Dietitians suggest switching from refined to whole grain pasta for its superior nutritional value. Whole grains contain 100 percent of the original kernel of grain and provide more fiber than regular refined pasta.

But consumers aren’t always as keen on the taste of the high-fiber choice. So Consumer Reports set out to rank a few healthier spaghettis.

Among whole-grain pastas, testers preferred two store brands — Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s. Both brands tasted sweet and nutty, with a good, chewy texture, according to the October report. The Whole Foods pasta had slightly fewer calories per cup.

Other pasta choices lost points for, among other issues, crumbly texture and cardboard-like flavor. But, Barilla, De Cecco, Market Pantry, Great Value and Rozoni all were still ranked as “good,” a step below the top two brands. The tasters tried the lower-rated brands with tomato sauce to see whether it masked their faults. It didn’t.

Trader Joe’s brand, at 17 cents per serving, was the lowest priced of the whole grain options.

Source: Consumer Reports

— Anne Aurand, The Bulletin