Pasta Dish

Food · Grain · Food, Typed Supps

The figures here are for a whole plate, not for the pasta or the sauce alone — which is why they look low.

Stage by stage

Intake (Chewed and mixed): Chewing combines pasta, sauce and vegetables; starch digestion begins in the mouth.
Digestion (Slowed by fat and protein): The bolognese fat and protein slow gastric emptying, spreading the carbohydrate release out.
Bloodstream (Gradual glucose rise): Pasta's dense matrix limits enzyme access, giving a lower glycaemic response than bread.
Muscle (Repair and refuelling): Beef amino acids support muscle protein synthesis while glucose restocks glycogen.

Time to effect

1–2 hours: Glucose rises gradually over one to two hours; glycogen refilling continues for several hours after.

Allergens

Contains: Gluten. May contain: Celery, Eggs, Milk, Mustard, Soya, Sulphites. Derived from what this food is, not from a product label.

Eating patterns

Fits: Vegan, Vegetarian, Pescatarian, Halal, Kosher. Depends on the product: Low-FODMAP.

Satiety

153 on the satiety index, where white bread is 100 — high. Modelled from the Holt et al. (1995) measurements.

Environmental footprint

1.6 kg CO2e and 648 litres of freshwater per kg, matched to "Wheat & rye" in Poore & Nemecek (2018), Science 360.

Cost band

Cheap — roughly £2 per kg, as a band midpoint rather than a price.

Key nutrients

Protein
Complex carbohydrate
Lycopene from tomato

Nutrition per 100g

Calories: 120
Protein: 7.3g
Carbohydrate: 15.2g
of which sugars: 1.7g
Fat: 2.8g
of which saturated: 0.9g
Fibre: 1.7g
Sodium: 62mg

Food vs. supplement

Not a supplement question. As a whole meal it supplies protein, carbohydrate and vegetables together, which is the point of it.

Kitchen tip

Cook the pasta al dente and keep the vegetable volume high in the sauce. Both lower the meal's glycaemic response and the vegetables cost almost nothing in energy while adding fibre and potassium.

Common myth

“Pasta is a fast carbohydrate that spikes blood sugar.” In reality: Pasta's extruded structure limits enzyme access, giving it a lower glycaemic index than most breads. Cooked al dente and served with meat sauce and vegetables, the response is slower still.