Whole grain macaroni, vegan (organic?)

Vegan whole grain macaroni (organic) is rich in healthy nutrients and fiber. However, due to its high calorie content and antinutrients, you should not eat too much of it.

Uses in the Kitchen

What is the best way to eat macaroni? Whole grain macaroni is extremely versatile in the kitchen. It is a delicious and healthy addition to your meals. Here are some ideas on how to use macaroni:

Macaroni with vegan "cheese" sauce made from butternut squash, refined with yeast flakes, walnuts and paprika powder.

To create a refreshing pasta salad, mix the cooked macaroni with sun-dried tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, red onions and add olives, fresh herbs (e.g. basil) and a vinaigrette dressing (e.g. an oil-free orange vinaigrette).

Macaroni is particularly suitable for one-pan dishes (one-pot dishes). Put vegetables, sauce of your choice, a little water and macaroni in a pan and cook with the lid on until al dente.

Homemade vegan organic macaroni (whole grain)

recipe: Good and cheap – homemade macaroni (vegan):

Ingredients (2 servings): 250 g organic whole wheat flour (ideally durum wheat) or organic whole wheat semolina, 120 ml water (adjust as needed), 1⁄2 teaspoon salt, wooden stick (approx. 0.5 cm)

Method: In a large bowl, combine the whole wheat flour and salt. Gradually add the water, stirring with a fork or your hands. Mix until a dough begins to form. Turn the dough out onto a clean, lightly floured surface and knead for about 5-7 minutes. The dough should feel smooth and elastic. If the dough is too dry, add water a spoonful at a time; if it is too sticky, level it off with a little more flour.

Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let it rest for about 30 minutes. After the resting time, divide the dough into smaller portions to make it easier to work with.

Take a portion of dough and roll it out with a rolling pin to a thickness of about 2 mm. Cut the rolled out dough into strips (about 2 cm wide) and then into small rectangles (about 4 cm long). Now take the wooden stick and flour it. Wrap the small pasta rectangles around the wooden stick, press the ends together and strip them. Place the macaroni on a lightly floured surface.

Bring a pot of water to the boil and add a little salt. Carefully add the homemade macaroni to the boiling water. Cook for about 2-3 minutes until cooked but still slightly firm (al dente).

Drain the cooked macaroni and use directly in your favorite dish.

Tip: A wooden spoon placed on the pot prevents the pasta water from foaming over.

Vegan recipe for 'Mac and Cheese'

Ingredients (4 servings): 400 g vegan whole grain macaroni (organic), 260 g peeled and diced sweet potatoes, 130 g cashews (alternatively you can use oat milk), 470 g water, 1 onion, 3 garlic cloves, 2 tbsp olive oil (optional), 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp Dijon mustard , 15 g nutritional yeast, ½ tsp paprika powder, 1 tsp tamari, 1 tsp apple cider vinegar

To garnish: chili flakes, chives

Preparation: First, put the cashew nuts in a bowl of hot water and soak for about 20-30 minutes. Since cashew nuts also have negative effects on health, you can use other nuts (e.g. walnuts or macadamia nuts) as an alternative. It is also easy to replace them with plant milk or plant cream.

Peel the sweet potatoes, cut into cubes and cook in water for about 15 minutes until soft. Meanwhile, bring lightly salted water to the boil and cook the macaroni in it until al dente.

Roughly chop the onion and garlic and fry them briefly with the olive oil. Once the cashews are soft, puree them with 2 cups of water in a high-performance blender for about 1 minute. Add the fried onions, garlic and the drained soft sweet potatoes. Now add all the remaining ingredients and mix. Taste and add additional salt, pepper or other spices if necessary. Pour the sauce over the cooked pasta and stir everything together. Sprinkle with red chili flakes and chopped chives and enjoy!

Vegan recipes with vegan whole grain macaroni can be found under the note: " Recipes that have the most of this ingredient ".

Purchasing - Storage

Vegan wholemeal macaroni is available from the classic major retailers such as Coop, Migros, Denner, Volg, Spar, Aldi, Lidl, Rewe, Edeka, Hofer, Billa and in organic supermarkets such as Denn's Biomarkt and Alnatura.

The availability of vegan whole grain macaroni varies depending on the size of the store, catchment area, etc. Our recorded food prices for the DA-CH countries can be found above under the ingredient image - and by clicking on them you can see their development at various suppliers.

Storage tips

It is best to store macaroni in an airtight container (e.g. in a large mason jar) in a cool place.

Ingredients - Nutritional values - Calories

Vegan whole grain macaroni provides 348 kcal/100g. This corresponds to about one portion and covers 17.4% of the recommended daily energy requirement. Fat is 1.4 g/100g and protein 15 g/100g. The largest portion is made up of carbohydrates, at 75 g/100g. ¹

The main micronutrients in whole grain macaroni are manganese (3.1 mg/100g), tryptophan (0.19 g/100g) and phenylalanine (0.73 g/100g). ¹

This means that 100 g of macaroni provides 153% of the recommended daily requirement of manganese. ¹ But there is no need to worry, 11 g of manganese per day is harmless. ² Oatmeal, for example, has a similar manganese content (3.6 mg/100g). ¹

Tryptophan is also found in comparable amounts in pseudocereals such as buckwheat or amaranth, and also in oat flakes. More of it is found in cashew nuts, for example. ¹

The phenylalanine content is comparable to that of wild rice or spelt, with slightly more being contained in Kamut. ¹

Traditional macaroni is made from durum wheat semolina. To compare with other recipes, you will find nutritional tables for the following basic ingredients that are also used to make macaroni: rye, spelt, corn and lentils, rice, buckwheat and kamut.

