Carb Lovers, Rejoice: There’s a Secret Way to Make Pasta Healthier for You
Scientists say a simple kitchen trick can make pasta, rice, potatoes, and other carbs better for your gut, metabolism, and energy.
Carb fans, rejoice. According to new reporting by NPR, there’s a way to make white rice, pasta, potatoes, and other foods better for you. In fact, one simple method can transform these comfort foods from dishes that spike your blood sugar to fiber-like starches that can lower inflammation and even boost your metabolism.
Here’s what scientists and nutritionists are saying is the key to making “bad” carbs turn “good,” and how you can do so, starting today, in your own kitchen.
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Carbs Can Be Turned Into Resistant Starches
Within the past ten years, scientists have discovered a meal prep method than can turn high-carb foods into more satiating nutrients that are better for your body.
Normally, carb-heavy foods like pasta, white rice, and potatoes contain digestible starch that, when cooked, turns into what researchers call a “fast fuel” that breaks down into glucose (sugar) during digestion and is quickly released into your bloodstream. This gives you a burst of short-lived energy but also spikes your blood sugar—especially if you’re eating a cooked “refined” starch like white rice.
“Consumption of a diet high in rapidly digestible starches may be associated with an increased risk of insulin resistance, obesity, and metabolic syndrome,” says the National Cancer Institute. Experts list white bread, white rice, instant potatoes, potato chips, many breakfast cereals, refined flour, and processed baked goods in this category.
However, by simply cooking and then cooling these applicable carbs, you can transform them into a better-for-you food that contains resistant starch.
As Maria L. Marco, PhD, a microbiologist investigating microorganisms in foods and intestinal ecosystems at UC Davis, explained to NPR, resistant starches don’t digest as easily, passing through the small intestine first and acting more like fiber rather than sugar in your body.
The Benefits of Resistant Starches
This means that carbs that have been cooked then cooled can make you feel fuller for longer by reducing hunger hormones, which may help with controlling your appetite and reducing your caloric intake.
These cooled carbs also won’t cause rapid blood sugar surges, which can help improve insulin sensitivity and benefit those who have or at risk of type 2 diabetes.
A 2023 study published in the journal Frontiers in Nutrition also found that resistant starches can lower inflammation and boost your metabolism.
Plus, they act as a prebiotic, fueling the good bacteria in your gut and improving your overall gut health, according to a 2021 study.
What’s more, resistant starches also show evidence of helping to fight colon cancer and constipation.
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The Secret Way to Transform Your Carbs at Home
To take advantage of all of these surprising benefits (who knew?) and turn your favorite carbs or refined starches into resistant starches, you can follow these easy steps at home:
- Step 1: Boil your pasta, potatoes, white rice, etc. like normal.
- Step 2: Let it cool in the fridge for at least 6 hours (overnight is best).
- Step 3: Reheat gently (by microwaving or lightly frying, experts tell NPR) or enjoy cold in summer-friendly dishes like pasta salad, rice bowls, or potato salad.
This easy routine can help transform your favorite carbs from “guilty pleasure” indulgences that leave you feeling sluggish to gut- and body-friendly staples in your regular diet.
