Pasta is not your enemy

This week in the journal: clearing up a few confusing points

My endurance athlete friends are looking this and saying “Huh? what? I didn’t ever think pasta was the enemy”. But for those who push back on starchy carbs in the name of protein, let’s dig in on a couple points.

1. Pasta at dinner can actually be beneficial, if dinner is at a reasonable hour. Reasonable is a hazy argument, but I’d recommend somewhere around 3-4 hours before sleep. When pasta (and other starchy carbs such as rice) break down, tryptophan passes through the Blood Brain Barrier - that layer of cells that keeps the good stuff in and the bad stuff out. That tryptophan (which people tend to associate with sleepiness) converts to that wonderful mood regulator seratonin. In short, we’ll get to sleep quicker and better.
   You’ll see the argument that pasta at dinner is bad, and that argument usually stems from the point that carbs convert to glucose. While this is true, that glucose energy can be used as fuel in the night. Eating earlier in the evening helps mitigate that. Alternate forms of pasta (zucchini or wheat) can be great options if that glucose is a concern.
   The one challenge with pasta is usually the “posse” that rides along with it- the glass or two of wine, the bread, the choice of sauce. Make wise choices!

2. Moderation is key. I use that word so much, people think my middle initial “M.” stands for moderation. There’s a reason the most famous pasta eating contingent on the planet puts pasta as a “primi” on the menu and not a “secondi”. Consuming it before or along with a lean and clean protein - chicken or salmon - can be delightul and has been for centuries. In terms of actual weight that translates to roughly 75 Kilograms or 2.5 ounces of dried pasta.

3. Versatility. Pasta is the chameleon of carbohydrates. Endless forms, usually very affordable, and easy to make. Boom, boom and boom. It allows to experiment with vegetables of all types, different proteins, as a side or a main. It even reheats well unless the sauce has something to say about it! Food needs to satisfy two requirements - nutrition first, and pleasure second. Pasta’s ability to diversity meets both those requirements.