We have low carb pasta in the test and tell you which are the best!
Did someone say pasta? I'm coming! Yummy! We all love spaghetti, tagliatelle and the like. As delicious as they are - they contain lots of carbohydrates.
It's worth looking for low carb pasta. Because pasta without carbohydrates even tastes mega delicious!
Even if you don't eat a low-carb diet, spaghetti and co bring many benefits.
The most popular low carb pasta and pasta alternatives
Here they come: The tastiest and healthiest alternatives for pasta made from white flour.
Not all of them are completely carbohydrate free. A few alternatives that I present here contain carbs. However, they are complex carbohydrates that are healthy.
Tip: If you want to try the noodles and are not sure, there is a mixture of Clever Pasta at Amazon. It is a 6 pack of lentils, peas and chickpeas get.
For comparison, 100 grams of normal spaghetti contains 70 g of carbohydrates and 345 calories.
Konjac noodles as low carb pasta
No, they have nothing to do with alcohol. That one writes also completely differently :)
They get their name from the konjac root, which, along with water and calcium hydroxide, is in the low carb noodles.
By the way, this pasta is not a new invention. In Asia, they have been known for a long time and are very popular. If you are ever in Asia on the road and see "Shirataki noodles", then you may quietly grab.
These are namely konjac noodles. Visually, they remind a bit of glass noodles. They are a bit darker and slightly transparent.
Tip: You can order konjac noodles at Amazon. I've picked out a tasting pack for you that contains a total of 5 different types of konjac noodles.
Konjac low carb pasta are
- completely gluten free
- low in calories. 100 grams contain just 20 calories.
- grease-free. And completely.
- low in carbohydrates. 100 grams contain 3 grams of carbohydrates. The few carbs they contain are from glucomannans.
You have to get used to the rubbery consistency. But if you want to lose weight, you can eat this pasta alternative.
They are very neutral in taste. This has the advantage that you can season your dish with pretty much any spice. Curry is mega delicious!
Zucchini noodles "Zoodles
Especially low-calorie and healthy come zoodles. These are noodles made from zucchini. So the pasta is simply replaced by very thinly sliced zucchini.
The best way to do this is to use a spiral cutter. This way, the low carb pasta actually looks like "real" pasta.
They are pan-fried hot with a little water and then served with a sauce. Of course, they taste best fresh. Reheated they become quite mushy.
Tip: You can order a spiral slicer at Amazon. I found a model where you get a cookbook with it for free.
Zucchini low carb pasta are
- completely gluten free
- Low calorie. 100 grams contain 19 calories.
- grease-free. And completely.
- low in carbohydrates. There are only 2.2 grams of carbohydrates in 100 grams of zucchini.
- a good source of healthy fiber.
Taste and satiety factor
Zucchini noodles taste like zucchini, what a surprise right? :) But since zucchinis are very tasteless, any sauce goes well with it. I eat them best with a homemade tomato bell pepper sauce.
Unfortunately, zucchini noodles do not saturate so well. You quickly feel hungry again. No wonder, because a zucchini consists mostly of water.
Tip: Do you already know the Spiral slicer cookbook with over 70 recipes? You can order it online.
By the way: You can also replace the pasta in lasagna with thinly sliced zucchini strips. Out comes the juiciest low carb lasagna you've ever eaten. A dream :)
Enjoy this juicy veggie low carb lasagna!
Low carb pasta from carrots
If zucchini noodles taste too boring for you, you can also make your low carb pasta from carrots.
While they contain more carbohydrates than zucchini, they are still a classic low carb vegetable.
Especially the large amount of the pigment carotene makes them so interesting. This is a precursor for vitamin A, which is healthy for the eyes and skin.
Like the zucchinis, the carrots are simply cut into shape with a spiral cutter. Sauté briefly, sauce on top and ready!
Tip: You can order a spiral slicer at Amazon. With this cutter you get 5 cutting inserts in different thicknesses for spaghetti, linguine and tagliatelle.
Carrot noodles are
- completely gluten free
- low calorie. 100 grams contain 36 calories
- a wonderful source of vitamin A
- completely fat free
- low in carbohydrates. In 100 grams of carrots there are 4.8 grams of carbs
- a good source of dietary fiber
Taste and satiety factor
If you turn carrots into low carb pasta, you can look forward to a good bite and a slightly sweet taste.
Unlike zucchini noodles, carrot noodles keep you full longer. So that I'm not quickly hungry again, I pack but neat sauce on top.
By the way, kohlrabi, beet, sweet potatoes or pumpkin can also be turned into vegetable noodles.
These 26 vegetables come completely without carbohydrates!
Chickpea noodles
Pasta made from pulses is becoming increasingly popular. Until recently, it was only found in specialty stores, but now even discounters offer pasta made from pulses from time to time.
The reason is simple: legumes are gluten-free and rich in protein.
Pasta also contains far fewer carbohydrates than normal pasta. The carbs contained are complex carbohydrates. This means that they keep you full longer and do not drive up blood sugar levels.
If you are looking for a real protein bomb, you should reach for black bean pasta. They have 40 grams of protein per 100 grams.
