I love carbs and I know that each one of you reading this shares similar sentiments.  Salads and meat do taste delicious, but let’s be honest: nothing hits the spot more than a crusty bread roll to mop up your soup or a rice accompaniment when eating a stir fry. It’s ok to agree, no one’s judging ;).

A majority of my meals do include a serving carbs, typically in the form of brown rice, noodles or sweet potatoes…and of course oats but surely that’s a given by now!  I do eat bread and pasta but try to limit my consumption purely because they are processed forms of carbs.   Thanks to the low-carb phenomenon that blew up a storm over the past few years, carbs are regarded as fattening. Contrary to that notion, eating healthy servings of wholegrain carbs can actually help you lose weight: they’re likely to fill you up quicker, leave you satisfied, and provide you with a steady release of energy. Because my eyes are sometimes bigger than my stomach, I still weigh out my carbs to prevent ‘portion distortion’.

As if you need any convincing, here are 5 reasons why pasta can -and should- be included in your diet…whether or not  you want to lose weight:

1) It’s the perfect platform for veggies
If you want to keep the calories low, go for a 50/50 produce-to-pasta ratio.

2) Unlike other carbs, wholemeal pasta has a low GI, so it won’t spike your blood sugar.

3) Some of the world’s slimmest people eat noodles
Japanese thrive on soba and are among the leanest people on earth whereas pasta-loving Italians have long life expectancies 

4) Pasta has just 200 calories a cup

5) It’s comforting
Being healthy means eating a diet which includes foods you love and which make you feel good. Pasta is one of those foods which will nurture you both on the inside and outside

Rigatoni, fusili, penne: they’re calling for you…NOW!