The inflation that’s cutting our spending power means even pasta is seen in the light of large-scale global issues. Pasta experts’ tips on how to eat healthy, delicious meals and spend little … thanks to pasta.
It’s inexpensive, it’s good for you, it fills you up and it takes just minutes to cook: now more than ever, with inflation slashing our spending power, pasta is the perfect answer to our needs, proving to be a healthy food that’s accessible to all. The protagonist of countless recipes with extraordinary flavours and variety, and the waste-free food everyone loves, pasta is the solution that’s both most delicious and most economical: with half a kilo of pasta and a few other ingredients, you can rustle up a healthy, nutritious and balanced meal for a family of four, and spend very little.
DELICIOUS MONEY-SAVING RECIPES
With pasta you can eat well for little money: there are pasta recipes to feed four with an average cost of €10, and in some cases under €5. Recipes that allow a family or a group of friends to make a tasty pasta dish that pleases the wallet and the tastebuds at any time of year and for any occasion.
THE FIRST TIP: STAY SEASONAL WITH PASTA, TO COMBINE SUSTAINABILITY, WELLBEING AND ECONOMY.
Eating seasonally is culture, economics (because seasonal vegetables cost less) and, above all, wellbeing. Nature takes care of us throughout the year, offering us exactly what we need to nourish our bodies and stay healthy. When harvested at the correct time – ripe, flowering, shooting – fruit and vegetables naturally provide us with the very best nature can offer. For example, the betacarotene that’s found in carrots and spinach, or the anthocyanins in cherries, strawberries or aubergines that protects us from the harmful effects of free radicals and UV rays. Or the vitamin C in oranges and lemons that wards off winter illnesses. And this is an important consideration, because in season, foods not only offer their best nutritional properties, they’re cheaper and tastier too.
For example? Seasonal dishes like spaghetti with tomato and parmesan – a must on summer days – or pasta with spinach, a typical winter vegetable, cost approximately €5-7 for four portions. And some classics, such as spaghetti with garlic and olive oil or fettuccine Alfredo, perfect for vegetarians, cost under €5 for four people! When it comes to social gatherings, classic pasta dishes are the perfect way to celebrate a special occasion, a Sunday with friends, a party or an anniversary: lasagne alla bolognese, spaghetti alla carbonara and penne al pesto cost an average of €8-10.
THE IMPORTANCE OF CARBOHYDRATES IN OUR DIET
Don’t let the simplicity of pasta make you forget that carbohydrates are the linchpin of nutrition, without detracting from the importance of the Mediterranean diet. Complex carbohydrates are the main source of energy for our minds and bodies, the fuel that allows us to function. Pasta also helps us to get a good night’s sleep, when eaten in the right quantity and with a suitable sauce, because it replaces the energy used during the day, allowing our bodies to relax without seeking other sources, with the consequent physical and mental stress.
And then there are the scientific reasons: pasta provides us with the complex carbohydrates we need. Bear in mind that in a balanced diet, 55-60% of our food intake should be carbohydrates. Quantities may vary: nowadays 80 grams of pasta per person are enough, and although the cooking method of the ingredients that accompany it is important, the pasta itself is central.
Another positive sign comes from the United States: for the sixth time in a row, the Mediterranean diet – in which pasta is an essential element – has been confirmed as the best in the world, ranking top of the diets considered by the U.S. News & World Report. And this gives us confidence in the future of this food product, even at a particularly difficult time due to the crisis in food prices.