The complete ingredients of vegan whole grain macaroni, the coverage of the daily requirement and comparison values with other ingredients can be found in our nutrient tables. In the article Nutrients explained you will get a detailed insight into the topic.

Effects on health

In general, eating whole grain pasta with a high fiber content helps reduce blood pressure, cholesterol levels, the risk of colon cancer, coronary heart disease and type 2 diabetes. In addition to the fiber, which macaroni contains about 8%, whole grain products are healthy because of the antioxidants they contain. It is mainly the outer layer of the wheat grains that contains these valuable substances. ^{1, 3,11,7}

Whole grains have a complex composition of dietary fiber, which includes oligosaccharides (mostly fructans), resistant starch, and non-starchy polysaccharides. The most important non-starchy polysaccharides are arabinoxylans, mixed β(1,3; 1,4)-D-glucans (β-glucans), and cellulose, as well as the non-carbohydrate phenolic ether lignin. The highest concentration of non-starchy polysaccharides and lignin is found in the outer cell layers of the grain; refined flour has therefore lost much of the insoluble fiber components. The dietary fiber in grains directly influences the microbial composition, activity, and production, as well as the molar ratios of short-chain fatty acids in the large intestine. ¹¹ Short-chain fatty acids are necessary for the microbiome to maintain the balance of redox equivalent production in the intestine. ¹⁷ They also serve as an energy source for colonocytes (cells in the intestine). As a result, short-chain fatty acids improve the integrity of the intestinal barrier, glucose and lipid metabolism, and regulate the immune system, inflammatory reactions and blood pressure. ¹²

Durum wheat macaroni is a good source of complex carbohydrates. The complex structure of the long carbohydrate chains slows down the breakdown in the body, resulting in a slower release of glucose and keeping blood sugar levels more stable. As a result, complex carbohydrates have a lower glycemic index compared to simple carbohydrates. The lower glycemic index leads to a more stable energy level and longer lasting satiety. ^4,11

The health benefits of whole grains, in addition to complex carbohydrates, are most likely due to synergistic effects of the many bioactive compounds in the whole wheat grain. ⁹ Dietary fiber, oligosaccharides, phenols (phenolic acids, alkylresorcinols and flavonoids), lignans and phytic acid have been found in pasta products. Most of these health-beneficial compounds are concentrated in the outer layer and germ part of the grain. ⁴

Studies on the role of fiber in human health have shown a compelling inverse relationship between fiber intake from vegetables and whole grains and mortality. ⁴

It is important to note that grain products are not exclusively healthy. Vegetables and fruits are generally much healthier. Grain products also contain antinutrients (eg gluten and lectins). These can, among other things, promote inflammation in the body. ^10,8

Dangers - Intolerances - Side Effects

Gluten-free products currently represent a profitable segment in the food industry, with an estimated value of several billion dollars. The partially unfounded perception in the general population that a gluten-free diet is a healthy choice promotes medically unjustified eating habits regarding the avoidance of gluten. ¹³

Currently, only patients diagnosed with celiac disease should follow a strict gluten-free diet, and patients with an IgE-mediated wheat allergy must avoid all contact with wheat. ¹³ A gluten-free diet is the only available treatment for celiac disease and may also improve symptoms in non-celiac gluten/wheat sensitivity. In celiac disease, gluten triggers an immune response that leads to enteropathy (intestinal disease), malabsorption, and other symptoms. In non-celiac gluten/wheat sensitivity, the mechanism leading to symptoms is not yet fully understood. A strict gluten-free diet is necessary in celiac disease, while a gluten-reduced diet may be sufficient to control symptoms in non-celiac gluten/wheat sensitivity. Regardless of this distinction, there is an increased risk of macro- and micronutrient deficiencies when switching to a gluten-free diet or gluten-reduced diet. ¹⁴

Ecological footprint - Animal welfare

Large industries usually source their durum wheat needs from the international market, with Canada and Mexico being the main exporters. In Italy, on the other hand, the main pasta producers prefer to use durum wheat from the national market, supplementing their stocks mainly with products from France, the USA and Australia. As a result, the environmental impact of this production sector can be significant, which has led the large pasta industries to assess the environmental impact of their productions through a Life Cycle Assessment and, in some cases, even through an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) in accordance with the standards of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO standards), making information widely available. The reasons supporting this choice are mainly based on the growing interest of final consumers in the potential environmental impact of industrial production, which has led to increasing public pressure. ¹⁵

In addition, the increased consumer interest in ancient grain varieties has led to an increase in their cultivation and use, which has led to an expansion of the product range. This has a positive impact on the protection of biodiversity and the promotion of local micro-economies. ¹⁵

