P ASTA (PRETTY) PERFECT TORTEFATTI

Whole-wheat bread? No “Experience the hand-made like qual- problem. Whole-wheat ity of Italy brought home,” says cereal? Just pick up a box Barilla’s line of shelf-stable Ricotta & of shredded wheat or Spinach, Porcini Mushroom, and Wheatena. But whole- Ricotta & Asparagus Tortelloni and wheat pasta is another Three Cheese Tortellini. In this case, story. home clearly isn’t where the heart is. Sure, you can find it at “A thin layer of rich egg pasta” health-food stores and food co-ops. But if you rarely venture may indeed surround the “delicate beyond the supermarket, good luck. And the chewier texture of and fresh-tasting ingredients of Italian whole-wheat pasta may discourage some people from going out cuisine.” But Barilla’s idea of “fresh- of their way to get it. tasting” includes a nice shot of palm That’s why San Giorgio Healthy Harvest Whole Wheat kernel oil, not exactly a staple in the traditional Italian kitchen. Blend Pasta stands out. It’s made of white flour plus some wheat The oil boosts the saturated fat to five or six grams in a petite 2 3 bran and wheat germ—the two ingredients that are removed portion ( /3 or /4 cup). That’s about a quarter of a day’s from whole-wheat flour when it’s refined. Tastewise, San worth...and it’s three times what you’d get in Buitoni’s refriger- Giorgio’s Elbows, Penne Rigate, Rotini, Spaghetti, and Thin ated Three Cheese Tortellini. And Buitoni manages to keep the Spaghetti are in the same league as the 50% Whole Grain sodium between 225 and 375 mg for all 11 of its Tortellini vari- Organic Pastas from health-food-store brand Eden. And both eties. Only one of Barilla’s falls into that range; the others hit 450 are barely distinguishable from their refined counterparts. to 500 mg. Why does the extra whole wheat matter? Because people who But the real kicker is this advice from the Barilla packages: “For eat more fiber (mostly from whole grains) best results simply add melted butter 1 have a lower risk of heart disease and dia- (about /2 a stick per bag) and Parmesan betes. You get three grams of fiber in each OF THE MONTH cheese.” Barilla’s other tip: Try a white cup of cooked San Giorgio. That’s more TIP (cream) sauce like Alfredo on your fatty than you’d get from regular pasta (one Don’t have a pizza slicer? pasta. gram) but less than you’d get from 100 per- Shelf-stable foods may be more conve- cent whole-wheat pasta (five grams). Try a clean pair of scissors— nient than refrigerated ones...but appoint- Perfect? No. Easy? Yes. And that’s what ments with your cardiologist are anything puts pasta on so many dinner plates. one that you can throw in but convenient.

San Giorgio: (800) 730-5957. the dishwasher. Barilla: (800) 922-7455.

Photos: Nick Waring. Eden: (888) 441-3336.

About CSPI, Nutrition Action Healthletter publisher of CENTER FOR SCIENCE IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER Nutrition Action Suite 300, 1875 Connecticut Avenue, N.W. Washington, DC 20009-5728 Healthletter The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), founded in 1971, is an independent nonprofit consumer health group. CSPI advocates honest food labeling and advertising, safer and more nutritious foods, and pro-health alcohol policies. CSPI’s work is supported by Nutrition Action Healthletter subscribers and foundation grants. CSPI accepts no government or industry funding. Nutrition Action Healthletter, which has been published since 1974, accepts no advertising.

NUTRITION ACTION HEALTHLETTER ■ JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2003