Finally, Pasta for Dieters!

Low-calorie, high-fiber pasta… too good to be true? Not anymore, thanks to the folks at Fiber Gourmet. Recently, I tried their spinach, tomato and standard Light Pasta Noodles and was very impressed! The consistency was just like “real” pasta: chewy, substantial and satisfying, not gritty or gummy.

According to Fiber Gourmet, the caloric content of the pasta is minimized (hence the “light” labeling) because of the added fiber, which is calorie-free. Fiber replaces much of the deleterious starch, which rapidly increases blood sugar and leads to obesity and type 2 diabetes with excessive intake.

Dietary fibers are defined as nondigestible carbohydrates that are intact and intrinsic in plants. The physiological effects of fiber in the gastrointestinal tract are highly varied, but insoluble fiber, which makes up about 34% of Fiber Gourmet pasta or 18 g in 2 ounces of pasta, has been implicated in the treatment of several gastrointestinal (GI) disorders, including diverticular disease, gallstones, irritable bowel syndrome, and constipation.[1] In addition, populations with higher fiber intakes have a lower incidence of GI disorders, heart disease, and breast and colon cancers.[2]

In 2002, the National Academy of Sciences Food and Nutrition Board established Dietary Reference Intakes, specifically the following adequate intakes (AI) for fiber:

“Men aged 19—50 years: 38 g total fiber; Men 50 and older: 31 g total fiber. Women aged 19—50 years: 25 g total fiber; women 51 and older: 21 g total fiber recommended.”[3]

As I applaud the extraordinarily high fiber amounts of packed into these tasty, textured strips of pasta, I must caution that the total carbohydrate content is by no means low. Eighteen grams comes from fiber (not digested, so OK) but 25 g derive from refined carbohydrates—not such a minimal amount. Dieticians often recommend fewer than 20 g of refined carbs in a given day.

Bottom line: Fiber Gourmet pasta is a great SUBSTITUTION for regular pasta. With 20 g of fiber and 130 calories per 2 oz (56 g) of dry pasta, it contains 40% fewer calories than standard pasta and 10 times more fiber. If you are striving to lose weight but insist of integrating pasta meals into your diet, Fiber Gourmet is the way to go. In general, however, it is advisable to eliminate as many refined carbohydrates as possible, as they are often very addictive (and 2 oz of pasta easily leads to 4, and so on). Slowly switching to healthier varieties of our favorite foods can make small improvements in our weight, but ultimately we need to strive for consuming mostly fresh, whole, natural foods.