A cookout just isnt the same without moms pasta salad, and nfl linebacker donta hightower would agree The cold pasta salad recipe from donta hightowers mother stands out because she uses whole wheat spaghetti noodles. Ada nutrition team member shamera robinson, rd, applauds this approach. 'Adding whole grains into your recipes is a simple way to bump up your fiber intake. To give it a boost, we increased the fiber even more by doubling the chopped veggies. ' [i] definitely need whole grains to keep myself fueled, especially during workouts and the season. I enjoy mixing quinoa and brown rice into meals whenever i can to complement the protein, says hightower.