Your pasta craving is legit

<b>PHOTO</b> TPGIMAGES.COM

There’s actual scientific cred behind your lust for pasta. Experts say they have identified a sixth taste – starchy – and it’s taking its rightful place alongside sweet, salty, bitter, sour and umami. “We derive pleasure from eating starches, which is separate from the taste of sweets,” says registered dietitian Leslie Bonci, the owner of Active Eating Advice, a nutrition consulting firm. This discrete flavour may explain why non-starchy swops for bread and pasta aren’t always satisfying, she says. Rather than replacing your spaghetti entirely with zucchini noodles, try a half-and-half mix of the two (and use whole-wheat spaghetti). “This way, your palate will still be satisfied,” says Leslie, and your belly still tight.