Noodles are the absolute favorite food for many – whether with sauce, filled, as lasagne or in stews or salads. There is always something left over from the preparation.

Now the question is: Is it worth putting the noodles in the fridge to enjoy them cold or warmed up later? Or is it better to just discard them and cook new ones as needed?

Science gives an amazingly clear answer: Pasta leftovers that are reheated the next day are healthier and more digestible than the freshly cooked meal.

Researchers discovered that cooling and reheating completely changes – and often improves – a meal.

This is “resistant starch”

If noodles or other starchy foods are allowed to cool, their structure changes: normal starch becomes resistant starch, which cannot be broken down by the body’s own enzymes.

Instead, more fiber is produced, which keeps you full for longer; they also prevent diabetes and colon cancer and have a positive effect on cholesterol levels.

Another plus point: the body gains fewer calories from the meal, which is good for a slim line. Instead, the dietary fibers ensure good chemistry among the vital intestinal bacteria.

Surprise at pasta study

This fact has been known to scientists for decades, but no one had tested whether chilled or reheated starchy foods were better for us.

The BBC followed up and started an experiment for the TV show ‘Trust Me, I’m a Doctor’: The test subjects ate identical pasta dishes on different days, which were sometimes freshly cooked, sometimes cold and sometimes warmed up. Blood sugar levels were measured before and after the meal.

The result amazed even experienced nutritionists, because it turned out that the positive effect of cooling down is even significantly increased by reheating. The sugar high from the starch was even lower with warmed pasta than with cold ones.

Meal-Prep: It tastes good warmed up

With this experiment, the television crew confirmed that cooling cooked starchy foods makes them healthier; In addition, we now know that heating up Pasta & Co. improves it even further.

Finally something that makes life easier – because now you can pre-cook pasta and sauce for two days, put it in the fridge and then heat it up again as needed; With the right fat – for example virgin coconut oil – boiled potatoes become delicious and healthy fried potatoes, which surprisingly help with weight loss. It’s practical and tastes good.

However, to ensure that the heated food is really healthy and does not cause food poisoning, you should observe the rules of hygiene and remember to put the cooked food in the fridge quickly, first it should cool down a bit, but thanks to modern refrigerator technology you don’t have to wait too long wait.

If noodles and especially rice are left open for too long, pathogens can possibly form, which stimulate digestion more than desired.

How is resistant starch formed?

Noodles, potatoes and rice are often referred to as side dishes in the sober canteen German. That’s a good thing, too, because these foods contain plenty of starch, which has the ability to hold many times its own weight in water when cooked. This swelling provides the volume that fills you up.

For example, when you eat pasta, the body’s own enzymes break down the starch into sugar forms; these carbohydrates provide the body with quick and easy-to-use energy. No wonder a bowl of pasta is such a satisfying treat.

But the energy boost also has its downsides: the blood sugar level shoots up, only to drop again shortly afterwards. As with fireworks, the entire energy is shot up within a short time – these peak values ​​in blood sugar promote the development of diabetes and the subsequent crash often leads to ravenous appetite attacks, which usually lead directly to the next best chocolate bar.

Whole wheat pasta is healthier than white pasta because it contains whole grain components and its starch is more resistant to enzyme breakdown.

These extras, such as those made from the ground up husks of the grain, also contain more healthy fiber. Whole wheat pasta provides a milder spike in blood sugar levels and a correspondingly mitigated crash; it also fills you up longer.

This article also appeared on fitforfun.de