Carbohydration

Starch - it's what's for dinner!

I'll be the first to admit it; I'm a Pastafarian of the highest order.

Pasta is the food of the gods, and I'll smack anyone in the face with a bottle of marinara sauce who says otherwise.

Such a perfect food and yet, so maligned by the popularity police and their diet-tribe.

When did pasta, rice, potatoes, bread and anything else vaguely resembling an adequate side-dish become evil? I really want to know!

Did Atkins put people up to this? If so, I'm very glad the man is dead.

Incidentally, he died with his lower intestine clogged with meat.
Yes.
He did.
Good riddance.

Carbohydrates are NOT the enemy - they never were. Like all things, the secret to a healthy diet is moderation.

Eating nothing but meat is far from moderate - it's closer to moronic.

But I digress...

Pasta is high in complex carbohydrates which provide 'time-release' energy. It keeps you going, in other words.

The Department of Food and Agriculture recommends we eat six to 11 servings of complex carbohydrates daily. Consuming pasta a minimum of three times a week is an easy way to help meet that goal. A typical serving of cooked spaghetti will probably provide two or three of your recommended servings of complex carbohydrates.

Pasta is also high in Folic Acid which is an important B Vitamin. Folic acid, also known as folate and folacin, plays an important role in the body's central nervous system. FDA has determined that diets adequate in folic acid may reduce a woman's risk of having a child with brain or spinal cord defects. A 2 oz. serving of dry pasta will supply the equivalent of about 100 micrograms a day of folic acid or 25% of the recommended daily intake.

Besides the health benefits of pasta, let's talk about it's cost efficiency.

Pasta is cheap.
Dirt cheap.

If you have a limited food budget (and who doesn't), then pasta is what you want to be buying.

It's versatile, easy to prepare, comes in a myriad of shapes and colours - and it's damned tasty to boot.

You can teach any 6 year old how to cook pasta.

Try doing that with bacon.
You'll be in the emergency room with a screaming child and an empty stomach in no time.

Don't get me wrong.
I like meat.
I eat meat.

I also eat fruits and vegetables, complex sugars and far too much fat.

But carbohydrates are an essential part of my meals - and I think I am healthier for it.

Pastafarians, rise and unite!

Be proud, be strong, and beat the crap out of the Atkins-addled idiots for extended periods of time. With all that slow-release energy, we are bound to outlast them all!