If you've listened to all the recent hype, you may believe that if you ever eat pasta again you'll immediately gain weight, your blood sugar will shoot off the charts, and you'll end up on a carbohydrate-induced binge. Fear not: Pasta is a nutritious food that can play a starring role in any healthy meal plan.

Pasta Nutrition Facts

Two ounces of dry pasta, or about 1 1/2 cups cooked, contains 211 calories, 7 grams protein, less than 1 gram fat, 42 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams fiber and absolutely no cholesterol. Pasta is often also fortified with folic acid to help decrease the risk of women bearing children with brain or spinal cord defects. One serving of pasta contains 25 percent of your daily folic acid needs.


What about the carbohydrates?

Don't let 42 grams of carbohydrates scare you. Pasta is high in complex carbohydrates, the type that take longer to digest. A longer digestion period means you feel satisfied longer after eating. It also is a slowly released source of energy, providing fuel for the next several hours. Even people with diabetes can enjoy moderate amounts of pasta without their blood sugar levels shooting through the ceiling.

Portion control is crucial

If your typical serving of pasta hangs over the side of your dinner plate, you're eating too much. Prepare two ounces of dry pasta, or 1 1/2 cups cooked pasta, for each serving. Round out the meal with a tossed salad or fresh vegetable platter, three ounces of seafood or grilled chicken, and seasonal fruit or sorbet for dessert. Too-large portions can lead to weight gain from unnecessary calories. Adding fruit and vegetables to your meals is a great way to increase nutrition without sacrificing taste.

Become a pasta sauce expert

What you put on top of your pasta is even more important in terms of weight control and fat intake. Follow these healthy guidelines:

• Choose red, tomato-based sauces over white, cream-based sauces to reduce fat and cholesterol content.
• Opt for sauces that include tons of vegetables instead of meat.
• Add flavor with herbs instead of salt to cut down on sodium.
• Use small amounts of a flavorful hard cheese such as Parmesan that you grate yourself for intense taste.
• Add cooked legumes such as kidney beans, garbanzo beans, pinto beans or lentils to your pasta sauces for fiber and protein without fat or cholesterol.
• Use only small amounts of olive oil to sauté vegetables for your sauce to reduce fat.

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Whole grains haven't had their bran and germ removed by milling, making them a good source of fiber — the part of plant-based foods your body can't digest — and other nutrients. Whole grains are also a source of vitamins and minerals, such as thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin E and magnesium, phosphorus, selenium, zinc and iron. Phytochemicals also are found in whole grains. Various nutrients found in whole grains play a role in regulating blood pressure and heart health.

You can increase the amount of whole grains in your diet by making simple substitutions. For example, choose whole-grain breads instead of those with refined white flour, whole-wheat pasta over regular pasta and brown rice instead of white rice. Select high-fiber cereals for breakfast, such as bran flakes or shredded wheat, instead of muffins or doughnuts. And select whole-wheat flour rather than white flour when buying or making baked goods.


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Whatever taste you are satisfying, we have the bean for you

Designed for economy, our canned beans require no sorting, no washing, and no presoak, and are ready in 20 minutes.

Find great flavor and texture in our quick and easy dishes.

Primo Beans are low in fat and a high source of fiber, beans such as lentils and chick peas make a delicious ingredient for vegetarian meals, especially when combined with Primo Pasta.

Kids love dips! So why not try puréed Primo lentils Chick Peas or even Romano Beans?

Whether it is whole, crushed, diced, paste or sauce you need, you can be sure that our plant delivers tomatoes which consistently provide the right balance of sweetness and acidity with that bright fresh tomato flavor.

Our Pasta sauces start with beautiful, vine ripened tomatoes. Then we carefully add a selection of herbs and spices to create a unique variety of flavors – ready to use on their own or as a starting point for your own sauce creation.


WHOLE TOMATOES
Versatile and easy to use, these sweet Italian-style tomatoes are sun ripened, steam-peeled and packed in their own juice. Used as a base for all preparations such as sauces, soups, meatloaf and cabbage rolls.

DICED TOMATOES IN JUICE
Peeled, diced and packed in their own juice, these time-saving tomatoes are great for that fresh, homemade look. They’re ideal for adding texture and character to soups, sauces, chili salsa and bruschetta mix.

CRUSHED TOMATOES
Ground unpeeled and packed fresh, these high quality, multi-purpose tomatoes are perfect for pasta and pizza sauces, soups and casseroles

TOMATO SAUCE
With its sweet, fresh taste and bright red color, it is a great base for interesting and flavorful sauces. Simply add olive oil along with fresh or dried herbs to create your own signature sauce

TRADITIONAL PIZZA SAUCE
Quality tomatoes and select spices for a pizza sauce with old world flavor

ORIGINAL PASTA SAUCE
Our #1 selling pasta sauce brand nationally – with sales continuing to grow year after year – this one stands on its own reputation as a great pasta sauce

ROMANO CHEESE & BASIL SAUCE
A truly authentic Italian style sauce made with the freshest basil, and tangy Romano cheese

Classics SPICY ARRABBIATA SAUCE
With lots of crushed tomatoes (for a thicker sauce) diced tomato pieces (for a “made from scratch” appearance), and some chili pepper for flavor, it's sure to wow even your most discriminating patron

Classics TOMATO & BASIL SAUCE
Unique, great tasting sauce with the fresh, homemade flavor today’s sophisticated diners demand

TOMATO PASTE
A spoonful of this thick paste adds a taste of summer to any recipe