A recent survey of over 1000+ adults by the Grain Foods Foundation found that a third of US consumers named pasta (36%) as a top ‘comfort food’ during stressful times.
When eaten in moderation, pasta can be part of a healthy diet. But it’s not all about portion size. What’s the best option for those seeking a high-fibre, gut-friendly, low carb pasta option?
White pasta is a no-go. Refined pasta is higher in calories and carbs, and lower in fibre than other alternatives. For those people with gut health issues such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome, a serving size over ½ cup of wheat-based pasta introduces fructans which can trigger tummy upsets. Gluten-free, buckwheat or quinoa pasta are likely to contain less fermentable short-chain carbohydrates (FODMAPs). Quinoa pasta should be tolerated by most people with IBS. It’s gluten-free, tends to be higher in protein and fibre than other varieties, and it cooks quickly without going mushy.
Pastas made from beans, lentils or chickpeas might be higher in fibre, but they still pack calories along with fructans and galacto-oligosaccharides.
Some vegetable pastas are marketed as healthy alternatives but be scrupulous when you read labels. If the pasta is truly vegetable-based, it should actually contain vegetables as one of the key ingredients (!)
And then there’s the taste factor. I recently tried substituting durum wheat pasta for gluten-free spinach fettucine. It contained 35% spinach compared to another market leading brand which contains 0.4% spinach. It tasted dreadful! An unexpected and expensive way of controlling portion size!
If you’re really looking for a high-fibre, low carb, gut-friendly pasta, you could always try ‘zoodles’! Zoodles are spiralised fresh vegetables like sweet potato, cucumber or zucchini that are sliced into long, curly strands to look like pasta.
What’s your go-to pasta?
