--- title: Whole Wheat Flour: Should I Eat Whole-Wheat Pasta? description: Twirl the more nutritious noodle canonical: https://time.com/3658167/should-i-eat-whole-wheat-pasta/ author: Mandy Oaklander article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-01-08T13:00:36.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-05-11T05:06:22.616Z article:section: Health og:title: Should I Eat Whole-Wheat Pasta? og:description: Twirl the more nutritious noodle og:url: https://time.com/3658167/should-i-eat-whole-wheat-pasta/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: TIME og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Should I Eat Whole-Wheat Pasta? twitter:description: Twirl the more nutritious noodle twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- # Should I Eat Whole-Wheat Pasta? > Sponsored content. 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Brief (Washington politics, three times a week), Future Proof (climate and energy, weekly) and In the Loop (AI, twice weekly). All are free at time.com/newsletters and together reach more than 1.1 million engaged readers. #### Which TIME newsletter should I subscribe to? It depends on what you follow. For a daily briefing, The Brief. For health, Health Matters. For Washington politics, D.C. Brief. For AI and technology, In the Loop. For climate and energy as a business story, Future Proof. For culture recommendations, Worth Your Time. For how TIME's journalism gets made, Inside TIME. Readers can select any combination at time.com/newsletters. #### Are TIME's newsletters free? Yes. All seven TIME newsletters are free to join at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes TIME's newsletters? TIME journalists write them. Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement.  by [Mandy Oaklander](https://time.com/author/mandy-oaklander/)  ## Mandy Oaklander Oaklander is a senior editor at TIME. Jan 8, 2015 1:00 PM UTC  by [Mandy Oaklander](https://time.com/author/mandy-oaklander/)  ## Mandy Oaklander Oaklander is a senior editor at TIME. Jan 8, 2015 1:00 PM UTC _Welcome to_ Should I Eat This?_—our weekly poll of five experts who answer nutrition questions that gnaw at you._  Illustration by Lon Tweeten for TIME **5/5 experts say yes.** When we pit brown foods against white foods, the earthier colors always get the health halo. But they’re not always deserved: take brown eggs, which may have a farm-to-table _je ne sais quoi_ but are no more nutritious than eggs that come in a white shell—they just cost more. Pasta, on the other hand, is a different story. The whole-wheat version of everyone’s favorite cheese vehicle is way healthier, say five people who know about such things. Pasta made from 100% whole-wheat flour maintains the three essential parts of the whole grain kernel: the bran, germ and the endosperm, says **Alicia Romano**, registered dietitian at Frances Stern Nutrition Center at Tufts Medical Center. These real-deal whole-grains make the pasta rich in vitamins, minerals, protein and fiber. A 1-cup serving of cooked whole-wheat spaghetti has about 23% of your daily fiber (white pasta has 9%) and 16% of your protein. **MORE** [This Kind of Carb Protects Your Heart, Study Says](http://time.com/3652624/carb-carbohydrate-diet/) “It is bulkier in the gut, more satiating, and thus likely more conducive to appetite and weight control,” says **Mark Pereira**, PhD, an epidemiologist and associate professor at the University of Minnesota. Plus, that fiber has a prebiotic effect, which promotes the growth of beneficial gut bacteria, says **Mette Kristensen,** PhD, associate professor in the department of nutrition, exercise and sports at the University of Copenhagen. Make sure to read your labels, though. You want the term “[whole](http://www.fda.gov/food/guidanceregulation/guidancedocumentsregulatoryinformation/ucm059088.htm)” in front of any grain on the label, like “100% whole grains” or “100% whole wheat flour.” Anything without 100% or whole—including the vague term “wheat flour”—is probably refined. In white pasta, however all but the starchy endosperm is stripped away, and with it goes about 25% of the grain’s protein, [according to the Whole Grains Council](http://wholegrainscouncil.org/whole-grains-101/what-is-a-whole-grain). “We have many studies showing that people eating these refined starches have higher rates of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease compared to those who consume whole grains,” says **Walter Willett**, MD, DrPH, chair of the department of nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health. “If you care about your health, the choice is clear.” But—well, there’s a reason you don’t often see whole-wheat pasta on fancy Italian menus. It sometimes evokes the flavor and texture of chewy cardboard. “It tastes a little different,” admits **Keith Ayoob**, EdD, RD, a pediatric nutritionist at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. “But rather than stick only with white, split the difference and start with a pasta blend that’s half white and half whole wheat and ease into whole grain pasta.” Don’t forget to pile on the roasted veggies and beans, he says. Ready to make the spaghetti switch? Your body will thank you—even if you go ahead and throw a little extra Parmesan on top. [Cheese is 80% expert-approved](http://time.com/3532516/cheese-health-benefits/), after all. _Read next:_ [_Should I Eat Kale?