
However, the results published in the journal Nature were only based on associations that do not necessarily prove something.
In fact, there are a few details worth discussing before you start eating spaghetti and meatballs like there’s no tomorrow.
First, it is still a bad idea to eat a whole plate of pasta.
It is no secret that Europeans – including Italians – tend to eat smaller portions than Americans.
In fact, the average serving of pasta in the study was 3 ounces. But, in our continent, it is normal to eat much more than that at home or in a restaurant.
The point is, pasta is not fattening per se as long as you eat a normal serving. But most people don’t.
And if you regularly eat too much pasta in one sitting, you may end up with a problem.
So you have to familiarize yourself with what a portion of responsible pasta looks like: Half a cup is just the portion that would fit in the palm of your hand, that’s the amount you should eat.
But it also matters what you eat it with.
In the study, thin pasta eaters didn’t spend their time eating macaroni and cheese or Alfredo fettuccine.
Instead, they stuck to a Mediterranean diet – which includes plenty of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts, seeds, and fish, and just a little dairy and meat.
In other words, even occasionally eating pasta made with refined flours, the rest of their food – and their diet in general – consisted of nutritious food, not junk.
The lesson?
Eat your spaghetti with plenty of veggies and lean sources of protein and a pinch of cheese or butter – not the other way around.
This will not only prevent your plate from being high in calories, but the extra fiber and protein will make your noodles more filling.
Now that you know how to prepare them well, go and eat them.