Healthier & Tastier Alternatives to Pasta
There are many reasons people need to cut carbohydrates down. Diabetes runs on the maternal and paternal sides of my family. I personally feel better when I limit my carbs. I keep most of my carbohydrate and protein servings for breakfast. There’s a reason they call it the most important meal of the day. Throughout the rest of the day, I eat a lot of raw and cooked veggies, as well as some fruit and light sources of protein. Fruits and vegetables have carbs, but they are healthier and fewer.
When I cook pasta meals for my children, I use good ole pasta. I loved pasta as a kid. The body of a growing human being demands differently. As our growing slows, we should adjust our diet accordingly. While I prepare their noodles, I prepare a substitute for myself and my mother (when she’s eating with us). We LOVE substituting our pasta with veggies! Zoodles are our favorite, but we have tried many others as well. The following examples are just a few, but enough to get your idea motor rolling. Here is a list of great pasta alternatives.
Disclaimer: These are not carb-free options. These options consist of HEALTHIER & LESS CARBS.
Green beans make a great spaghetti replacement.
- Lightly steamed or panfried cucumbers.
- Steamed, baked, or panfried eggplant.
- Boiled, steamed or panfried zoodles (zucchini shreds).
- Oven baked or panfried Spaghetti squash.
- Oven baked or panfried butternut squash.
- Steamed or panfried bell peppers.
- Steamed or panfried Onions.
- Boiled or steamed green beans.
- Boiled or steamed carrot shreds.
- Steamed or boiled chickpeas / chickpea pasta.
- Steamed or boiled Legumes / legume pasta.
- Steamed or panfried Mushrooms (whole, shreds, or shaped).
- Steamed, boiled panfried, or baked Cauliflower (whole, shreds, or shaped).
- Boiled (panfry after boiling if desired) quinoa / Quinoa pasta.
Onions, peppers, and carrot shreds are great for cheese sauces, alfredo dishes, and spaghetti.
The list goes on…
There are many ways to replace your pasta and make your meals interesting. I’m sure there are many more options beyond what I have listed. These are my absolute favorites! I especially like using cucumbers. Most people don’t cook them because they are delicious when they are raw, and they overcook easily. No matter which pasta dish you’re craving, there’s a fitting replacement for each one.
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