Barilla Plus Pasta Review

I know many of you like the Dreamfields pasta which I have not tried.  I also know it can be expensive.

I have been using Barilla Plus Multigrain Pasta for over a year now and think its great.  I'm diabetic and can't eat regular pasta.  I eat Barilla maybe once a month or so.  I use a small amount of pasta with shrimp or chicken and sauce and I love it.

I have tried many wholegrain pastas and the taste and texture leave much to be desired.  The Barilla Plus is different.  The texture is very similar to regular pasta and the taste is too.  It is also a great source of protein, double what Dreamfields provides.  It comes in a yellow box and the price is about 1.69  a box.  There are various types of course but I use the penne and the fussili.

Per 85 g. dry (Penne)

Calories 310
Fat 3g - no trans fat
Cholesteral 0
Sodium 40mg
Carbs 57g.
Fibre 6g
Sugars 2g
Protein 14 g

The ingredients include durum wheat, oats, spelt, barley, lentils, chickpeas, ground flax.  So it's high in Omega 3 and fibre.  But believe me it does taste good. 

I buy mine at Michael - Angelo in Mississauga but any store or deli that carries a good range of pastas and caters to an Italian customer should have it.  It's right beside the regular Barilla pasta. 

A great tip, thanks so much,

Mike

Hi, sounds great! I don't eat alot of pasta mainly because I feel crappy(bloated, sluggish...) after, but I will try this for when I do. Sounds good for the kids too...lots of protein/fibre. Thanks.

Wow thank you! This sounds great!!! Eating pasta and getting protein at the same time sounds too good to be true! I will have to hunt for this.

Thanks Paul,

I'll make sure to look for it next time I go shopping, being Italian I do miss my pasta but I haven't dared to venture in that direction, but now I may try it.

Ida Jo

Not to take anything away from the Barilla, or the Dreamfields but I recently bought a box of the Presidents Choice Blue Label whole wheat shells and they were pretty darned good. I can't eat regular pasta at all anymore and had been missing it. I still couldn't manage more than about 1/4 cup but it was a nice change. 

If I see the Barilla, I'll try it also. I always preferred their regular pastas to just about everything else.

I LOVE PASTA AND ENJOY IT REGULARILY ENOUGH SO I NEED TO FIGURE THIS ALL OUT!!!!  I'VE BEEN PURCHASING THE DF PASTA BUT NOW I'M ALL CONFUSED!!!!  THERE IS CLEARLY A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ALL THE LISTED PASTAS!!!!  HELP ME UNDERSTAND WHICH ONE TO BUY!!!!


PRESIDENTS CHOICE BLUE MENU~ WHOLE WHEAT PENNE


NUTRITIONAL INFO

Per 1/5 of package (91g)
	%DV
Calories  330 Cal
Fat  2 g	3
Saturates  0.5 g
Trans  0 g
Saturates + Trans	3
Sodium  2 mg	1
Carbohydrate  65 g	22
Fibre  9 g	36
Soluble Fibre  2 g
Insoluble Fibre  7 g
Sugars  3 g
Protein  13 g
Vitamin A	0
Vitamin C	0
Calcium	2
Iron	25

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BARILLA PLUS


 
NUTRITIONAL INFO


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DREAMFIELDS PASTA


NUTRITIONAL INFO

Dreamfields Pasta – All varieties NUTRITION INFORMATION
Typical values	Units	per 100g	Per 56g Serving
Energy	kJ kcal	1420 339	795 190
Protein	g	13	7
Carbohydrate    of which sugars	g g	75 1	42* 1
Total fat   Saturates   Trans Fat   Polyunsaturated   Monounsaturated	g g g g g	1 0 0 1 0	1 0 0 0.5 0
Fibre	g	8	5
Sodium	g	0.025	0.015
Cholesterol	g	0	0
Equivalent as salt	g	0.062	0.038
Vitamins**:   Thiamine (B1)   Riboflavin (B2)   Niacin   Vitamin B6   Folic acid   Pantothenic acid (B5)	mg mg mg mg mcg mg	1.03 0.44 7.51 0.11 280.0 0.43	.58 0.25 4.21 0.06 160.0 0.24
Minerals* :   Calcium   Iron   Phosphorus   Magnesium   Zinc   Copper	mg mg mg mg mg mg	18.00 3.86 150.0 0.69 1.21 0.25	10.08 2.16 84.00 0.39 0.68 0.14

