Pasta lovers.... you will want to read this!

You don't need to give up pasta... not really.

If you've ever been on a "restrictive diet" of any kind, I'm sure you were told not to eat pasta. While pasta is loaded with carbs, the real truth of the matter is that you NEED carbs! They are essential for giving you the energy you need to replace what you burn throughput the day so STOP believing the lie! And besides... who wants to give up pasta? Not this girl!

You can still lose weight and maintain a health diet and still eat pasta! The key is to cut out the bleached pasta from your diet. My rule for eating cleaner is to "ditch the white stuff" (potatoes, rice, bread and pasta). Leave it alone! Instead, opt for one of these healthier versions.

Why? Because when it comes to macronutrients — calories, carbs, protein, and fat — white pasta, rice, potatoes, etc. tend to have a lot less fiber, and are sometimes fortified with iron and B vitamins your body might not absorb as well as natural versions. Make whole grains your main source of carbs and enjoy white pasta every now and then, if you have to. 

PRO TIP: I got my family used to them but slowly mixing them and then eventually converting over fully.

Let's dive in...

Whole-Wheat Pasta

Also called whole-grain pasta, this type of pasta keeps the bran, endosperm, and germ of the grain together. It’s filled with fiber, vitamins, and minerals. This helps you feel full longer and keep your blood sugar from spiking. It also has a little over 8 grams of protein per cup cooked. 

Chickpea Pasta

Made of chickpea flour and water, this pasta has the same health benefits as a can of chickpeas. That means fiber, folate, magnesium, and potassium. It also has 15% of your daily value of iron and all nine essential amino acids that make it a complete protein. That’s 12 grams per cup cooked. This gluten-free grain has a slightly beanish flavor and firm texture that doesn’t turn to mush when topped with sauce. 

Legume-Based Pastas

Though their taste and textures differ, legume-based pastas are all gluten-free and high in protein and fiber. It’s also a good source of the iron your body uses to make hemoglobin and some hormones. Varieties include black bean, yellow pea, green lentil, red lentil, yellow lentil, and more.

Soba Noodles

These are made from buckwheat, which is actually a seed. They’re gluten-free as long as they’re not mixed with wheat to improve texture. Used in both hot and cold Asian dishes, soba noodles are higher in fiber than white pasta. 

Brown Rice Noodles

Made from brown varieties, gluten-free rice noodles have 3.15 grams of protein, 0.352 grams of fat, and 42.2 grams of carbs per cooked cup. That’s very similar numbers to traditional pasta. They also have selenium, an important mineral for thyroid health, and manganese. Their neutral taste makes them a perfect sub for rice in any dish, though they’re most often used in Asian recipes. 

Quinoa Pasta

As a naturally gluten-free grain (technically a seed), quinoa is packed with protein and fiber. But most quinoa pastas aren’t solely made from quinoa flour: They’re mixed with corn or brown rice flour to help with texture. This lowers the fiber and protein content. One cooked cup of elbow quinoa pasta has 3.66 grams of fiber and 3.58 grams of protein. One cooked cup of spaghetti quinoa pasta has 5.48 grams of fiber and 5.36 grams of protein.

Vegetable Noodles

Vegetables cut into ribbons or noodles are a great way to work in extra nutrients, but they might not fill you up or stick with you very long. Mix them with whole wheat pasta for more fiber and protein. Try zucchini pasta, which has about 33% of your daily value of vitamin C in one cup, plus folate and B vitamins. Butternut squash noodles have vitamin A. For cold pasta recipes, try hearts of palm noodles, which have B6, potassium, and vitamin C. 

POV:

No matter what kind of noodle you use, pasta is just one part of a healthy plate. Make sure you include protein, like chicken or lentils. Plus veggies and fat, like olives or cheese. These add nutrients and help your body slowly absorb the carbs so you don’t feel sleepy afterward. 

I hope this information has been helpful!

Keeping you in the "know"

Coach Tiff