Gimme some pasta! Although I’ve never truly been a pasta fiend; I’ve had plenty of clients who are avid noodle lovers. While I’m not one to tell a client to “never” eat something, I am all about finding more nutrient-dense alternatives for their fave foods so they eat healthier without depriving themselves. Alas, my noodle negotiations below!
Vegetable-based bowls:
I’ve been loving the fresh veggie noodles made by Veggie Noodle Co because, realistically, not all of my clients are going to spiralize their own zucchini. They package zucchini, sweet potato, butternut squash, + beet noodles for you to munch on at any meal. Vegetables are packed with varied vitamins + minerals, so each one of these choices is nutritious! Not only are they all amazing in their raw form, they can be gently heated if you want that warm pasta bowl.
Lentil linguine:
Ok, so not always made in the form of linguine noodles, but lentil/bean-based noodles are all the rage right now. Why? Heck, anything with fiber AND protein are a solid win for anyone looking to lean up. The other day I used Ancient Harvest’s POW red lentil noodles with 25g of protein per serving to make a pasta salad for my daughter + I and now I’m obsessed! I simply mixed the cooked rotini noodles with some pan-grilled zucchini + onion and then topped it with a bit of Parmesan, olive oil, lemon, + sea salt. Voila- lunch!
Quinoa crazed:
The gluten-free community has been very aware of the corn/quinoa blend pastas on the market for some time, but I love to reintroduce the quinoa noodle that’s not mixed with a bunch of other, less healthy ingredients. The purest I have found is the GoGo Quinoa brand that boasts 5g of protein per serving + come in all shapes/types.
Gluten-Free Ramen rage:
I have been using Lotus Foods noodles for over a year now in many recipes because I love their flour combinations: Forbidden black rice, Millet-brown rice, Jade pearl rice, + Wakame-brown rice ramen are not only quick to prepare, but they are all whole grain, healthy pasta bowl bases.
Seaweed is so skinny:
Want to have a bowl of pasta where the noodles are under 50 calories? Um, that’s a big ‘duh’ for me! Kelp noodles are a rinse + serve pasta made from seaweed. I buy the Sea Tangle brand regularly. Now, hold off pre-judging these babies before trying them out! I know a lot of people cringe when seaweed is brought up, but they do not taste fishy, they are not a crazy flavor profile…they are crunchy, filling, + devoid of fat, sugars, + have 1 carb per 1/2 cup serving. In that serving you also get: 13g of calcium, 2.28mg of iron, + 52.8 micrograms of Vitamin K. Slam dunk seaweed!