Win $100 Amazon GC from Barilla & Blogher

Bloggers were tasked with taking the Barilla® Whole Grain Taste Challenge.  Each blogger prepared one of their favorite pasta dishes using Barilla® Whole Grain instead of their regular pasta.  Click on the links below to find out what their families thought of these healthier dishes and enter to win a $100 Amazon.com gift card! ends 3/30

Check out the reviews

Making healthy food accessible and delicious

2/23/12 5:43pm by sunny vegan

It’s no secret that I love pasta. I really love pasta. The versatility of the shapes and sauces are so fun to mix and match, the variations are practically endless! Then there is the fact that kids also like pasta, better known as baby noodles in our house, and it’s easy to get them to the dinner table when pasta is being served. When I grew up, I actually didn’t know white pasta existed because it was all brown in my house. My husband, on the other hand, only had white pasta and was convinced that whole grain pasta was too chewy, kinda like cardboard.  Read more

Barilla® has done a fantastic job!

2/23/12 5:41pm by A Spicy Perspective
On Super Bowl Sunday our house was filled with eager friends and enticing food. We had wings and sliders and a variety of finger foods and cakes, but the dish that seemed to get the most attention was a dip. Ahem ... a dip that I did not make. That's alright. I don't mind being shown up. After tasting our friend Eric's Buffalo Chicken Dip, my mind starting churning with inspiration. This dip would taste great with nearly anything, so why not use it as a springboard for other recipes? 

My kids only noticed that the color was different

2/23/12 5:40pm by bell'alimento
I don't know what I would do if I ever had to give up pasta. I keep my pantry stocked with boxes and boxes of it -- not just because it's delicious, quick and easy, but also because there are so many options that I never ever get bored. Talk about quick, this simple pasta dish comes together in under 15 minutes. Not only is it beautiful, it's HEALTHY. We've swapped out our usual Barilla® pasta for Barilla® Whole Grain pasta and added good-for-you spinach and tomatoes.

My family and I were so impressed!

2/23/12 5:38pm by Sweet Anna's
To my mind, there is nothing as simple, comforting and satisfying as a big plate of homemade Fettuccine Alfredo. When we think of Alfredo sauce, most of us think of a restaurant or a little jar from the grocery store. But once you've tried making it yourself I promise you will never go back! This easy dish has very few ingredients, very simple prep -- and in minutes you can have one of the most flavorful, delicious meals you have ever enjoyed!  

On a quest for healthy shells and cheese...

2/23/12 5:36pm by Dianasaur Dishes
When I was a child, my number-one requested dinner was shells and cheese. I loved the day-glo yellow cheeselike product that smothered the tuna and peas my mother mixed in, her attempt to add some nutritional value. I found the little shell pasta perfectly shaped to hold pools of sauce, and could eat three servings in one sitting. Unfortunately, as an adult, no matter how fondly I remember this popular kids' meal, the reality just doesn't measure up. 

Much healthier!

2/23/12 5:34pm by Reluctant Entertaine
Chicken Noodle Soup. It's good for the family, good for the soul, good for the "sickies," and brings comfort and warmth and togetherness and love. No matter the scenario, when made correctly, it brings nourishment. My scenario? Last week, Barilla® sent me a few boxes of their Whole Grain Pasta to try. I knew I'd make spaghetti with the spaghetti noodles, but decided to try something different with the shells (conchiglie). I wanted to make a Slow Cooker Roasted Chicken Soup with Pasta. 

An easy change that made sense.

2/23/12 5:32pm by Eclectic Recipes
A few years ago I decided I wanted to make a change to get more whole grains into my family’s diet. The change has been slow. It’s hard to change old habits for myself and for those I love. I started by turning away completely from white bread and white rice. I have also introduced other types of grains into our meals. One of the easiest changes that we made recently was to switch to whole grain pasta. Since pasta is always at least one of our go-to weeknight meals, it made good sense. 

The pasta was delicious!

2/15/12 7:08pm by Buns In My Oven
I've mentioned before that I love making pasta for a quick and simple lunch when I'm tired of our usual peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. (Click here for a simple pasta recipe that is perfect for lunch!) I try to buy good quality, healthy pasta when I can. Generally the kids don't notice, but every now and then I'll test one out and they give me "the look." You guys know the look, right? That whole "I can't believe you attempted to make me eat healthy, I feel so betrayed, don't you loooooooove me anymore?" look. You get that look, too, right? My kids can totally rock that look.

So many reasons to switch...

2/15/12 7:06pm by Feels Like Home
Several times over the last few years, Joe and I have tried to switch to whole grain pasta. There are so many reasons to switch. Whole grains are healthier in general. The USDA's MyPlate guidelines recommend making at least half of your grains whole grains. Whole grains contain more fiber than processed grains, and there is some evidence they can improve cardiovascular health. Unfortunately, our switch to whole grain pasta has not, to this point, gone very well. 

Pasta fills more than half of my pantry.

