A big bowl of pasta is a favorite comfort food for many people. However, because pasta is a simple carbohydrate, many people limit it in their diet.
It turns out that pasta can become a healthier food by chilling and eating it as leftovers. Changing the temperature is an easy way to convert simple starches like rice and pasta into foods that are higher in fiber.
What Happens When You Eat Starchy Carbohydrates?
When simple carbohydrates like pasta and rice are freshly cooked and hot, the starch molecules they contain are widely spaced and easy to break down and digest. They are converted very quickly into sugars in the stomach and small intestine and released into the bloodstream.
If starchy foods are refrigerated after cooking, another process begins. As they cool down, the starch molecules begin to rearrange themselves, becoming more tightly packed in a process called retrogradation. Once the pasta is thoroughly chilled, the natural starches are converted into resistant starches, a type of fiber that is present in many plant foods.
The Health Benefits of Resistant Starches
Foods that are high in fiber like whole grains, nuts, broccoli and beans take longer to digest and promote a slower, more gradual release of glucose into the bloodstream. Your blood sugar rises more slowly and feelings of fullness last longer. This can be especially important for people who are managing diabetesand other health conditions.
Including more resistant starches in your diet has been linked to improved blood sugar and cholesterol levels, better gut health and a reduced risk of some cancers. And, because the body is forced to work harder to digest resistant starches, you burn more calories in the process.
Reheating Improves Nutrition Too
Here’s more good news: If the thought of eating cold pasta doesn’t appeal to you, reheating starchy foods that have been refrigerated maintains the added resistant starches that have formed. So you can cook, chill, reheat and enjoy, with similar health benefits.
Some Rules Apply
- It takes many hours for simple starches to convert to resistant starches. Ideally, and for maximum benefit, pasta and rice should be chilled for a full 24 hours before eating or reheating.
- It’s important to refrigerate foods soon after cooking to avoid the possibility of bacterial growth and food-borne illness.
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Managing blood glucose levels is essential to good health. Extreme fluctuations are unhealthy and sustained high blood sugar can lead to serious illnesses, including diabetes. University Hospitals has a team of clinical dietitianswith the knowledge and expertise to help patients improve health, prevent or manage disease and enhance well-being through good, balanced nutrition.
FAQs
However, because pasta is a simple carbohydrate, many people limit it in their diet. It turns out that pasta can become a healthier food by chilling and eating it as leftovers. Changing the temperature is an easy way to convert simple starches like rice and pasta into foods that are higher in fiber.
Does cooling pasta reduce carbs? ›
Pasta, like all carbs, are made up of mostly starch. But just refrigerating pasta for 24 hours or more, then eating it, cuts the amount of starch in it that your body digests.
Is pasta supposed to be eaten cold? ›
Fresh pastas, while great when eaten just after cooking, won't hold up quite as well when held over time. Dried pasta can be served chilled or at room temperature, and is sturdy enough to maintain its texture when tossed with dressing and other ingredients.
Does pasta change calories when cooked? ›
The calories don't change. The pasta has exactly the same number of calories. The change occurs because cooked pasta absorbs water and, as a result, increases in weight while the calories stay the same (water doesn't have calories), so the calories per 100 grams or per portion of cooked pasta go down.
Does pasta lose calories when refrigerated? ›
Calories. Cooling and reheating pasta will have the same number of calories but the type of starches might be altered.
What is healthier, rice or pasta? ›
In conclusion, both pasta and rice can be healthy options when consumed in moderation and paired with nutrient-dense ingredients. However, if we were to compare the two, whole-grain pasta is generally considered a healthier option than white rice due to its higher fiber content and lower glycemic index.
Does cold pasta help you lose weight? ›
The cooled pasta becomes resistant to the gut enzymes that break carbohydrates down to release glucose, reducing blood sugar surges, meaning you absorb fewer calories. “So your leftover pasta, even when reheated, has extra benefits alongside saving you the hassle of cooking again,” summarises Leeming.
What cancels out carbs? ›
However, some carbs can't be broken down into individual sugars, whereas others are only partially broken down and absorbed. These include fiber and sugar alcohols. Because of this, most fiber and sugar alcohols can be subtracted from total carbs when calculating net carbs.
What are the 5 worst foods for blood sugar? ›
10 Worst Foods for Your Blood Sugar
- KETCHUP. ...
- WHITE PASTA. ...
- BAGELS. ...
- ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS. ...
- FRUIT JUICE. ...
- ENERGY BARS. ...
- LOW-FAT SWEETENED YOGURT. ...
- SPORTS DRINKS AND ENERGY DRINKS. Energy drinks and sports drinks carry all the woes of fruit juice with the added no-no of more sugars.
Is pasta good for gut health? A diet high in refined carbohydrates is generally not good for your gut health, since being on a high-refined carbohydrate diet can reduce the presence of good bacteria in your gut. This can result in digestion issues.
No, in almost every case, you should not rinse pasta after it's cooked. It's true that rinsing noodles or pasta after cooking halts the cooking process. “This is also known as shocking,” Tiess says. But rinsing also removes the starch water after the noodles are strained, which is what helps adhere sauce to noodles.
What are the benefits of eating pasta? ›
It's Part of a Good Diet
Pasta is made from grain, one of the basic food groups in a healthy diet that also can include vegetables, fruits, fish, and poultry. It's a good source of energy and can give you fiber, too, if it's made from whole grain. That can help with stomach problems and may help lower cholesterol.
Is eating cold pasta better for you? ›
An experiment on the BBC TV show Trust me, I'm a Doctor, led by Dr Denise Robertson (senior nutrition scientist at the University of Surrey), showed that eating cooled or reheated pasta – turning it into 'resistant starch' – could help to reduce the rise of blood glucose levels.
Does refrigerating pasta lower the glycemic index? ›
Pasta put to the test
The blood sugar levels of the participants were measured every 15 minutes for two hours after eating the pasta. As predicted, the hot bowl of pasta showed the biggest rise in blood sugar levels. The chilled pasta resulted in a slightly lower rise.
What foods lower blood sugar overnight? ›
Other options include:
- A sugar-free frozen pop.
- One light cheese stick.
- One tablespoon of peanut butter (15 grams) and celery.
- A hard-boiled egg.
- Five baby carrots.
- Light popcorn, 3/4 cup (approximately 6 grams)
- Salad greens with cucumber and a drizzle of oil and vinegar.
Cold cooked food is generally safe, though it may not taste good.
Are cold noodles better for you? ›
Cold noodles contain more resistant starch. Resistant starch is a type of fiber that may lead to better gut and immune health.
Should you reheat pasta? ›
When using up rice and pasta leftovers, make sure to heat to 165°F all the way through and eat right away. Do not reheat whole dishes more than once and do not keep either for more than few days even if properly stored and refrigerated.
Why do people use cold water for pasta? ›
In fact, starting your pasta in cold water has a myriad of benefits: It takes less energy to heat, it takes less time since the noodles come to a boil with the water, and you end up with concentrated starchy cooking water that gives a silky, creamy finish to pasta sauces.
