Mediterranean Diet - What Type of Pasta to Eat While on the Mediterranean Diet?

Admin
Jan 22, 2022
3 min read

Updated: Sep 14

Pasta, especially whole wheat or bean-based pasta, is a great source of fiber, whole grains, and plant-based protein. As long as it is consumed in moderation, it can be a great addition to the diet.

A few key features of the Mediterranean Diet include:

Eating a variety of minimally processed, plant-based foods
High fiber diet, focusing on the inclusion of whole grains and beans/legumes.

Eating a variety of minimally processed, plant-based foods

Pasta is an example of a plant based, whole food. Pasta is consumed widely throughout the Mediterranean region and is a vessel for other nutrients, in the form of lean protein, non-starchy vegetables, and other polyphenol and micronutrient rich food

High fiber diet, focusing on the inclusion of whole grains and beans/legumes

1 cup of regular white pasta contains 3 gm fiber
1 cup of whole wheat pasta contains 6 gm fiber
1 cup of bean-based pasta (BANZA) contains 8 gm fiber

Consuming high-fiber pasta options OR consuming regular pasta with high fiber components is a great way to increase your dietary fiber intake.

Here are a few examples of how to do this:

Beans or tofu mixed in or blended into pasta sauces
Adding high fiber vegetables into your pasta (cruciferous vegetables and artichoke hearts)

Pasta intake has NOT been associated with an increase in weight, despite what many people may believe (1, 2). Pasta has actually been shown to have a more mild impact on post prandial (post-meal) blood sugars, compared to bread and potatoes (3)

Additionally, "pasta consumption was negatively associated with BMI, waist circumference and waist-to-hip ratio and with a lower prevalence of overweight and obesity." (4) Also, "higher pasta intake was associated with better adhesion to MeD in both genders". Meaning that excluding all your favorite tasty foods many not be the best move to help with diet compliance!

Dietitian Takeaway

All foods fit in moderation! There is no need to cut any food out of your diet, especially a popular grain that is an integral part of the Mediterranean Diet, one of the most studied diets to date. (5) Focus on the inclusion of other foods to help balance out hunger levels and blood sugars, such as consuming your pasta with lean proteins and non-starchy vegetables!

Resources

1. Augustin LS, Ellis PR, Vanginkel MA, Riccardi G. Pasta: Is It an Unhealthy Refined Food? J Nutr. 2025 Feb;155(2):378-380. doi: 10.1016/j.tjnut.2024.11.019. Epub 2024 Dec 4. PMID: 39643242. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39643242/

2. Rosi A, Tesan M, Cremonini A, Biasini B, Bicchieri L, Cossu M, Brighenti F, Dall'Aglio E, Scazzina F. Body weight of individuals with obesity decreases after a 6-month high pasta or low pasta Mediterranean diet weight-loss intervention. Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 2020 Jun 9;30(6):984-995. doi: 10.1016/j.numecd.2020.02.013. Epub 2020 Feb 24. PMID: 32402585. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32402585/

3. Huang M, Li J, Ha MA, Riccardi G, Liu S. A systematic review on the relations between pasta consumption and cardio-metabolic risk factors. Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 2017 Nov;27(11):939-948. doi: 10.1016/j.numecd.2017.07.005. Epub 2017 Jul 18. PMID: 28954707. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28954707/

4. Pounis G, Castelnuovo AD, Costanzo S, Persichillo M, Bonaccio M, Bonanni A, Cerletti C, Donati MB, de Gaetano G, Iacoviello L. Association of pasta consumption with body mass index and waist-to-hip ratio: results from Moli-sani and INHES studies. Nutr Diabetes. 2016 Jul 4;6(7):e218. doi: 10.1038/nutd.2016.20. PMID: 27376700; PMCID: PMC4973136. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27376700/

5. Guasch-Ferré M, Willett WC. The Mediterranean diet and health: a comprehensive overview. J Intern Med. 2021 Sep;290(3):549-566. doi: 10.1111/joim.13333. Epub 2021 Aug 23. PMID: 34423871. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34423871/