Pasta perfect

Nutrition Action Healthletter, Jan-Feb, 2003

Whole-wheat bread? No problem. Whole-wheat cereal? Just pick up a box of shredded wheat or Wheatena. But whole-wheat pasta is another story.

Sure, you can find it at health-food stores and food co-ops. But if you rarely venture beyond the supermarket, good luck. And the chewier texture of whole-wheat pasta may discourage some people from going out of their way to get it.

That's why San Giorgio Healthy Harvest Whole Wheat Blend Pasta stands out. It's made of white flour plus some wheat bran and wheat germ--the two ingredients that are removed from whole-wheat flour when it's refined. Tastewise, San Giorgio's Elbows, Penne Rigate, Rotini, Spaghetti, and Thin Spaghetti are in the same league as the 50% Whole Grain Organic Pastas from health-food-store brand Eden. And both are barely distinguishable from their refined counterparts.

Why does the extra whole wheat matter? Because people who eat more fiber (mostly from whole grains) have a lower risk of heart disease and diabetes. You get three grams of fiber in each cup of cooked San Giorgio. That's more than you'd get from regular pasta (one gram) but less than you'd get from 100 percent whole-wheat pasta (five grams).

Perfect? No. Easy? Yes. And that's what puts pasta on so many dinner plates.

San Giorgio: (800) 730-5957. Eden: (888) 441-3336.