One of the most beloved and sought-after products on our planet is rightfully considered pasta. The composition of the ingredient includes almost all of the valuable vitamins and minerals that a person needs for a full life. The calorie content of the presented product will be useful for those who adhere to a rational and balanced diet.
The attitude of people to this product
What do we know about a product like pasta? The composition of its manufacturer always indicates the packaging, and how many of us are studying useful information? Almost every consumer knows that the presented ingredient consists of wheat, and those who follow the figure are aware of the preferred consumption of products from hard cereal varieties. Pasta is revered for its extraordinary external diversity, which we owe to Italians. In some countries, ketchup pasta is a traditional breakfast; residents of other countries cannot imagine their lunch without a serving of pasta with meat or cheese sauce. Hard pasta (the composition of the product we will learn a little later) is preferred by lovers of a healthy lifestyle, complementing the usual dish with greens, spinach and wheat sprouts.
Types of Pasta
How many types of wheat product exist? To begin with, the cooking technology distinguishes between pasta raw and dry. We are used to eating dry ones because of the longer shelf life. By size, the product is divided into the following varieties:
- long (noodles, spaghetti, bucatini and other Italian delights);
- medium-sized and short (spirals, feathers, shells and others);
- small, mostly suitable as an ingredient in soup (stars, spiderwebs).
Large pasta (the composition of the product will be presented in this article) are intended for the preparation of lasagna. There are also varieties with filling (ravioli) and multi-colored pasta with the addition of dried spices, herbs and vegetables. Nowadays, the consumption of pasta from wholemeal flour, as well as with the addition of buckwheat to wheat, is especially relevant. The traditional dish of China - glass noodles - is still considered exotic on our table.
Macaroni: composition of the product. Vitamins and Minerals
Before we consider a detailed list of chemical elements contained in the presented product, we will talk about such a vitamin-like substance as choline, which accounts for 52.5 mg per 1 kg of dried pasta. This substance has a beneficial effect on the human nervous system, is an antidepressant, normalizes the metabolism of fats in the body, is able to protect tissue cell membranes from destruction, and also reduces blood cholesterol.
Next, we find out a complete list of vitamins based on the most popular products in Russia (Macfa pasta). The composition of the product includes:
- B vitamins (folic acid, riboflavin, thiamine, pyridoxine, as well as pantothenic acid);
- vitamins of group E;
- Vitamins P (including the niacin equivalent);
- biotin;
- choline.
The list of minerals contained in the product is represented by such useful chemical elements as:
- potassium (123 mg);
- calcium (19 mg);
- sodium;
- magnesium (16 mg);
- iodine;
- iron (1.6 mg);
- zinc;
- copper (700 mcg);
- sulfur (71 mg) and others.
Nutritional value of products
As you can see from the above information, in dry products there is a balanced chemical composition. When cooking pasta, they lose only a small part of these trace elements.
The product also includes starch, monosaccharides, dietary fiber, water, a small portion of ash and saturated fatty acids.
Brand number 1 in Russia
Why, for many years, in conditions of fierce competition, Macfa pasta (the composition and nutritional value of the product we just examined) remain the most popular and in demand on the food market, and also gained fame outside the country? Traditionally, only the best and selected wheat varieties go to the production of goods, and quality control is monitored at all stages. For the sake of time, some manufacturers significantly save on the quality of raw materials, focusing consumer attention on the relatively low price of goods. However, Makfa is always striving to delight customers with the best products of excellent quality.
Calorie content
It is customary to consider the energy value of products in the ratio of proteins, fats and carbohydrates per 100 grams of weight. So, pasta (we studied the composition and nutritional value a little earlier) contain 70.5 g of carbohydrates, 11 g of protein and 1.3 g of fat. If we take into account the calorie content of the product, which is 338 kcal per 100 grams, then it can slightly decrease during cooking. That is why you should not be afraid of pasta dishes for those who follow the figure. Fatty sauces, meat and fish - this is what makes pasta high-calorie.
The benefits and harms of the product
Proteins, lipids and carbohydrates saturate the human body with irreplaceable energy, an almost complete list of vitamins and minerals give a person the opportunity to function normally. Those who mistakenly consider pasta (the composition of the product, information for consumers are placed in the article presented) to be the enemy of the diet, we can recommend turning our attention to the recipe, which we will provide at the end of the article. It appears that it is not wheat products that harm health, but fatty and meat sauces, which can easily be replaced with vegetable additives.
Diet recipe: pasta with arugula and spinach
So, as we promised, we present to all lovers of tasty and healthy nutrition an unusual recipe. Additional ingredients of the dish contain vegetable protein and will further enrich the dining table with vitamins. Before starting to cook a dish, we’ll ask what foreign manufacturers are popular in our country and are their products different from similar domestic ones? Traditionally, the No. 1 brand in Italy is considered to be the Barilla brand. Pasta, the composition of the product meets all the requirements of GOST, and also has an incredibly wide range. That is why the brand has become so popular in Russia. Those consumers who value European quality can use the products of the specified brand in cooking. Here is a list of ingredients that we will need:
- figured paste - 100 g;
- hard cheese - 70 g;
- spinach - 100 g;
- arugula - 100 g;
- sprouted wheat - 1 handful;
- butter - 40 g;
- garlic - 2 cloves;
- salt.
If our reader is a fan of domestic production and is used to saving a pretty penny, then we advise you to pay attention to the Shebekinsky pasta. The composition of products, product quality also meets established standards.
Cooking Method
In a saucepan, boil water, add salt to it, then lower the pasta, mix and bring it to a boil again. Cook pasta for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. If the package contains a durum wheat variety, the cooking time may be increased.
Tip : Italian chefs recommend slightly undercooking the pasta before sending it as a finished ingredient to the dish.
The amount of hard cheese indicated in the recipe is rubbed on a coarse grater. Wheat sprouts must be washed under cool running water, just like the rest of the ground ingredients.
Arugula with spinach will quickly release particles of dirt into the sediment if placed in a bowl of water for a minute. Now it only remains to rinse the leaves under a stream of water and you can immediately use it for its intended purpose.
A quick and healthy meal
We heat the oil in a pan, cut the peeled garlic into plates and fry until golden brown. The fragrant vigorous aroma from the first seconds spreads throughout the kitchen. Grind arugula and spinach into pieces by hand and add to the garlic in a pan, fry the ingredients, stirring constantly and quickly. Then wheat sprouts are sent to the fire. Shuffle the composition - and we can turn off the stove.
The water from the paste is drained, which means you can add the freshly cooked ingredient to the pan. The last touch remained in the preparation of this dish: sprinkle pasta with grated cheese and mix the contents of the pan for the last time.
No fear for extra pounds
Adherents of dietetic nutrition are well aware of the high calorie content of cheese. Therefore, in our tasty and healthy dish, they will be able to do without this component. You can eat the finished dish immediately, most often served for dinner.
The recipe for this dish is perfectly balanced. Vegetable fiber, vegetable protein of spinach and hard cheese, wheat sprouts enriched with flavonoids, vitamins and carbohydrates of pasta organically complement and compensate each other. This dish is organic, aesthetically pleasing and full-fledged and suitable for both gourmets and aesthetes, and as a dietary variety. Well, for lovers of separate meals, we can advise replacing the butter in the recipe with olive or sunflower oil.
Conclusion
We hope that our publication today has become useful to the reader and helped to find out what pasta is made of. The composition and nutritional value of products testifies to the indispensability of the product on our tables. If you are afraid to get better, use the paste in small portions at lunchtime, and then nothing will happen to your figure.