Pasta is an ideal diet for every age

The Mediterranean Diet has multiple health benefits, it is inspired by the eating habits of the people of Crete and other regions of the Mediterranean, and is depicted with a pyramid in order to show how much of each food should be consumed and how frequently.
Cereal and related products, such as bread and pasta, are at the base of the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid and, therefore, in our daily thinking about a balanced diet.

For most people, pasta is a beloved food, since it offers options for quick and delicious meals, especially when combined with vegetable sauce and cheese.
Also, pasta has a special nutritional value, as it is made up of carbohydrates, which gradually release energy into the body, being valuable to all of us, especially to children, who, as we know, grow up fast.Moreover, all scientific data suggests that the greatest amount of the energy we get from food should come from carbohydrates (50% – 55%), particularly complex ones, such as pasta carbohydrates, which break down slowly and, thus, help us feel full longer.
In addition, whole wheat pasta provides the body with a high amount of fiber, contributing to the good functioning of the digestive system and to fighting constipation.

High nutritional value for children
Pasta is a highly nutritional option for children. It includes important B complex vitamins (such as B1 and folate) that children need so much, as they enhance memory and fight fatigue. Also, the combination of pasta with tomato or basil sauce and cheese instills in children the idea that a full meal consists of a variety of foods, setting the foundation for the proper implementation of the Mediterranean Diet model. At the same time, the vegetable sauces and the cheese added over their favorite pasta provide the children’s body with valuable antioxidants, calcium and micronutrients, which contribute to the health of the bones and the teeth, and enhance the body’s defense system.

Konstantinos Xenos
Clinical Dietitian M.Sc. in Nutritional Medicine – University of Surrey
Director of the Department of Genetic Nutrition & Nutrition Research in the Athens Euroclinic