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Home » Diet » Eat Pasta and Pulses as Part of a Sustainable Diet – Food Tank (blog)

The type of food we choose to eat determines a large part of our personal carbon footprint. With a long shelf life, pasta helps reduce the amount of food that is thrown away by serving as a base for vegetables and other leftover foods that might otherwise go to waste. When combined with pulses, a highly nutritious and climate-friendly crop, these two common ingredient groups can contribute largely to a sustainable diet.

According to the2015 Passion for Pasta Food Waste & Sustainability Consumer Omnibus Survey, 78 percent of respondents always had pasta in their home, while 74 percent of respondents never have to throw pasta away. Dry pasta can store fortwoyearsand doesnt have to be refrigerated, cutting down on household energy use and associated greenhouse gas emissions. In fact, pasta has alower carbon footprint and lower water footprintthan both red meat and poultry.

Often cooked in family-sized quantities,pasta and pulses are a symbol of the social importance of food and conviviality. Where pasta has been adopted around the world, it has taken on the unique flavors of the region and becomes a canvas for serving traditional and local foods.

Traditional semolina pasta is a staple of traditional Italian cuisine. Other nutritious grains such as quinoa and brown rice, which are also gluten free, are increasingly popular in North America and Europe. Asian noodles are often made with rice, yam, or mung bean, as well.

One serving of pasta contains plant-based protein and is an excellent source of folate, a good source of iron and provides a variety of B vitamins. Whole-grain pasta is an excellent source of fiber, and both traditional and whole-grain pasta can be fortified with additional protein and Omega 3s to improve their nutritional profiles even further. A common add-in to pasta dishes, pulsessuch as common beans, chickpeas, fava bean, dried peas, and lentilsare highly nutritious, rich in protein and essential micronutrients, and have a tiny carbon footprint.

Pulses are able to directly draw nitrogen from the atmosphere, converting it into nutrients vital for plant growth, meaning they dont require nitrogen fertilizers which use fossil fuel. Growing pulses makes fertile soil, which in turn reduces the need for fertilizer in other crops. Additionally, pulses are a highlywater efficient source of protein.

Dietary guidelines around the world are beginning to include sustainability considerations when making recommendations for nutritional health. Swedenhas taken the leadon sustainability research within the context of dietary choices and has formed the Nordic Nutrition Recommendations, which include environmental impact assessments. In Germany, a consumer guide for dietary choices includes asustainable shopping basket. In the United States, the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) was the first to include areview of sustainable dietsin their scientific report, which informs the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recommends that a quarter of the platebedevoted to grains such as pasta at every mealand that half of those should be whole grains.

When making pasta dishes at home, the used cooking water can be cooled and used to water plants. The starchy water gives plants nutrients to help them grow. (Be sure to not use water that has been salted or seasoned, though.)

Try it out with one of Food Tanks favorite pasta recipes:

Credit:Chef Lorenzo Boni

Warm Rigatoni with Asparagus and Bottarga Salad

Ingredients

Directions

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Eat Pasta and Pulses as Part of a Sustainable Diet - Food Tank (blog)

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Home » Diet » Eat Pasta and Pulses as Part of a Sustainable Diet – Food Tank (blog)