2/15/12 7:02pm by Tickled Red
Most days you will find me making numerous pasta dishes for my three guys. Pasta is not simply a staple in our home, it's a way of life. I may be a diehard southern girl down to my roots, but I also grew up highly influenced by my Irish-Italian grandmother from Connecticut. She happens to be the lovely lady who passed along the ginger gene as well. There are only three quirky redheads in our family who inherited the McGraw complexion. Everyone else inherited the Greco-Civitelli olive skin and dark hair.
                  

Tastes more like regular pasta.

2/15/12 7:00pm by Jeanette's Healthy Living 

When I first started introducing whole grains to my kids, I have to admit I was a bit sneaky. I'd use white whole wheat bread in French toast, sandwiches and grilled cheese. I also made fried rice using brown rice since I figured my kids would think the rice was brown because of the soy sauce. Over time my kids have gotten used to heartier whole grains, whole grain bread and whole grain pasta. In fact, last fall, one of my sons actually reported back that he chose the brown bread over white bread for his sandwich at school because he had a cross country meet that afternoon.

Making recipes healthier.

2/15/12 6:58pm by My Happy Crazy Life

When I was pregnant with Z-man I craved Lo Mein like nobody's business. I could eat Lo Mein every day and still not get enough. Not much has changed since then; even though he's seven years old I still crave Lo Mein on a regular basis. Recently I came across a Chicken Lo Mein recipe that looked really good and asked Teacher to make it one night for dinner. The recipe was pretty healthy to begin with, but Teacher made it even healthier by using Barilla® Whole Grain spaghetti instead of the lo mein noodles the recipe called for.

Would my family like it?

2/15/12 6:56pm by Jamie Cooks It Up!

A couple of weeks ago I received a nice package in the mail. Inside were several boxes of Barilla® Whole Grain Pasta and a charge to use the pasta in some of my favorite recipes. Would my family like it, would we enjoy the added health benefits?

Increasing my fiber intake.

2/15/12 6:54pm by Cookin' Canuck

When you're trying to shed some pounds (more on my story coming very soon), you have to make each meal count. More bang for your calorie buck, I say. For me, that means increasing my fiber intake at each meal. Since both my husband and I are runners, we regularly work pasta meals into our dinner rotation, particularly the night before our long runs. We used to slurp up regular semolina spaghetti noodles like nobody's business, but over the past couple of years we gradually made the switch to whole grain pasta.

Taste, texture, and nutritional value.

2/15/12 6:51pm by My Colombian Recipes

Hi guys! I thought we could chat a bit about whole grain pasta today. I'm a fan of the taste, texture, and nutritional value of Barilla® Whole Grain Pasta. According to Barilla®, their pastas are made with 51% whole wheat and are an all-natural and excellent source of fiber, delivering three times the fiber of regular pasta. As a mom, I like to incorporate as many nutritious, family-friendly meals as possible into our menus, and I am always very happy to add a new dish to the list.

Keeping my family healthy by eating right.

2/15/12 6:49pm by uTry.it

A few years ago, I switched to serving brown rice to my family instead of white rice. The reason was simple: more fiber and better nutrition for my family. Whole grains are packed with nutrients including protein, fiber, B vitamins, antioxidants, and trace minerals (iron, zinc, copper, and magnesium). Nothing is more important to me than keeping my family healthy by eating right. (Oh, maybe one thing, feeding them nutritious AND scrumptious food!) Since I’m the “chef” of the house, it is my responsibility to feed my family well with a balanced diet and nutritious food.

Get whole grains into your family's diet!

2/15/12 6:44pm by Sunday Baker

Since I'm a fan of whole wheat pastas (what a great way to get whole grains into your family's diet!), I was excited when I was chosen to do a review for Barilla® Whole Grain pastas. I've been buying Barilla® brand pastas for quite some time and looked forward to trying their newest product. Sometimes it's hard to get my family to eat new, healthier foods because they look or taste different. They are used to the darker color of a whole wheat pasta, but sometimes the whole wheat version tastes different too, and they simply don't like it.

Whole grain pasta has gotten much better!

2/15/12 6:41pm by Dianne's Dishes

Have you ever had a bad experience with whole grain pasta? I have! The first time I tried a whole grain variety, I wasn't impressed. But things have gotten much better on the whole grain front! Barilla®, the pasta experts, have come out with their own line of whole grain pastas, which are not only good for you, but they taste good too! We all know whole grains are an important part of a healthy diet, and now it's easy to incorporate them in to your meals with Barilla® Whole Grain pastas.

The flavor is mild with a pleasant nuttiness.

2/15/12 6:39pm by Sarah's Cucina Bella

Oh, pasta...it's been my faithful friend for many a last-minute-dinner preparation. It's comfort food. It's easy food. It's something the whole family loves. Until recently, we stuck to the semolina variety. Whole wheat pasta has never been something we loved. In fact, just the thought conjures up mouth memories of pasta that tasted a lot like cardboard--not that I know what cardboard tastes like or anything. No, really. Just guessing there...