Pasta protein?

[Blue Hills]

Have always understood that protein is particularly important for cyclists - muscle repair etc.

And that good pasta has north of 10 per cent protein.

And have often used brown wholeweat pasta.

Recently I looked at two bags from a supermarket - one brown one white - and noticed that the brown had less protein than the white. Which surprised me.

Curiouser and curiouser, on a recent Sainsbury's trip I scanned some of their own brand pasta and it pretty much all seemed to have not much more than 5 per cent protein, which is not how I remember it.

The more expensive branded Italian ones still seemed to be of the order of 12 or 13 per cent.

Of course one can always look at the nutritional info, but two questions.

What is it that gives pasta a higher protein content? The strain of wheat? (had always had the idea that decent Italian brands used durrum wheat) the way way the stuff is made?

Have I imagined this shift in Sainsburys brand pasta or have they pulled a fast one? I definitely don't remember any product flashes - "new improved recipe with less protein".

One of my Aldi storecupboard bags (white) still has a reassuringly high protein content.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

It is a percentage, if protein has a lower percentage then something else has a higher percentage. It us usually a percentage of weight. So what does the brown pasta have more of than the white etc?

 

[Soltydog]

Bought some black bean spaghetti from Aldi last week & that has 46% protein Wasn't cheap though, about £2 for a 200g box & we've not tried it yet, so can't comment on taste
Compared with Tesco wholewheat pasta which is 5.4% protein as you mentioned, the cost of protein per gram maybe works out about the same

 

[Yellow Saddle]

Have always understood that protein is particularly important for cyclists - muscle repair etc.

And that good pasta has north of 10 per cent protein.

And have often used brown wholeweat pasta.

Recently I looked at two bags from a supermarket - one brown one white - and noticed that the brown had less protein than the white. Which surprised me.

Curiouser and curiouser, on a recent Sainsbury's trip I scanned some of their own brand pasta and it pretty much all seemed to have not much more than 5 per cent protein, which is not how I remember it.

The more expensive branded Italian ones still seemed to be of the order of 12 or 13 per cent.

Of course one can always look at the nutritional info, but two questions.

What is it that gives pasta a higher protein content? The strain of wheat? (had always had the idea that decent Italian brands used durrum wheat) the way way the stuff is made?

Have I imagined this shift in Sainsburys brand pasta or have they pulled a fast one? I definitely don't remember any product flashes - "new improved recipe with less protein".

One of my Aldi storecupboard bags (white) still has a reassuringly high protein content.

Two things can affect the percentage.

1) Egg or egg-free pasta.
2) Whole-wheat pasta has slightly more fibre and therefore less four, which is the protein-containing substance.

Plain flour has about 9% protein. The "hardness" of duram wheat just means it has less gluten. Gluten tends to make things fluffy, so duram-wheat pasta has more byte.

 

[fossyant]

What he says - egg and whole wheat.

 

[Racing roadkill]

Steaks are full of protein, they taste better than pasta too.

 

[Reynard]

What is it that gives pasta a higher protein content? The strain of wheat? (had always had the idea that decent Italian brands used durum wheat)

Yes, the wheat variety is one variable, and the growing conditions for the wheat. Ideally, wheat needs a less damp climate than we have here in the UK.

The wheat grown in the UK is "soft" and is really only good for producing cakes and biscuits. It makes lousy bread because of the low (around 9%) protein content - hence the development of the chorleywood process to make bread post-war when the UK couldn't afford to import better quality wheat from the US and Canada.

Good bread (and pasta) flour will have between 13 and 14% protein.

Durum wheat flour is traditionally used for pasta making. Pasta (especially dried) is usually just flour and water.

The bronze die spaghetti I have in my cupboard that's made from 100% durum wheat has 13.5% protein.

I don't know what the minimum percentage requirement for pasta to be labelled "made with durum wheat" is, but it's probably pretty low. I can always ask some friends who work in the food industry. Guess when you can buy a 500g pack of spaghetti from anything between 25p and £1.80, something's got to give...

