Inulin is a type of carbohydrate, extracted from chicory root, and is recognized by Health Canada as a plant-based source of dietary fibre.1   Think of inulin as a long chain, with each link in the chain being fructose (a type of sugar naturally found in food).  Because of its length, inulin doesn’t get digested by the enzymes in our stomach.  This gives inulin a number of nutrition benefits:^2,3

• Inulin makes it all the way down to our colons.  There it acts as a prebiotic, that is, it stimulates the growth of beneficial bacteria in our guts.
• Inulin does not cause a rise in blood sugar levels, and may be suitable for people with diabetes.
• Inulin only contains 1.5 calories per gram versus 4 calories per gram typically found in other carbohydrates.
• Inulin may increase the absorption of calcium.
• Inulin adds fibre to the food.

Generally, foods rich in dietary fibre help ease constipation and keep you regular.⁸  And because fibre-containing foods take longer to digest, you feel fuller for longer, which can in turn help with appetite and weight control.⁹  Soluble fibre may help lower blood cholesterol levels^4,5 and control blood sugar levels.^6,7 

Everyone needs fibre, but most of us are not getting enough. Here’s how much fibre we need every day.  An 85 gram serving of CATELLI SMART pasta contains 9 grams of dietary fibre. 

	Daily dietary fibre requirement8
Females
age 1-3	19 grams/day
age 4-18	25-26 grams/day
age 19-50	25 grams/day
age 51+	21 grams/day
Males
age 1-3	19 grams/day
age 4-8	25 grams/day
age 9-13	31 grams/day
age 14-50	38 grams/day
age 51+	30 grams/day

A serving of dry pasta is 85 grams.  When cooked, a serving of pasta is ½ cup or 125 mL according to Eating Well with Canada's Food Guide.

We have conducted extensive research across Canada in which Canadian consumers were given a package of CATELLI SMART pasta to try at home. After usage, consumers reported a resoundingly strong preference for the new CATELLI SMART in terms of both taste and overall performance.

No, CATELLI SMART pasta should be cooked exactly to same way as regular pasta. Use the following tips that are recommended for all types of pasta:

• Pasta must be cooked in vigorously boiling water. The pot must be large enough for pasta to move freely and large bubbles to rise. For best results, follow the cooking instructions on the CATELLI SMART pasta package.

• If you wish, you can add 1-2 tsp (5-10 mL) of salt per 2 cups (500 g) of dry pasta. The salt helps to make the water boil quicker. Some cooking experts also suggest adding a little oil to the cooking water to prevent pasta from sticking together or boiling over, while others do not recommend it. Try it yourself—you've got the last word!
• Rinsing pasta stops the cooking process. Only rinse cooked pasta in cold water if you want to chill it to make a cold salad, or if you will be using the pasta in a dish that calls for more cooking. If you plan on eating the pasta right away, it should not be rinsed. The water removes the natural starch covering the pasta, which actually helps make the sauce stick to the pasta. Once cooked, however, pasta should be drained. If left in the cooking water, the pasta will actually continue to cook and will become too soft.
• Pasta that is cooked longer contains slightly fewer B vitamins (such as thiamine, riboflavin, and niacin) than pasta that is cooked al dente. The reason is that B vitamins are "water-soluble" vitamins, meaning that they get lost in the cooking water with prolonged cooking.