You can simply replace conventional penne with chickpea pasta and serve with pesto.
Tip: I order chickpea pasta from Amazon. The fusilli comes in a pack of 3.
Chickpea noodles are
- completely gluten free
- lower in calories than conventional pasta. 100 grams contain 258 calories
- low carbohydrate. In 100 grams of chickpea noodles are 37.2 grams of carbs
- a good source of iron, magnesium and zinc
Taste and satiety factor
What surprised me a little: Chickpea noodles foam when cooking quite. So watch out and just do not take too much water!
Taste-wise, I find them great. They taste a bit like whole wheat pasta and are a little more firm to the bite than normal pasta.
Mega delicious: Oriental chickpea salad with curry!
Lentils noodles
Lentil pasta is not really low in calories. They are almost as high in calories as conventional pasta. However, they have a lot of advantages in comparison.
In this context, one speaks of slow carb rather than low carb pasta. Legumes contain complex carbohydrates. The blood sugar level therefore rises slowly and constantly.
That makes longer full.
Lentil noodles score especially with a high protein content. You can also save yourself a few carbs.
Just like chickpea noodles, you can simply replace them 1:1.
Tip: You can order lentil noodles online. This is cheaper than in the store, where you quickly have to pay more than 3 euros for a pack. The cheapest price per kilo is from Fit 'n' Free.
Lentil noodles are
- completely gluten free
- lower in calories than conventional pasta. 100 grams contain 343 calories
- lower in carbohydrates than normal pasta. In 100 grams of lentil noodles are 56 grams of carbs
- rich in protein. Per 100 grams there are 27 grams of protein.
- a good source of potassium, magnesium, iron and calcium
Taste and satiety factor
For me, there is no difference in taste between lentils and chickpea pasta. Both are rather firm to the bite and remind a little of whole grain pasta.
They are cooked like regular spaghetti for about 8 minutes and can be used like regular pasta.
Lentils make you feel full for a particularly long time and are therefore very popular with athletes.
By the way, a sauce made from lentils goes wonderfully with the low carb pasta.
Wow! This bolognese comes completely without meat!
Mozzarella egg low carb pasta
Do you like to make your own low carb pasta? Then you should definitely try mozzarella egg pasta. I love them.
You will need 1 scoop of mozzarella, one egg and 5 g Psyllium husks*.
Chop the mozzarella in a kitchen utensil. Stir the egg and the Psyllium husks* under.
Spread the dough on a baking paper and put it in the oven at 180° for 8 to 10 minutes.
Take it out of the oven and cut it into strips.
Done. You don't even have to cook this pasta. They are baked in the oven.
Mozzarella pasta are
- completely gluten free
- higher in calories than normal pasta. In total they contain 373 calories.
- much lower in carbohydrates than normal pasta. In the entire dough (175 grams) is just 1 gram of carbohydrates.
- rich in protein. The dough contains 28 grams of protein.
Taste and satiety factor
These low carb pasta are higher in calories than conventional pasta. But they make up for it with only 1 gram of carbohydrates and 28 grams of protein.
Taste-wise, you notice the egg out quite a bit. Since they come from the oven to the plate, they are a bit dry. But with a lot of sauce it goes :)
I am longer full from these low carb noodles than from carrots and zucchinis but shorter than from lentil noodles.
What speaks for low carb pasta
If you want to reduce carbs, then you don't have to give up pasta. There are now plenty of low carb pasta just waiting to be eaten :)
Low carb pasta contains a lot of protein
Unlike white flour pasta, the healthy option made from lentils or chickpeas not only contains fewer carbs, but also much more protein.
Especially those who are in the process of building muscle or losing weight should eat enough protein. It helps to build muscle and should also make you feel fuller for longer.
Pasta without wheat makes you full longer
We all know by now that white flour is not healthy. It makes you hungry again quickly and causes your blood sugar level to ride a roller coaster. Just as quickly as it shoots up, it drops again.
The result: After eating, we are hungry again very quickly and could shovel vast quantities into ourselves.
Whether you reach for zucchini, lentils or konjac, they'll keep you full longer.
Variety is healthy
Most people have a maximum of 10 different dishes on the menu. These are repeated 1:1, which is really boring!
With low carb pasta you bring more variety to the plate. The sauce tastes completely different again.
Low carb pasta contains more minerals
In the case of white flour, the actually healthy additives contained in the husk and germ are removed during processing. As a result, potassium, calcium, magnesium and vitamins are lost. Wholemeal is the better option.
However, low carb pasta is even better. It doesn't matter if you choose zucchini, lentils or other pasta alternatives, they all contain more minerals.
And, of course, dietary fiber. They ensure good digestion. You find them especially in vegetables and legumes.
The downside: Pasta alternatives made from konjac, lentils or legumes are unfortunately quite expensive. You can easily pay 3 euros for a packet.
Our conclusion
If you want to lose weight and can't do without pasta, low carb pasta is a wonderful alternative. Especially those made from zucchini or konjac.
There is now a whole range of pasta without carbohydrates. This brings variety to the plate.
However, low carb pasta made from legumes is quite expensive. But you can treat yourself to it in between. Meal! :)
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