This article just caught my attention. It talks about whole-grain pasta and the author lists a few different kinds that she likes, and what she likes about them. It automatically made me think of South Beach, so I thought I'd share it with you.

Here's the link: The Healthiest Carb You're Not Eating - MSN Health & Fitness - Diabetes Meal Planning

Here's the pastas she liked best for those of you who don't want to read the article:

The Standout: Barilla Plus
A multigrain blend made with oat, spelt, barley, lentil and chickpea flours.
Contains flaxseed for added omega-3s.
Each serving satisfies nearly one-fifth of your daily value for protein.
Taste and texture is most like refined-flour pasta.
200 cal, 10 g pro, 38 g carb, 1 g fat, 0 g sat fat, 0 mg chol, 4 g fiber, 25 mg sodium*

Highest fiber: De Cecco Whole Wheat
10 percent whole wheat.
High in fiber, low in calories.
Fairly assertive wheat flavor that marries well with rich sauces.
180 cal, 8 g pro, 35 g carb, 1.5 g fat, 0 g sat fat, <5 mg chol, 7 g fiber, 0 mg sodium*

Tasty Blend: Ronzoni Healthy Harvest
Wheat flour blend with additional wheat bran and fiber.
Slightly chewier and nuttier in flavor than Barilla Plus.
Best served with robust sauces, such as marinara.
180 cal, 6 g pro, 42 g carb, 1 g fat, 0 g sat fat, 0 mg chol, 6 g fiber, 0 mg sodium*

Organic Pick: 365 Organic Everyday Value Whole Wheat
100 percent organic whole wheat flour; a heartier flavor than most blended brands.
????: South Beach Diet Forums http://www.southbeachdietbulletinboard.com/chit-chat/5626-healthiest-carb-youre-not-eating-article.html
Firm texture; nutty, slightly sweet taste; great with spicy sauces.
Available only at Whole Foods Markets.
210 cal, 7 g pro, 42 g carb, 1 g fat, 0 g sat fat, 0 mg chol, 5 g fiber, 0 g sodium*

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Proud to be a military brat and sister!

Although all four of those are better for you than a white refined flour pasta, technically only the DeCecco and the 365 Organic would meet SB standards for being 100% whole grains as the other two use an enriched (i.e. refined white flour) as part of the flour mix. The other kicker on pasta's is that a 1/2 cup is a serving of grains and most recommended serving sizes are 1 cup which is still a pretty small amount and 2 of your 2-3 daily servings of starches/whole grains in P2 and P3. So you can still have "pasta nights" on SB, but you still need 2 cups of veggies and some kind of lean protein along with it, so the pasta becomes much more of a side dish serving than the main volume component of the dinner.

????: South Beach Diet Forums http://www.southbeachdietbulletinboard.com/showthread.php?t=5626
But yeah, whole grains are pretty good stuff for you! And the closer they are to actually being in their whole format, even better! (Pastas, breads and those products made from whole grain flours are still fairly refined products with higher GIs than the whole grains they come from before grinding and processing.) Here's an article I post semi-rgularly by natural foodie doc, Dr. Andrew Weil: Ask Dr. Weil: Whole grains, not whole-wheat flour, best for level blood sugar | Chew on this

And finally, Korger brand whole wheat pastas are pretty good too. 100% whole wheat and there is a rotini, penne and a spaghetti if you have a Kroger store or Kroger supplied store in your area.

Thanks Red! I was wondering which brands everyone here liked. Thank you so much for the information!! Now I'll know what to look for when I start adding grains back in in a few weeks!!

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Proud to be a military brat and sister!