The Benefits of Pasta
Benefits of Pasta
Health & Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Pasta fattening?
Is San Remo pasta GM-free?
Are carbohydrates fattening?
Is Pasta recommended for fitness enthusiats?
Is Pasta recommended for people with high blood pressure?
Is Pasta recommended for children?
What other nutrients are in pasta?
What is the conversion of dry to cooked pasta?
Benefits of Pasta
Convenient
San Remo pasta is a convenient choice for your family. The San Remo range includes both fresh and dry pasta with the fresh range including several filled pasta choices.
Once you have a saucepan of water boiling, some varieties of pasta can be cooked in just two to four minutes. San Remo filled fresh pasta served with San Remo fresh pasta sauce (in the microwavable sachet) can be a complete meal in about six to ten minutes.
If you are driving home from work and don’t know what you are going to cook for dinner, it is always a convenient alternative to have pasta in your fridge or pantry!
Flexible
The San Remo range of pasta includes a wide number of long and short pasta options. This is one of the real benefits of San Remo pasta. The broad range of shapes and styles combined with the variety of pasta meal recipes available makes Pasta a flexible meal choice for your family.
On this site, we have made suggestions how different pasta shapes can be used in ways that are best suited to each of them. We have also made suggestions about meals and meal components that are suited for all the seasons of the year.
This site also includes suggestions on how San Remo pasta products can be substituted for other foods such as rice and potatoes.
Affordable
Pasta is very affordable so you don’t need to compromise on quality. A packet of top quality San Remo pasta plus a few vegetables, a can of tinned salmon, a splash of quality olive oil and a sprinkling of cracked black pepper will give you a great, inexpensive meal for four that will look and taste like a fancy restaurant meal.
When you think about the cost of buying better quality, San Remo is an easy choice. Taste the difference!
Health and Nutrition
Pasta has long been recognised as a nutritious food that not only tastes great, but is extremely low in fat (only 1.5g of fat per 100g). In fact, the small amount of fat in pasta is found only in the wheat. There is no fat added to pasta.
Nutrition figures stated are per 100g*
| PASTA VARIETY | Regular Pasta | Egg Pasta | Vegeroni Pasta | Soyaroni Twists | Wholemeal Pasta | CousCous |
| Energy-kJ | 1518 | 1512 | 1518 | 1475 | 1390 | 1500 |
| Calories-Cal | 361 | 360 | 361 | 350 | 331 | 357 |
| Protein-g | 12 | 13 | 12 | 15 | 13 | 11.5 |
| Fat-g | 1.5 | 1.8 | 1.5 | 2.8 | 2.5 | 1.5 |
| Saturated Fat-g | 0.5 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 0.9 | 1.2 | 0.6 |
| Carbohydrates-g | 74 | 72 | 74 | 63.4 | 57 | 71 |
| Sugars-g | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 2.2 | 1.8 | 1.5 |
| Sodium-mg | 30.0 | 50.0 | 30.0 | 510.0 | 30.0 | 100.0 |
*Above figures relate to dry pasta and couscous
Why is Pasta good for me?
- Pasta is a grain-based food. The Australian National Health and Medical Research Council recommends that we all get at least 4 serves of grain based foods in our daily diet, more if we are active (Visit http://www.eatforhealth.gov.au for more information).
- Pasta is also a Carbohdyrate food, such as grains, fruits and vegetables. These are a major source of vitamins and minerals in the diet.
- Top athletes and exercise enthusiasts often turn to pasta to load up on carbohydrates in an effort to increase and store muscle glycogen for prolonged, exhaustive activities.
- Dietary fibre, which is a carbohydrate, helps keep the bowel functioning correctly.
- If you’re a diabetic, nutritionists recommend “including, at each main meal, some carbohydrate food that releases its energy slowly”
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Pasta fattening?
One cup of cooked pasta provides about 200 calories (830 kilojoules ), 40 grams of carbohydrates, less than one gram of total fat and no cholesterol. With this in mind, Pasta is one of the healthiest foods around. The question is always what pasta sauce to use without heaping on the calories.
Is San Remo pasta GM-free?
Yes. GM is the term for Genetic Modification. It relates to whether or not ingredients in the product have been derived from materials with a modified genetic structure. San Remo’s pasta is completely free of Genetically Modified ingredients. San Remo Durum wheat is grown in Australia’s ideal conditions, helped by the sun, rain and good soil. So if natural foods are important to you, San Remo dry pasta should be your first choice.
Are carbohydrates fattening?
The simple answer is no. The current spur of ‘high fat, low carb’ diets presents a non-balanced approach to eating. These diets recommend a high fat intake to compensate for the lack of taste normally enjoyed in complex carbohydrate foods. Eventually this can lead to a reliance on high fat foods long after the diet has ended. If you’re looking to reduce weight, the old mantra – ‘everything in moderation’ – is the best guide. What matters most is your total calorie consumption. Nutritionists recommend that we regularly eat foods high in complex carbohydrates such as pasta, breads and cereals as the foundation of a healthy diet. The Australian National Health and Medical Research Council recommends that we all get at least 4 serves of grain based foods in our daily diet, more if we are active (Visit http://www.eatforhealth.gov.au for more information). About 80 per cent of the calories in pasta are in the form of complex carbohydrates. Just as there are good and bad facts, there are also good and bad carbohydrates. The complex carbohydrates – the good kind – found in pasta means it is more slowly digested and keeps you feeling full for much longer. So you’re less likely to snack or binge later. Pasta is the perfect eating partner.
Is Pasta recommended for fitness enthusiasts?
‘Carb loading’ is a popular term which refers to the ability of pasta to provide sustained energy. Top athletes and exercise enthusiasts often turn to pasta to load up on carbohydrates in an effort to increase and store muscle glycogen for prolonged, exhaustive activities like long-distance running and bike riding. By eating pasta you will retain energy for longer and get the most out of your exercise regime. You need to allow a sufficient time between eating and exercising, so the body can digest fully.
Is Pasta recommended for people with high blood pressure?
Yes. Pasta is very low in sodium and is an ideal food for people with high blood pressure as it tastes great, is low in fat, and is satisfying. A 125g serving of San Remo pasta contains no added salt and just 38mg of naturally occurring sodium. As a comparison, a teaspoon of salt contains 2000mg of sodium.
Is pasta recommended for children?
Yes. Pasta is a nutritious and filling meal to provide to children. Try melting a little butter into the hot pasta, or making a simple tomato sauce and kids will love you for it. Use Risoni, Soup Pasta and other fun shapes like Orrechiette to make pasta fun for kids.
What other nutrients are in pasta?
Pasta contains valuable levels of iron, riboflavin, thiamine and niacin. Six of the eight essential amino acids can be found in pasta, making it a valuable protein source for vegetarians. When eaten with other protein-rich foods like meat or dairy products, it provides all essential amino acids in the one meal.
Many people eat their pasta with a tomato-based sauce which provides another health benefit in the form of lycopene, a naturally occurring antioxidant found in tomatoes.
What is the conversion of dry to cooked pasta?
This will depend on the cooking method, but typically, normal cooking of 100g of dry pasta yields 240g of cooked pasta (therefore, the pasta absorbs 140% of its weight in water). This figure can be affected by the thickness of the pasta, the cooking texture that is considered ‘al dente’ (firm to the bite) and the amount of salt used in the water when cooking.
