Pasta is among the most popular dishes in the country right now, especially among youngsters and college-going students. Served in a creamy cheesy sauce, with roasted vegetables and meat that's optional, this dish is calorically packed to the point where it is easy to overeat and go overboard with. In today's know-your-calories, we'll break down the macronutrients and ingredients like we always do, to help you make an informed choice.
Ingredients:
The primary ingredient here is pasta that is boiled and served along with a creamy sauce. While the pasta in itself ain't bad, it is the sauce that packs in the most calories. The creamy sauce is made using butter, refined flour, cream, cheese and spices, and a few roasted vegetables, this dish packs in tons of unhealthy calories.
Carbohydrates:
Each serving of pasta contains 58 grams or 232 KCAL per serving. Of this, the carbohydrates come from the pasta and the refined flour used to thicken the sauce. While carbohydrates per se aren't bad for you, it's the number of carbohydrates that you consume per serving that can impact your health. Of the 58 grams of carbohydrates, a significant number of them come from the refined flour that as we've previously discussed, has a glycemic index higher than that of sugar.
Fats:
Fats, as you know, are extremely calorically dense and this dish is packed with it. A single serving of white creamy pasta comes comes with 28 grams or 198 KCAL, most of it coming from butter, cheese, and cream, some restaurants are known to cut corners by adding refined vegetable oil, palm oil, or even margarine to keep the costs low.
Protein:
Typical with any unhealthy food, the most important macro nutrient protein is found in the lowest quantity at just 16 grams or 64 KCAL. While some of it comes from the pasta itself, which is an incomplete source of protein, you can add a bit more protein to it by opting for a chicken variant, although that won't make the dish particularly healthy.
With a lot of food options available, cheesy creamy pasta should be among the last on your list. So there you have it, another dish covered by us at HYP Protein. Keep an eye out for our next blog.
Questions?