A study examined the differences in the _carbon footprint of two pasta production segments: traditional production with local ancient grain varieties and industrial production, which sources its grain from the world market. One kilogram of dried traditional pasta resulted in 1.706 kg of CO ₂ eq emissions. Conventional pasta production amounted to 1.765 kg of CO ₂ eq emissions per kg of dried pasta. The values are almost identical; however, the authors of this study emphasize that traditional pasta production still has a lot of room for improvement, i.e. it could achieve a smaller footprint, whereas conventional pasta production cannot. Traditional pasta also has fewer negative effects on soil degradation, agrobiodiversity and requires fewer non-renewable resources. ¹⁵

Another study suggests that the cultivation of old varieties and landraces in ecological and resource-efficient cultivation systems has great potential to reduce the environmental impact of pasta. ⁵

' All you can eat for climate ', an initiative of various research and environmental organizations, gives pasta the rating 'On the goal of climate-friendly nutrition (50% better than the average)'. For pasta without eggs, they found a footprint of just 0.972 kg CO ₂ eq/kg. ¹⁸

Mekonnen and Hoekstra (two very important scientists in the field of water footprint) calculated the global average water footprint of dried wheat pasta. They came up with a value of 1849 l/kg. The largest part of this is so-called green water. This is a high water consumption compared to starchy vegetables (387 l/kg); but only a fraction of meat. Rice comes in at 1673 l/kg and, together with wheat, makes up the largest part of the total water footprint in the production of crops. A "comparable" food with a much smaller footprint is the potato, for example. It only comes in at 287 l/kg. ^19,20

For detailed explanations of various sustainability indicators (such as ecological footprint, _CO2 footprint, water footprint), see our article: What does the ecological footprint mean?.

Animal welfare - species protection

Agriculture is one of the most important factors in the rapidly increasing loss of species. After soy , wheat is the crop with the largest biodiversity footprint. This is partly due to the fact that wheat cultivation requires a lot of land. ^{2 1} Added to this is the use of pesticides and mineral fertilizers, which not only has drastic consequences for fauna and flora, but also for us humans. ²²

Worldwide occurrence

Macaroni origin: The first concrete information about pasta products in Italy dates back to the 13th century. Questions about their origin continue to give rise to speculation. The legend of Marco Polo's import of pasta from China probably had nothing to do with the emergence of the culinary tradition in Italy. Long before Marco Polo returned from his great voyage in 1296, the Mediterranean basin was a place for a flourishing trade in pasta products. This suggests that pasta had long been part of the diet of certain Mediterranean peoples. The Marco Polo story is probably an advertising invention by the editors of the "Macaroni Journal", the newsletter of the 'National Macaroni Manufacturers Association', an association of American pasta manufacturers. ¹⁶

Pasta has a long and fascinating history. Although the exact origin of pasta is not fully understood, it is believed that it originated simultaneously in different regions. ¹⁶

In any case, pasta gained popularity in Italy and became a staple food. Italians developed various shapes and types of pasta, and different regions of Italy have their own traditional pasta dishes. ¹⁶

Over the centuries, pasta-making techniques and traditions spread throughout Europe and eventually the world, adapting to different cultures and cuisines. Today, pasta is a popular and widespread food throughout the world, with countless variations and recipes.

Industrial production

Mixing ground wheat, water, sometimes eggs (for egg noodles or egg spaghetti) and additional ingredients depending on the recipe. These ingredients typically go into a continuous, high-capacity screw extruder machine equipped with various dies to determine the shape of the pasta. The pasta is then dried and packaged for sale. ¹⁶

The production processes involve the same mechanized operations as those found in artisanal/traditional production, with a few rare exceptions when it is necessary to manually place the finished pasta in the drying chambers. The classic sequence of processes is always the same: mixing the raw materials with water followed by bending, kneading, extrusion (or pressing) and cooling. However, while industrial manufacturers use Teflon-coated die plates, the artisanal manufacturer uses bronze die plates, which produce a rough and porous surface that is more able to absorb pasta sauces. Artisanal pasta is also, and perhaps most of all, characterized by the fact that it is dried at low temperatures (less than 45 degrees Celsius), which naturally lengthens the duration of this essential operation. This is a slow and gentle method that is particularly suitable for preserving the taste and aroma of the pasta. ¹⁶

Further information

Durum wheat (Triticum turgidum subsp. durum) is one of the most important cereals. Durum wheat is cultivated on an area of almost 17 million hectares worldwide, with a global production of 38.1 million tonnes in 2019. The largest producer is the European Union with 9 million tonnes in 2018, followed by Canada, Turkey, the United States, Algeria, Mexico, Kazakhstan, Syria and India. Durum wheat production and cultivation areas are mainly concentrated in the Mediterranean region. The Mediterranean countries are the largest importers and consumers of durum wheat products (flour, pasta and semolina). ⁶

Modern durum cultivars have a higher gluten index, which is associated with an improvement in pasta quality and the manufacturing process. ⁶

Alternative names

Because of their often curved shape and color, whole wheat macaroni is also called brown elbow macaroni. In English they are called 'macaroni'.