Calling all pasta lovers! If you’ve been watching your noodle intake to support a low-carbohydrate lifestyle, an intolerance to gluten, or not feeling bloated and uncomfortable after a meal, deprive yourself no more.

It’s no secret that refined, wheat-based pasta can be notoriously high in refined carbohydrates—as much as 47 grams of carbs in one cup of cooked spaghetti, for example. Research shows that a diet high in refined carbs can not only raise blood sugar, but contribute to conditions like diabetes, heart disease, metabolic syndrome, and obesity.

Now the good news: Thanks to the onslaught of pasta alternatives made from good-for-you ingredients like beans, vegetables, and whole grains, it’s okay to welcome pasta back into your diet in a more plentiful and healthful way. Not only do these faux versions reduce the after-effects of eating the refined classics, they offer you a heaping, twisty, deliciously stringy forkful of benefits—the kind that comes from adding a boost of fiber and micronutrients to your diet.

The Case for Better Eating

Most classic pasta varieties, like tortellini, ravioli, penne, orzo, and fettuccine, are made from wheat and water, and contain gluten—a protein found in wheat, spelt, and barley that helps food retain its shape. “Refined” pasta is stripped of the bran and germ during the manufacturing process, along with the nutrients, unless the pasta is further “enriched,” in which case B vitamins and iron are added back in.

According to nutrition experts, refined pasta can be part of a healthy lifestyle, in moderation. It becomes problematic if you have celiac disease or a gluten intolerance, or you simply consume too much. That’s when pasta substitutes make sense. They offer pasta lovers a wide variety of gluten-free options that not only taste good, but minimize the risks associated with overindulging. That includes pastas made from:

• Whole grains: Noodles and the like made from quinoa and brown rice retain the entire wheat kernel, making them higher in micronutrients and satiety-boosting fiber, lower in calories than their refined counterparts, and most closely resembling classic pasta in texture, versatility, and taste.
• Beans: Chickpea pasta is a new favorite because it looks and cooks like regular pasta, but with 23 grams of protein and 30 percent fewer net carbs per serving. There are also mung bean and black bean varieties that replace wheat with mung bean powder and black bean flour, respectively, and are also high in protein and fiber.
• Vegetables: This is where alternative pastas really shine. Vegetable-based pastas offer an overwhelming variety of options and nutritional punch: spaghetti squash, onions, cauliflower, celeriac, sprouts, shirataki (also known as miracle noodle, made from a type of fiber known as glucomannan, extracted from the konjac plant), tofu (a variation on shirataki), and even seaweed, eggplant, and cabbage. These powerhouse foods can be spiralized, julienned, cut into ribbons, shredded, laid flat for lasagnas, and put in a food processor to make faux rice or couscous.

Embracing the Pasta Experience

With so many choices, where to begin? Keep in mind these points as you add some or all of these versions to your healthy lifestyle:

• Be mindful of portions. While many of these mock pastas are wellness approved, they still contain calories, carbohydrates, and fiber. Depending on your health goals and your constitution, those things matter. For example, a serving of 3.5 ounces of eggplant contains about nine grams of carbs. That's 3.5 times fewer carbs than the same quantity of refined pasta, but in large quantities, it can add up.
• Watch your sauces. Calories can also stack up fast when you add high-fat, high-calorie toppings like cream-based sauces and cheeses. If you’re watching your weight, navigating certain health conditions, or committed to healthy habits in general, you’ll want to be mindful about how you build out your pasta dishes. Try adding a drizzle of olive oil and fresh herbs for a lighter experience. Make nutritious sauces and toppings on your own using organic and non-processed ingredients. Or buy them pre-made from manufacturers who specialize in more healthful products, like Primal Kitchen, Rao’s, and Amy’s Kitchen.
• Pair pastas with equally nutritious foods for a well-balanced meal. Top them with lean proteins, like wild-caught fish, meat, poultry, and low-fat dairy, or soy. For example, pair spaghetti squash with feta (or dairy-free) cheese, olives, tomatoes, chickpeas, and kale; cauliflower rice with salmon, lemon, and basil; zucchini noodles or “zoodles” with spinach-avocado sauce and grilled chicken or tofu; shirataki noodles with shrimp for a traditional pad thai; tofu noodles with dairy-free cheddar for vegan mac and cheese. As you can see, the possibilities are endless.
• Dive on in! With so many options, there’s no right or wrong way to go. It’s about experimenting to figure out which you like best, in terms of consistency, texture, and taste. And seeing how they feel in your body.

Lastly, let these faux pastas inspire you to new ideas and bring out the creative chef inside of you. Whether you prefer Italian, Greek, Asian, American, or Mediterranean food, there’s a way to make these substitutes a part of the mix. Start by embracing the reality that, thanks to so many new options, pasta can be both tasty and good for you.

Sources

6 Delicious Pasta Alternatives That Won’t Make You Miss Refined Carbs
Whole-grain pasta reduces appetite and meal-induced thermogenesis acutely: a pilot study
Refined grain consumption and the metabolic syndrome in urban Asian Indians
What is gluten, and why is it bad for some people?