Why do we say Dreamfields Pasta only has 5 grams of digestible carbohydrates when the nutrition label states that it has 42 grams of carbohydrates?
While the total number of carbohydrates is the same as regular pasta, our patent pending formula and unique manufacturing process protects all but 5 grams of carbohydrates from being digested. The fibre and protein blend creates a protective barrier around the carbohydrate which stops it from being ingested in the upper intestinal track. The ‘protected’ carbohydrate then passes to the colon where it is fermented and the fibre is released, aiding to better digestive health.

How are "digestible carbs" different from "net carbs"?
Dreamfields' "digestible carbs" are determined by a clinical method that measures the blood glucose response of the whole food to establi****s glycemic load or content of digestible carbohydrates. This is unlike net carbs which is simply determined by estimating the digestibility of individual food components. The clinical testing is conducted at an independent clinical laboratory.

Why does Dreamfields taste so good?
Dreamfields is authentic pasta made primarily with premium durum wheat semolina grown in the grain belt of the USA. It has no soy or other ingredients added that may negatively affect taste. Other low carb pastas are typically less than 50% durum wheat semolina, and many brands go as low as 15%, with the remaining pasta content being made up of fillers.

What is inulin?
Inulin, is a natural vegetable fibre, found in common foods like artichokes, asparagus, garlic and raisins. Inulin has many health promoting benefits—it is a prebiotic fibre, meaning that it is food for the “good" bacteria (bifidobacteria and lactobacilli) that live in your colon, and helps improve digestive health. These bacteria grow and produce fermentation products to help support a healthy immune system, modulate glucose and lipid metabolism in the liver, help improve calcium absorption, and help keep the colon functioning properly for recycling of water and electrolytes.

Do I prepare Dreamfields the same way as my regular pasta?
Yes, Dreamfields is as easy to prepare as regular pasta. Recommended cooking times are provided on each carton. Cooking time will vary slightly with the type of pasta product. As with all pasta, the best taste comes from not overcooking.

How can those with diabetes use Dreamfields "digestible carbs" to control carbohydrate intake?
"Digestible carbs" as reported for a serving of Dreamfield Pasta is the same as the Glycemic Load (GL) when consuming an entire pasta serving. Each unit of GL represents the glucose raising effect of 1 gram of glucose. Diabetics use the equivalent consumption of glucose to help them closely control their blood glucose levels.

What does glycemic index mean? Why is it important?
Glycemic index (GI) is a measure of the effect of the consumption of food on blood glucose levels. The GI ranks the blood glucose response of a food on a scale of 0 to 100. It is possible to have food with GIs above 100 when the blood glucose response of a food is greater than that of the control food. High glycemic index foods (70+) are those that are rapidly digested into sugar and rapidly raise blood glucose levels after eating. Medium GI foods have indexes of 56 to 69. Low GI foods (55 or less) are digested slowly, releasing glucose gradually into the blood stream.

Glycemic Index is important as studies suggest that a low glycemic index diet might protect against certain chronic diseases, including diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, and certain types of cancer. Low glycemic diets can help diabetics to achieve better blood glucose control that results in better health and extended life.

All this nutrition stuff makes me head spin. I think I'll just eat a little of what I like and try not to obsess (easier said than done since I obsess about everything!)

I have no answers to your questions, sorry. I've just found the Barilla as close to regular as I've tasted and it's half the price of Dreamfields.  I have tried the Blue Label and didn't like it - the texture for me, was not great.  Taste test, taste test.  Do we have a nutritionist amongst us?