I'm mostly a whole grains kind of guy but still enjoy a traditional pot of pasta. Although I try to avoid white flours and sugar, taste is important to me, and I haven't been able to really get into whole wheat spaghetti. Recently, I tried Barilla plus, and it wasn't bad. Scanning the ingredients though, I couldn't really convince myself that it wasn't just marketing hype. Seems like it's still mostly semolina and durham wheat with some whole grain and legume flour mixed in. Per the nutritional information, it's got a couple more grams of fiber and protein per 2 oz serving. Can anyone nutritionally oriented confirm whether there is a real benefit to this product over plain old pasta?

Hi Ike,
I would say don't pull your hair out over fortified pasta--just take the pasta that tastes best to you, and fortify it yourself by making sure you use toppings that are rich in fiber, protein, vitamins and minerals. Get creative with veggies, dried fruits/nuts, herbs/spices, etc.

Also--don't give up on 100% whole wheat pasta. Try different brands. Some, like Bionaturae (my fav) and Hodgson Mill, are very nubby and grainy with assertive wheat flavor. DaVinci makes one that's more smooth-textured that tastes more like classic spaghetti.

Processing out nutrients and then adding them back in is pretty much always a scam IMO; stick with the wholest foods you can find!

KM

there are also alternative grains that are made into pasta. I've had quinoa pasta that wasn't bad and a kamut one that was palatable.

Thank you both. Kate, I really appreciate the specific brand recommendations and will definitely give them a try. A smoother texture would go far towards improving my perception of whole wheat spaghetti. And Laurie, I agree, the Deboles Quinoa pasta is the one product that I do currently enjoy.