Check out the video below for fun facts, history, and tips on creating a delicious and healthy meal with pasta!

KHGI-TV/KWNB-TV/KHGI-CD-Grand Island, Kearney, Hastings

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With research from British Medical Journal, the article cautions that those without Celiac Disease who give up their favorite wheat products including breads, pastas and other products might in fact gain weight.

Here’s a quote from the Daily Mail‘s gluten-free article:

Devotees, including Lady Gaga and Andy Murray, as well as Gwynnie, claim going gluten-free can alleviate everything from tiredness and bloating to spotty skin and hair loss. 

But are gluten-free products really as good for slimming as we think? Or could they actually be making us fatter, only reducing the size of our bank balances?

The full Daily Mail article can be found here: The gluten free con: It’s the stars’ favourite food fad. But costly wheat-free products just make most people FATTER – with no health benefits at all.

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Tips to Help You Enjoy Quick, Delicious and Healthy Meal Planning 

Spring is a time for clearing out the old and starting fresh.  Weary of winter, people are spring cleaning, becoming more active outdoors, and focusing on healthy, happy living.  There’s no better time than spring to start fresh with meal planning and diet choices, too.  By combining pantry spring cleaning with the Mediterranean Diet, home cooks can spend less time in the kitchen and more time enjoying the warm weather.

The Mediterranean Diet:  Easy, Healthy, Delicious

The Mediterranean Diet, which for decades, has been studied by scientists for its connection to enduring good health, is a smart way to invigorate eating and diet plans.  Perhaps that’s why May has been designated as International Mediterranean Diet Month — a time for consumers and nutrition professionals to focus on one of the world’s most healthy and delicious diets.

What makes the Mediterranean Diet so wonderful?  An abundant array of plant-based foods including vegetables, fruits, nuts, beans and grains – especially pasta.  Add to that, a variety of seafood, olive oil as the principal source of fat, dairy products such as cheese and yogurt, moderate amounts of poultry and eggs, small servings of red meat and wine.

“The Mediterranean Diet is a winner for so many reasons.  It’s a diet with proven health benefits that  includes foods  people really enjoy such as fruits, chicken and pasta, which makes it an eating plan that not only individuals, but entire families can stick with,” said Diane Welland, registered dietitian for the National Pasta Association.

Welland noted that recent research continues to support the myriad health benefits of the Mediterranean diet including a higher quality of life, lower risk of diabetes, heart attack and stroke and better brain function than those following a typical American diet.  Add to that, enriched or whole grain pasta as an efficient delivery vehicle for vegetables, lean proteins, olive oil and dairy and you have the makings of a delicious and satisfying Mediterranean Diet meal.

Seven Pantry Spring Cleaning Tips to Help Get You Out of the Kitchen in a Hurry

Welland suggests that as part of spring cleaning, home cooks should take a look at their pantries to make sure they have the makings for fresh, delicious and easy meals.  She offers the following tips:

1. Check expiration dates on packaged foods and toss expired products.  Note that when stored in an airtight container in a cool, dark place, dry pasta can last up to two years.
2. Give olive oil and other cooking oils a taste test – if it tastes off, it probably is.  Toss it and buy new.  Store cooking oils tightly covered in a cool, dark place to make them last longer.
3. Give your spice rack a once-over.  Dried spices won’t go bad, but they will lose potency.  Some may last for up to two to four years – but not all.  Faded color and waning aroma are indications the seasoning has lost some of its flavor.
4. Restock your pantry with a variety of canned or jarred legumes, nuts and vegetables to mix with salad or pasta for delicious, nutrient-rich meals when time is limited.
   • Canned chick peas or kidney beans can be easily tossed with olive oil, garlic and pasta for a delicious and hearty meal.
   • Jarred vegetables, such as roasted peppers, peas, olives and capers, can be seasoned with olive oil, salt, pepper and combined with your favorite pasta shape to create a variety of healthy meals.
   • Use unsalted nuts and spicy crushed red pepper to dress up plain pasta or pasta mixed with pesto.
5. Experiment with flavored and specialty vinegars.  Combined with olive oil and herbs and spices, these vinegars make great dressings or marinades for lean meat, vegetables and pasta dishes.
6. Stock canned tomatoes, olive oil, salt and pepper to make fresh tomato sauce in 20 minutes – use over plain pasta, lasagna or even scrambled eggs!
7. Keep canned or bagged clams, tuna or salmon on hand for easy-to-use proteins.  Combined with penne, olives and olive oil you can whip up a protein-packed Pasta Nicoise meal in minutes.

For more tips, information, resources and new pasta recipes, please visit www.pastafits.org.

Pasta Fits is a nutrition and culinary education and resource initiative sponsored by the National Pasta Association.  Please visit www.pastafits.org or connect with Pasta Fits on Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest.

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Be sure to stock your pantry and refrigerator with such ingredients so you always have a quick, healthy and affordable meal at your fingertips. With olive oil, salt, pepper and a vegetable, lean meat or legume of your choice, you can always whip up a delicious meal!

