By Setareh Kiumarsi
Have you ever wondered why many people experience stomach pain, bloating, or acid reflux after eating macaroni, pasta, or lasagna?
Did you know these dishes are among the most difficult foods to digest?!
Here’s why:
To make these products, manufacturers often add a large amount of refined white flour and industrial gluten to improve elasticity and texture… but this makes them very sticky and heavy for the digestive system.
Then, when we cook them, we often make things worse.
For example:
With macaroni, we add ground beef or cheese (like in mac and cheese) and lots of oil or butter.
In pasta dishes, we usually mix in heavy cream and meat.
And lasagna often ends up dripping with grease, cheese, and ground beef.
Even the strongest digestive system struggles to process these sticky, heavy combinations resulting in indigestion, mucus buildup, bloating, and acid reflux.
How to make macaroni, pasta, and lasagna healthier…?!
Choose whole-wheat or whole-grain versions instead of regular ones made with white flour.
When boiling them, add digestive spices such as turmeric, thyme, garlic powder, or coriander seeds to the water.
Use healthy oils that are easier to digest, like coconut oil, olive oil, sesame oil, sunflower oil, or canola oil.
It’s best to make these dishes vegetarian. The combination of red meat with pasta or lasagna is extremely heavy and hard to digest.
For the sauce, instead of just meat, add lots of vegetables… onions, bell peppers, carrots, scallions, and celery.
If you want protein, replace ground beef with ground chicken.
In lasagna and pasta sauces, also include leafy greens such as spinach, basil, parsley, or leeks.
Do not use cream, as it makes digestion even harder.
Do not overload your lasagna with cheese, and sprinkle digestive herbs like thyme, black pepper, and coriander seeds on top.
Always eat these meals with steamed vegetables or fresh herbs on the side… the fiber helps your body digest everything more easily.
Please make sure to mention the author, “Setareh Kiumarsi,” if you share or republish this article, which was written with hope for everyone’s health and love.
