Three foods that are healthier than you think — one is eaten most by slimmest people in Europe

A woman uses a sharp knife to cut through a toasted sandwich
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They are three of the most commonly consumed foods in the UK, and a staple of both our supermarket shelves and kitchen cupboards. But despite this, they are regularly maligned as being bad for us, with their carbohydrate and so-called "empty calorie" count often blamed.

But food experts are keen to redress the balance on bread, pasta and rice, pointing out that they can help people achieve a more balanced diet. Not only that, but the experts also raise the point that people don't necessarily need to obsess over getting the "brown" or whole wheat versions instead of the more common white versions. What's more, one of them is a staple of the European country with the lowest obesity rate.

By now, most people will be familiar with the theory that bread, pasta and rice should be avoided because of their carbohydrate count. The theory goes that those carbohydrates not only spike blood sugar but then also turn to sugar in the body and lead to weight gain if not worked off.

READ MORE: The four worst ultra-processed foods you can eat that increase your risk of death

READ MORE: I eliminated ultra-processed food from my diet for nine months — now I've got a problem

“Carbs are not inherently fattening,” Dr Federica Amati, head nutritionist at science and nutrition company Zoe, told The Sunday Times. “But like any macronutrient that provides energy, when eaten in excess they can lead to weight gain as our body looks to store any excess energy for later.”

The Sunday Times also cites a 2023 study by the University of Minnesota which found that pasta is “generally not associated with body weight or body composition and may be inversely associated with BMI or abdominal obesity, particularly when consumed in the context of a healthy dietary pattern”.

And gut health expert Dr Emily Leeming told the publication that pasta's composition means it is more slowly digested than other foods, “meaning that blood sugar levels rise more gradually after eating” it, which is healthier for the body. Studies show Italy, which, as you'd expect, is the country that consumes the most pasta, has the lowest obesity rates in Europe.

Dr Leeming added: “When you cut carbs out, your body has to work harder to find other energy sources, which can lead to fatigue, brain fog and irritability.”

The quality of bread varies enormously. However, its status as a staple food that is cheap, quick and easy to prepare meals with means some varieties of bread are among the most mass-produced and most ultra-processed foods you can buy (broadly speaking, these would be the pre-packaged sliced loaves you find on your supermarket shelves).

But traditionally-made bread will contain fewer (if any) of these chemical additives, meaning it can in fact be part of a healthy and balanced meal. Properly-made sourdough bread is an example of this, as it contains nothing more than flour, water and naturally-occurring yeast.

The key with any of these foods, rice included, is to pay attention to what you are eating them with. For example, a pasta dish made with cauliflower, walnuts and mushrooms (see the recipe here) or broccoli, chickpeas and anchovies will be a healthy and balanced meal packed with nutrients and devoid of any ultra-processed foods (I haven't eaten any UPF foods for nine months and you can read about that here). Similarly, a meal like avocado with some nuts and seeds on a slice of sourdough toast is very healthy and not at all bad.

“I think it would be pretty impossible to stay healthy in the long term with no carbs at all,” Dr Amati told The Sunday Times. “It would also be incredibly boring and stressful for us and for our gut microbiome.”