FWIW, I lucked out on the above mentioned spaghetti on YS because they were changing the packaging. I cleaned them out.

 

[Fab Foodie]

Have always understood that protein is particularly important for cyclists - muscle repair etc.

And that good pasta has north of 10 per cent protein.

And have often used brown wholeweat pasta.

Recently I looked at two bags from a supermarket - one brown one white - and noticed that the brown had less protein than the white. Which surprised me.

Curiouser and curiouser, on a recent Sainsbury's trip I scanned some of their own brand pasta and it pretty much all seemed to have not much more than 5 per cent protein, which is not how I remember it.

The more expensive branded Italian ones still seemed to be of the order of 12 or 13 per cent.

Of course one can always look at the nutritional info, but two questions.

What is it that gives pasta a higher protein content? The strain of wheat? (had always had the idea that decent Italian brands used durrum wheat) the way way the stuff is made?

Have I imagined this shift in Sainsburys brand pasta or have they pulled a fast one? I definitely don't remember any product flashes - "new improved recipe with less protein".

One of my Aldi storecupboard bags (white) still has a reassuringly high protein content.

It’s because the protein is associated with the white floury part not the fibrey branny wholemealy part. More whomeal = less starch white fraction = lower protien in your pasta.

 

[ColinJ]

Have always understood that protein is particularly important for cyclists - muscle repair etc.

And that good pasta has north of 10 per cent protein.

And have often used brown wholeweat pasta.

Recently I looked at two bags from a supermarket - one brown one white - and noticed that the brown had less protein than the white. Which surprised me.

Curiouser and curiouser, on a recent Sainsbury's trip I scanned some of their own brand pasta and it pretty much all seemed to have not much more than 5 per cent protein, which is not how I remember it.

The more expensive branded Italian ones still seemed to be of the order of 12 or 13 per cent.

Of course one can always look at the nutritional info, but two questions.

What is it that gives pasta a higher protein content? The strain of wheat? (had always had the idea that decent Italian brands used durrum wheat) the way way the stuff is made?

Have I imagined this shift in Sainsburys brand pasta or have they pulled a fast one? I definitely don't remember any product flashes - "new improved recipe with less protein".

One of my Aldi storecupboard bags (white) still has a reassuringly high protein content.

This, from Lidl a couple of days ago ...

100% Durum wheat, 'authentic Italian', produced in Italy.

12.5% protein.

Expensive ...? Nope - £0.39 for 500g!

 

[Fab Foodie]

This, from Lidl a couple of days ago ...

View attachment 448819

100% Durum wheat, 'authentic Italian', produced in Italy.

12.5% protein.

Expensive ...? Nope - £0.39 for 500g!

My Pasta is UK made with 100% Durham wheat...it's dead hard....

 

[Ming the Merciless]

This, from Lidl a couple of days ago ...

View attachment 448819

100% Durum wheat, 'authentic Italian', produced in Italy.

12.5% protein.

Expensive ...? Nope - £0.39 for 500g!

Fat 1.9g 3%
Sugars 2.2g 2%

Not sure what those percentages refer to , but it is not percentage by weight.

 

[FishFright]

Fat 1.9g 3%
Sugars 2.2g 2%

Not sure what those percentages refer to , but it is not percentage by weight.

It's usually Ng per 100g

 

[The Crofted Crest]

It's so many per cent of your recommended daily intake.

 

[ColinJ]

It isn't clear in the photo but those numbers refer to 170 g of cooked pasta, which corresponds to 80 g of uncooked pasta.

The Lidl 12.5% protein figure refers to uncooked pasta, so it would be nearer 6% after it has been cooked.

I just rang a friend who buys Sainsbury's pasta and she told me that the 5.2% figure on her bag referred to the cooked product.

I reckon that is the source of most of the difference between the numbers!

 

[Heltor Chasca]

I have listened to few podcasts recently that pasta is a pretty overrated food for carbo loading for the next day. I have always favoured other starches in preparation for the next day.

Cous cous 14% protein cooked.