to ask if Italians and any of you eat brown pasta

(127 Posts)
MoYerBoat Wed 13-Mar-13 20:28:17



And what about brown rice - who eats that?

(Badly worded OP but really would like answers)

rhondajean Wed 13-Mar-13 20:46:52

I'm not italian but I've never seen wholemeal pasta when I've been. In Italy...

At home though I only eat wholemeal pasta and brown rice, I try to be careful about refined carbs. Likewise with bread, wholemeal only.

Chandon Wed 13-Mar-13 20:47:20

Not Italian, neither British. But have stong views on this.

A big point of food is enjoyment, and brown rice, brown pasta and mass produced brown bread ( nice fresh brown loaves an exception) are about Punishment, not enjoyment. Food as fuel, medicine almost, rather than pleasure. The erson mentioning floppy white past upthread, it is the wrong brand darling or you are cooking it for too long.

It has to be white, 100% durum wheat pasta.

No brown pasta or rice in this house. And no marge either or vegetable spread, butter or nothing. And olive oil or no oil.

I am boycotting my local caf as they only offer brown pasta and weird burgers with lettuce instead of buns, wtf

SmiteYouWithThunderbolts Wed 13-Mar-13 20:47:26

DH's family are Italian (he's never even been there though grin ) and looked disgusted when I enquired about wholemeal pasta. Never tried it myself but my health freak vegan mother loves it.

MoYerBoat Wed 13-Mar-13 20:47:57

thanks for your replies.

So, it's OK to eat white pasta - just not too much of it?

Annunziata Wed 13-Mar-13 20:48:33

I think I would surely die if I didn't eat pasta twice a day grin

Blu Wed 13-Mar-13 20:48:37

I am not Italian, but do not use brown pasta.
Nor do I put pineapple on pizza.

You brown pasta eaters - do you make yorkshire puddings with wholemeal flour, too?

:faints at sacrilege:

xlatia Wed 13-Mar-13 20:49:47

not italian, but we have pasta at least once a week. i tend to mix 50:50 to sneak more fibre in. keep meaning to try brown rice but always forget to buy it.

Chandon Wed 13-Mar-13 20:50:24

There was a guy on tv yesterday who was 17 stone overweight. He did not understand as he only ate brown bread. At least a loaf a day, but it was....brown.

It has comparable calories to white.

Saying that, we get plenty of fibre from veg, lentils and fruit, so I just don t see the point of adding all that fibre.

ClairesTravellingCircus Wed 13-Mar-13 20:50:44

Italian here, wholemeal pasta is sold here, but I know very few people who eat it.

ImpatientOne Wed 13-Mar-13 20:52:34

The traditional way of eating where DH is from is to have pasta with every meal but only a small portion as an intermediary course. His MIL literally faints at the size of pasta meals in this country!

They also have a huge basket of white bread of the table at every meal too but people still rate the Mediterranean diet as super healthy - fine with me grin

ImpatientOne Wed 13-Mar-13 20:53:26

D'oh my MIL his DM blush

HolidayArmadillo Wed 13-Mar-13 20:53:38

Brown rice is rancid chewy nonsense. I've never tried brown pasta.

Chandon Wed 13-Mar-13 20:53:39

Moyerboat, what do you mean is it ok.

If you are an aspiring model, trying to be size 0, I would say...better not eat any pasta, or anything much at all.

Anyone else, well, up to you! Personally I do not believe carbs like pasta and bread, in normal quantities, are bad for you, but I am old fashioned and allergic to fads.

MechanicalTheatre Wed 13-Mar-13 20:54:15

Do you know what I do not get? That pasta is unhealthy. To me, pasta will always be a healthy food. Maybe because I grew up in a house of frozen breaded goods for tea every night. Pasta nights were health nights (though generally smothered in five tons of cheese.)

I hate brown pasta. It mings. I love brown rice though. Takes ages to cook which is annoying.

Bunbaker Wed 13-Mar-13 20:55:06

Excellent post Chandon

I actually quite like brown basmati rice but can't eat very much of it as I have IBS and wholegrains just give me the runs. So it's white pasta, white bread and white rice all the way for me. If white pasta is flabby and slimy then it is overcooked.

gordyslovesheep Wed 13-Mar-13 20:58:42

I love brown pasta and brown rice - white pasta seems too floppy

ifancyashandy Wed 13-Mar-13 21:00:41

I don't really eat pasta - find it makes me bloated and sleepy. But if I did, it would be brown. Always brown rice also. But probably only eat rice twice a month. Unless rice cakes - which are whole grain ones.

Brown bread / bagels etc also. But again, probably only eat bread etc once a week.

And Blu I never make Yorkshires as I hate them!

discrete Wed 13-Mar-13 21:09:20

Dh and I both partly italian and we eat brown rice and pasta. Our relatives in Italy don't, but they are generally older.

Not brown rice for risotto, though, that just doesn't work. But it's great with everything else.

And if I did make Yorkshire puddings I'd just bung in whatever flour I had to hand. Probably either wholemeal or semi-wholemeal, I don't buy white.

Italians are nothing like as healthy as they are held up to be, in fact the rates of childhood obesity are among the highest in Europe. The mediterranean diet that is supposed to be so healthy is actually fairly different from what most modern italians eat.

SoftKittyWarmKitty Wed 13-Mar-13 22:16:30

I love brown rice and brown pasta, we have both at home - very rarely have white. Restaurants irritate me because they only ever have white - white pasta just feels so stodgy and white rice is bland.

pinkyredrose Wed 13-Mar-13 22:51:54

Most of my relatives are Italian and they would be most offended if you served them brown pasta!

They have pasta as a starter mainly so don't eat massive portions.

DoJo Wed 13-Mar-13 22:52:01

I like both - I don't think it has to be an either/or situation and brown pasta is nice with sauces like puttanesca, but it has to be white for pesto. Brown rice is the same - gumbo has to be with white, but curry or chilli can be with either.

MrsKoala Wed 13-Mar-13 23:01:22

i eat it all depending on what i have with it. i also like the green seeds of change spirally ones beginning with T - dammit i can't think of the name. i have squid ink linguine too with seafood sometimes

Pandemoniaa Wed 13-Mar-13 23:03:27

DP lived in Italy and we visit often. I've never seen brown pasta eaten or offered over there. Can't say I fancy eating it over here either....

This thread is making me yearn for some pici al ragù served with saltless Tuscan bread though!

TheDipDapOfDestiny Wed 13-Mar-13 23:03:47

I've just recently started eating wholewheat pasta after a friend recommended it. I am really enjoying it, it is definitely more filling.

I've also substituted it in my childrens meals and they haven't even noticed and are eating it happily.

Valpollicella Wed 13-Mar-13 23:22:33

Nope. Tis an unknown thing among st my Italian contingent.

Some of the more progressive in the younger gen will eat it but it is kinda 'frowned upon' as not real pasta

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