Pasta without carbohydrates
The 5 best pasta alternatives at a glance
© laplateresca / Adobe Stock
Do you eat a low-carb diet and therefore avoid pasta? Then try these noodles without carbohydrates – they are delicious and healthy.
There are probably hardly any people who do not like to eat pasta. It doesn’t matter whether it’s spaghetti, fusilli or penne – besides pizza, pasta of all kinds is actually one of the most popular dishes in Germany. And yet some people voluntarily do without pasta because they eat low carb, for example. There are quite a few pasta alternatives: try these Pasta without carbohydrates or pasta alternatives that are suitable for low carb!
Delicious noodles without carbohydrates
konjac noodles
The most figure-friendly noodles come from distant Japan: So-called konjac noodles, also known as shirataki, actually do not contain any carbohydrates. Instead of grain, this type of noodle is made with the help of konjac flour from the konjac root – this is the bulb of the Asian devil’s tongue. At konjac noodles you can access them properly, because they contain little fat and calories and are rich in healthy fiber.
Soba noodles
Also Soba noodles (not to be confused with glass noodles, although they look similar) are a no-carb staple in Japanese cuisine and are served both hot and cold. They are made from buckwheat, which is not a type of grain but one of the so-called knotweed plants. This makes soba noodles gluten-free. In terms of taste, they convince with a pleasant nutty note. However, you should study the package carefully when buying, because in some cases these noodles are stretched with wheat flour. The reason: buckwheat is relatively brittle and the wheat makes it a little more supple. So if you want to eat noodles without carbohydrates, the best thing to do with soba is a product that consists of 100 percent buckwheat.
Noodles for low carb
As you can see, there are only a few noodles without any carbohydrates. However, there are also some Pasta alternatives that only require a small amount of carbohydrates and are healthy too.
seaweed noodles
The smell of seaweed noodles may take some getting used to for some pasta lovers, but in fact “sea spaghetti”, as the pasta is also called, is becoming increasingly popular. The seaweed is usually cut to the classic spaghetti length and tastes good with light sauces or pesto. On top of that, they only contain about 15 grams of carbohydrates for about 100 grams of pasta, Hardly any fat, few calories and lots of healthy dietary fiber (“glucomannan”). However, if you eat a low-salt diet, it is better to avoid the pasta made from algae, because 100 grams of sea spaghetti have around eight grams of salt.
Red lentil pasta
If you like a slightly nutty taste in your pasta, you could Red lentil pasta be a real alternative. The legumes offer many advantages in terms of nutrition: For example, they are very rich in protein, because they come to around 26 grams of protein per 100 grams and also contain a lot of dietary fiber. However, pasta made from lentils contains only slightly less carbohydrates than normal cereal pasta: lentils have around 50 grams and classic pasta 70 grams. Be careful when preparing: Since the lentil noodles are quite floury, they should not be cooked for too long.
Chickpea Pasta
Do you like chickpeas? Then try them as noodles, because chickpeas largely retain their taste in this form. Noodles made from legumes impress with their nutritional values. Similar to the lentil variant, they contain a considerable amount of protein and are also rich in vitamins A, C, D and E. Especially for fans of hummus Chickpea Pasta to be something.
More alternatives to classic pasta
You largely do without grain products because, for example, you gluten intolerance have and pay less attention to carbohydrates? Then these pasta variations could also be something for you:
corn noodles
If you love the taste of the typical wheat noodles above all, you could find a good alternative with corn noodles, because the taste is very reminiscent of classic pasta and they are also gluten-free. However, they come with a slightly sweet note and have to cook a little longer than other pasta alternatives. With 75 grams of carbohydrates and over 350 calories per 100 grams of pasta they are also rather less suitable for low carb.
rice noodles
If you like Chinese food, you may have been served rice noodles made from rice flour before. The rather neutral-tasting noodles are suitable, for example, as an ingredient for wok dishes or salads with an Asian touch. Contrary to what many people think, however, rice noodles are not exactly suitable for low carb: At around 80 grams, they contain even more carbohydrates than “normal” pasta made from grain, as well as a comparatively large number of calories and only a small proportion of protein and fiber. After all, they are gluten-free.
Vegetable noodles: Make your own noodles without carbohydrates
Of course you can too make your own noodles without carbohydrates. Vegetables, such as zucchini, can be easily processed into pasta with the help of a spiral cutter – the trendy zoodles say hello! But peppers or carrots can also be cut very well into healthy and low-calorie vegetable noodles. All that’s missing is a delicious homemade sauce. Recipes anyone? Then try our spicy tomato sauce or basil pesto!
And what about whole wheat pasta?
Whole grains are often recommended as part of a balanced diet because whole grains are high in complex carbohydrates that are rich in nutrients and keep you full for longer than white flour products. The “German Society for Nutrition” (DGE), for example, writes: “For grain products such as bread, pasta, rice and flour, the whole grain variant is the best choice for your health.” However, this is closed Please note that the whole grain versions of pasta and co. usually have more calories than products made from white flour. And you can’t really call the whole grain version noodles without carbohydrates, because they contain around 65 grams of carbohydrates per 100 grams of noodles.
Sources