QUICK PASTA PANTRY IDEAS

• Pasta + Pesto + Peas + Roasted Red Peppers (in the jar) = Pasta with Pesto
• Pasta + Eggs (or egg whites) + Lean Ham + Parmesan Cheese = Pasta Carbonara (Bonus: Add some peas for color and veggies!)
• Pasta + Tuna + Olives + Olive Oil = Weeknight Pasta Nicoise
• Spaghetti + Black Pepper + Grated Cheese + Olive Oil = Easy Cheese and Pepper Pasta
• Pasta + Cherry Tomatoes + Basil + Olive Oil + Garlic = Quick Pasta with Fresh Tomatoes (add chopped parsley for extra flavor and presentation!)
• Pasta + Chick Peas + Green Onion + Olive Oil + Garlic + Salt + Pepper = Pasta with Chick Peas (substitute chickpeas for peas or beans for alternative flavors and dishes!)
• Pasta + Zucchini Slices + Salt + Pepper + Olive Oil + Onion = Pasta with Zucchini (you can substitute zucchini for asparagus, peas, cauliflower, broccoli or any vegetable of your choice!)
• Pasta + Walnuts + Parsley + Garlic + Dried Red Pepper + Sautéed Onions + Feta Cheese = Greek Walnut Pasta
• Pasta + Cooked Butternut Squash + Kale + Olive Oil + Sage = Winter Butternut Squash Pasta
• Pasta + Cilantro + Chicken (leftover cooked chicken) + Sliced Green Olives + Tomato Sauce = Pasta with Chicken and Green Olives

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The study concludes that, ”Among persons at high cardiovascular risk, a Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil or nuts reduced the incidence of major cardiovascular events.”

The Mediterranean diet is based around the fundamentals of nutritious and healthy eating, and usually includes pasta, vegetables, fruits and rice. It’s also been published that a Mediterranean Diet of certain vegetables, pasta, and even wine can help with menopausal hot flashes.

Some of the Foods in the Mediterranean Diet:

• Pasta
• Couscous
• Rice
• Bread
• Legumes
• Olive Oil
• Vegetables
• Fruits
• Red Wine (in moderation)
• Fish – recommended twice weekly
• Red Meat – no more than a few times a month
• Cheese

You can find a list of our pasta recipes here, and more about the Mediterranean Diet here.

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Here are some great excerpt’s from The New York Daily News’ article:

“While conventional wisdom has dictated that people looking to lose weight should stick to lean proteins for their late-day meal, a recent study suggests that people reconsider their evening carb fears.”

“Carbs for dinner, never been thinner? Researchers ‘Ramadan’ diet, eating pasta and beans for dinner may help you lose weight, improve health.”

“A steaming bowl of pasta, rice or beans may not be that one-way ticket to weight gain.”

Read the full article on the NY Daily News here

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One recent example of this collaboration was in support of the message “Make at least half your grains whole grains.” Multiple national partners committed to promoting and supporting grains rallied together and formed a group known as the “Grain Chain.” Members included American Bakers Association, Wheat Foods Council, Grains Food Foundation, National Pasta Association, USA Rice Federation, General Mills, and Kellogg’s. The “Grain Chain” partnered to produce a series of educational “how-to” videos highlighting whole grains as well as a series of tasty recipes featuring whole grains.”

Read full post here

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View here.

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Celebrate this household staple over family dinner this October during National Pasta Month. If you are looking for a reason to celebrate pasta, here are some interesting facts that might persuade you:

• Americans eat approximately 20 pounds of pasta each year. This may sounds outrageous but in Italy, the average person eats 51 pounds – salute!
• Pasta is the ideal delivery system for nutritious foods! It boosts energy, satisfies hunger, tastes great and can be prepared in countless ways. It’s great to pair with fiber-filled vegetables and beans, heart -healthy fish and oils, antioxidant-rich tomato sauce and protein-packed poultry and lean meats.
• The first American pasta factory was opened in Brooklyn in 1848. If you think it was an Italian that started the US industry, you are wrong; it was a Frenchman named Antoine Zerega.
• There are over 600 different shapes of pasta which can be made into an infinite number of meals. With pasta varieties ranging from fusilli and ziti to farfalle and orecchiette, it’s hard to pick a favorite. In 2011, Americans named spaghetti as their favorite shape.
• 54% of Americans keep 1-4 packages of pasta in their pantry at all times. An easy meal to toss together, a pasta dish can create a delicious and nutritious last-minute meal when the pantry is otherwise bare.

There are so many ways a food lover can celebrate National Pasta Month, from learning how to cook the perfect pasta to trying out a new pasta shape, or even creating a pasta dish with a healthy twist. To share your low-calorie recipes and for more information on how Pasta Fits into your diet, lifestyle, and budget, visit www.facebook.com/PastaFits.

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