Pasta and the Grain Products Group
Like breads and cereals, pasta belongs to the Grain Products food group in Eating Well with Canada's Food Guide. Grain products are an important part of a healthy diet because they provide:
energy
carbonhydrates
fibre
B-vitamins (such as thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, and folacin)
minerals (such as iron, zinc and magnesium).
We need carbohydrates for energy to think, move and exercise. In fact, according to health experts such as Health Canada,
45-65% of our diet should be made up of carbohydrate foods, such as breads, cereals, pasta, vegetables, fruit and legumes.1,2 When we eat carbohydrates, our body breaks them down into glucose, or immediate energy. Carbohydrates can also be stored as fuel in the muscles (called "glycogen"), and are an important part of the diet for endurance athletes, such as marathon runners.
Are You Getting Enough Grain Products?
The Food Guide recommends that at least half of the grains eaten should be whole grains such as barley, brown rice, oatmeal, whole grain breads, and whole grain whole wheat pasta. Women need 6 to 7 servings of Grain Products every day, and men need 7 to 8 daily servings. But, according to a national nutrition survey, we're just not getting enough grains. The problem gets worse as we age. Almost half of women over age 30, and about two-thirds of women over 50 aren't eating the minimum recommended servings of Grain Products every day. Over one-third of men over 50 and almost 45% of men over 70 are also falling short of their recommendations.3
The good news is that just ½ cup of cooked CATELLI® HEALTHY HARVEST® whole grain pasta counts as a serving of Grain Products in Eating Well with Canada's Food Guide. A few servings of HEALTHY HARVEST whole grain pasta is an easy and nutritious way to help you reach your minimum daily servings of Grain Products.
