Today is a continuation of last week’s “Grainless Pasta Options” article. Why? Because there are so many and the number “Thank You’s” I received within the last week for that article was immense.
As mentioned earlier – not all grainless pastas are created equal. The MOST important thing to look for is the Net Carbs per serving. As a reminder – Net Carbs = Total Carbohydrates MINUS Fiber. You can find these numbers easily on the package’s nutrition label. A lot of grainless pastas (and other grainless food items) pack a heavy net carb – sometimes in the 30-40g range per serving (~2 ounces),
Here Are Some Of More Of My Favorites For You To Consider Having On Your Next Recovery Day
Miracle Noodle Angel Hair (www.MiracleNoodle.com)
Unlike typical noodles, which are made of flour or grains, shirataki noodles are made of the Japanese konjac plant – which is 97% water and 3% fiber by volume. Each serving of Miracle Noodle Angel Hair contains zero calories and less than 1 gram of carbs. In fact, that small-carb content is only from the fiber and citric acid that helps the noodles keep their shape. This company is the ONLY one I have come across with a NEGATIVE net carb (1 gram Total – 2 grams fiber) = -1.0 net carb! The high fiber content helps you to feel full quickly while enjoying your pasta dish any day of the week!
Cybeles Superbfood Pasta (cybelesfreetoeat.com)
Cybeles is a newer company, offering sales through ThriveMarket and Amazon, and is a 100% vegetable-based noodles made from only four ingredients yet giving you all the flavor you’ve come to expect from pasta, plus the nourishing benefits of plant protein, potassium, iron, and fiber. With 8 different noodle types and ingredients ranging from red/green lentil, cauliflower, parsnip, red pepper, tomato, kale, spinach, pumpkin, butternut squash, beet, sweet potato, carrot you can’t go wrong. Despite the amazing vegetable ingredients they still pack a large net carb. The Superfood Green Rotini has 35g Total Carbs and 3g fiber, making a 32g net carb per serving. Grainless, yes. Vegetable – yes. High net carbs – yes! Keep this one for your recovery day only!
BGreen Buckwheat Noodles (https://www.bgreenfood.com/)
Despite its name, buckwheat is not wheat-based. Technically a member of the rhubarb family, it’s a seed which means it’s gluten-free and safe for people with celiac disease and non-celiac gluten sensitivity – and your everyday healthy eater. Buckwheat is known as one of the best sources of high biological proteins in the plant kingdom and is highly valued for its nutritional benefits. The only challenge is the ultra-high Total Carbohydrate/Net carb (50g total, 8g fiber, 42g net carb per serving). Keep this one to a recovery day and you will be able to enjoy its pasta-like taste and consistency once weekly (at the most)
Palmini (www.EatPalmini.com)
Palmini is an excellent low carb pasta substitute (linguini and lasagna) made from Hearts of Palm. When the palm plant is cut and cooked in a unique way it resembles regular pasta and even tastes exactly as you would expect a wheat/ grain-based pasta to taste. Introduced on Shark Tank, this pasta is one of the fastest-growing grainless pasta brands. Note, their main website is often out of stock, but you can find it on Amazon and other major online retailers by searching “Palmini Pasta”. Made with 4 ingredients (hearts of palm, water, Himalayan salt, and citric acid) these noodles have 4g total net carbs, 2g fiber resulting in a surprising 2g net carb – making it a perfect “pasta” to have daily!
Spiralized Vegetable Noodles (Made In Your Own Kitchen)
These are truly the best noodles you can come by – as they are 100% vegetable sourced, contain only 1 ingredient, and can be used not only as a pasta substitute but also as an incredible addition to salads and other dishes. By substituting grain-based pasta with vegetables, you will not only reduce your carb intake but also increase the number of vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, and fiber in your diet.
In order to make these, you simply need a spiralizer (a kitchen appliance that has a blade and a turning wheel that takes the vegetable through a circular path to create a long “noodle” – the best spiralizer, in my opinion, is the “Paderno Spiralizer” available on amazon.com with over 9,000 4.5 or higher ratings. The following vegetables are perfect for spiralizing: Zucchini, Beet, Carrot, Parsnip, and Sweet Potato.