_](http://time.com/3645929/heres-why-kale-so-good-for-you/?xid=time%5Freadnext) [_Listen to the most important stories of the day._](http://time.com/newsletter/the-brief/?sl%5Fautoplay=true&xid=spl-fullbrief-article) ### QUIZ: Should You Eat This or That?  Which is better for you: Half cup of ice cream or 3 scoops of sorbet? Getty Images (4)  Answer: A half cup of ice cream If you eat what you’re craving, you’re more likely to feel satisfied and eat less. And scoop for scoop sorbet contains twice the sugar with none of the filling dairy protein and fat. Getty Images (5); Gif by Mia Tramz for TIME  Which is better for you: Real butter or spray on fake butter? Getty Images; Tara Johnson for TIME  Answer: Butter Serving size for spray butters (even low-calorie ones) are around a 1/3 second spray. What on earth does that mean? You're better off using a small amount of real butter as opposed to guessing how much you're using of the mystery melange of up to 20 ingredients. Getty Images (1); Gif by Mia Tramz for TIME  Which is better for you: A turkey burger or a sirloin burger? Getty Images (2) ![Answer: Sirloin burger
Restaurant turkey burgers are often made with dark meat and the skin, so they’re not necessarily better for you \(and for the record, they aren't low-fat\). You can get a sirloin burger that’s 95% lean meat and gives you 20 g of protein. Just be careful with the toppings.](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte1b297940ae4e4e0/6986970ce53aba0cb54d318e/sirloin-burger.gif?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp) Answer: Sirloin burger Restaurant turkey burgers are often made with dark meat and the skin, so they’re not necessarily better for you (and for the record, they aren't low-fat). You can get a sirloin burger that’s 95% lean meat and gives you 20 g of protein. Just be careful with the toppings. Getty Images (1); Gif by Mia Tramz for TIME  Which is better for you: Almonds or pretzels? Getty Images (2)  Answer: Almonds Almonds are high in protein, fiber and fat and will keep you feeling fuller longer. Give high-sodium pretzels about an hour and you'll feel hungry again thanks to the high-carb no-fat or protein content. Getty Images (1); Gif by Mia Tramz for TIME  Which is better for you: Special K or eggs? AP; Getty Images  Answer: Eggs In the morning, you want a meal that will fill you up. Eggs offer protein and fat for satiety, but Special K cereal really only offers carbs and, well, air. If you want carbs to kick off the day, you're better off pairing eggs with a slice of 100% whole grain toast. Getty Images (1); Gif by Mia Tramz for TIME  Which is better for you: Fat free salad dressing or regular salad dressing? Tara Johnson for TIME  Answer: Regular salad dressingTo absorb fat soluble vitamins like Vitamins E and K in vegetables you need to consume them with a fat to aid nutrient absorption. Fat-free dressing, meanwhile, is low-calorie but gets its flavor from added sugar and salt. Tara Johnson for TIME (5); Gif by Mia Tramz for TIME  Which is better for you: A low fat cookie or dark chocolate? Getty Images (2)  Answer: Dark chocolate “People believe fat free is calorie free,” says Keri Gans, a registered dietitian in New York City. “Go for the real thing.” Fat free cookies tend to be high in carbs, sugar and fake sugar. Try a nice piece of antioxidant-rich dark chocolate instead. Getty Images (2); Gif by Mia Tramz for TIME  Which is better for you: Low fat Greek yogurt or 100 calorie Yoplait yogurt? Tara Johnson for TIME  Answer: 2% Greek YogurtA little fat is good in the morning to keep you full—plus it has upwards of 17g of protein per container. Fat-free "fruit" yogurt is high in sugar—7 to 10 g per serving—and lower in protein. Tara Johnson for TIME (2); Gif by Mia Tramz for TIME ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3658167/should-i-eat-whole-wheat-pasta/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3658167/should-i-eat-whole-wheat-pasta/"},"headline":"Should I Eat Whole-Wheat Pasta?","datePublished":"2015-01-08T13:00:36.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-11T05:06:22.616Z","description":"Twirl the more nutritious noodle","url":"https://time.com/3658167/should-i-eat-whole-wheat-pasta/","keywords":["Diet & Nutrition","diet","should i eat this?"],"thumbnailUrl":"","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Mandy Oaklander","jobTitle":"Oaklander is a senior editor at TIME.","url":"https://time.com/author/mandy-oaklander/"}],"articleSection":"Health","image":[],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/health/","name":"Health"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/dietnutrition/","name":"Diet & Nutrition"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3658167/should-i-eat-whole-wheat-pasta/","name":"Should I Eat Whole-Wheat Pasta?"}}]}] ```