Noodles, Noodles, Noodles

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BrownsFan19
BrownsFan19 Posts: 117 Member
edited January 2016 in Food and Nutrition
What do you guys suggest for noodles? I LOVE noodles of all kinds, but am wondering what the healthiest noodle option is. I know there is spaghetti squash and zucchini noodles, but I'm talking really noodles here. Would ramen or rice noodles be the best? Any suggestions on how I can get my noodle fix without bowing up my calories and carb intake for the day?

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  • Spook_Nuke_Em
    Spook_Nuke_Em Posts: 408 Member
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    Have your noodles at lunch in a small portion and you'll be ok :)
  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
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    A single portion isn't hard to fit in you're calories. It might be fewer than you're used to, so add some extra veggies to your sauce to flesh it out.
  • snowflake930
    snowflake930 Posts: 2,188 Member
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    Have you tried soba noodles?
  • BrownsFan19
    BrownsFan19 Posts: 117 Member
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    I know I can do small portions, I'm just wondering what are the best options out there as far as noodles go.

    I've never tried soba noodles....maybe I'll check them out.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,372 Member
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    Well whole grain pasta is more filling, so probably gives you more nutrition for your calories with the extra fiber, but some people don't like it. I love it, personally, and it's all I eat now though!

    I think that rice noodles are close to regular noodles calorie-wise. Whole grain egg noodles maybe?
  • rbfdac
    rbfdac Posts: 1,057 Member
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    have you tried shirataki noodles? They're made from tofu. they have 30 calories for the entire bag. I sautee them in the pan with whatever sauce. Sometimes I incorporate "regular" noodles with them so I can get "more" but with very few calories. zvr6cmnp6p42.jpg
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    I don't think there's much difference between different types of noodles, from a nutrition perspective. Whole wheat has a little more fiber, but not a lot. You can buy fiber fortified pasta if into that (I haven't tried it). Some have egg, soba noodles are made from buckwheat, rice noodles from rice, but none of that is going to make a huge difference. I just eat the type of pasta or noodle that goes best with what I'm eating and make sure I eat them with lots of vegetables and protein, in a reasonable serving.

    I do love spaghetti squash as an alternative (just because it's tasty in its own right).
  • hotnumber
    hotnumber Posts: 222 Member
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    rbfdac wrote: »
    have you tried shirataki noodles? They're made from tofu. they have 30 calories for the entire bag. I sautee them in the pan with whatever sauce. Sometimes I incorporate "regular" noodles with them so I can get "more" but with very few calories. zvr6cmnp6p42.jpg

    I have been using this for a month, and it's wonderful! I usually eat 1/2 of the package when I make stir fry and that's only 15 calories
  • ASKyle
    ASKyle Posts: 1,475 Member
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    Use whatever pasta you prefer and mix it half and half with a zuchinni or carrot noodle. This helps to bulk it up and more satisfying IMO.
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 17,959 Member
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    I use normal noodles and bulk them with zoodles. I've tried the '0 cal' noodles and they're ok when they're in a heavy sauce but I like soup noodles or minimal. I do like rice noodles, they seem to be much lower cal than other varieties.
  • MelaniaTrump
    MelaniaTrump Posts: 2,694 Member
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    Whole wheat pasta sold at any store. My costco sells spinach pasta. Ramen - just look at the ingredient list and sodium content.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
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    BrownsFan19 wrote: »
    What do you guys suggest for noodles? I LOVE noodles of all kinds, but am wondering what the healthiest noodle option is. I know there is spaghetti squash and zucchini noodles, but I'm talking really noodles here. Would ramen or rice noodles be the best? Any suggestions on how I can get my noodle fix without bowing up my calories and carb intake for the day?

    Ramen is NOT a good option. Go for something minimally processed, perhaps a whole wheat variety, if that appeals. But if you're aiming for something nutritious, I wouldn't suggest ramen.
  • besee_2000
    besee_2000 Posts: 365 Member
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    They also make black bean noodles, lentil pasta, and other alternatives. They all range 180 -210 cal for 2 oz but maybe a different macro composition. Lentils are kind of a soft version pasta. I like them more al dente.
  • BrownsFan19
    BrownsFan19 Posts: 117 Member
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    Thanks everyone!
  • Marilyn0924
    Marilyn0924 Posts: 797 Member
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    I usually eat a high-fibre pasta or a mix of zucchini noodles/pasta if I want to lower the carbs in a specific meal.
  • mis1022
    mis1022 Posts: 109 Member
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    Ramen noodles are deep fried they are not a good option. Whole wheat are the best I have found for me, the entire family eat them now.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,170 Member
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    The chickpea pasta is not too bad (I'm not sure whether it comes in a regular noodle shape, but it comes in elbows and such. I eat Banza brand chickpea penne pasta sometimes. It tastes slightly . . . flatter? . . . than regular pasta if sampled plain, but is fine with a tasty sauce. About the same calories as regular pasta, but more protein (190 calories, 14g protein per serving).

    I also eat edamame/mung bean fettuccine (Explore Asian brand), but that's a little weirder - kind of chewy, and deep green colored. I don't much like it in regular pasta recipes (like tomato sauce or cheese sauce) - it's too vegetal tasting to work well there IMO. But some of my MFP friends like it as a substitute for regular pasta. I do like it with veggies & soy sauce/sesame oil kinds of dishes. Again, similar calories to regular pasta, much more protein (194 calories, 24g protein per serving).

    Serving size for both of these is 2oz, measured dry, which cooks up to a normal-sized serving amount.

    There are some other kinds of pasta (spelt, triticale & what-not) that I've looked at that seem to have slightly better macros than regular pasta (including regular whole wheat pasta), but not dramatically better.
  • Strawblackcat
    Strawblackcat Posts: 944 Member
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    I like black bean pasta. It has similar calories to whole wheat or gluten free pasta, but it has way more fiber and protein. Usually around 10 grams fiber and 15 grams of protein per 2oz. Explore Asian's black bean spaghetti and Tolerant's black bean penne are my favorites.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,372 Member
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    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    The chickpea pasta is not too bad (I'm not sure whether it comes in a regular noodle shape, but it comes in elbows and such. I eat Banza brand chickpea penne pasta sometimes. It tastes slightly . . . flatter? . . . than regular pasta if sampled plain, but is fine with a tasty sauce. About the same calories as regular pasta, but more protein (190 calories, 14g protein per serving).

    I also eat edamame/mung bean fettuccine (Explore Asian brand), but that's a little weirder - kind of chewy, and deep green colored. I don't much like it in regular pasta recipes (like tomato sauce or cheese sauce) - it's too vegetal tasting to work well there IMO. But some of my MFP friends like it as a substitute for regular pasta. I do like it with veggies & soy sauce/sesame oil kinds of dishes. Again, similar calories to regular pasta, much more protein (194 calories, 24g protein per serving).

    Serving size for both of these is 2oz, measured dry, which cooks up to a normal-sized serving amount.

    There are some other kinds of pasta (spelt, triticale & what-not) that I've looked at that seem to have slightly better macros than regular pasta (including regular whole wheat pasta), but not dramatically better.

    Tried mung bean pasta. Straight into the garbage. Ugh.
  • DaivaSimone
    DaivaSimone Posts: 657 Member
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    mis1022 wrote: »
    Ramen noodles are deep fried they are not a good option. Whole wheat are the best I have found for me, the entire family eat them now.

    Instant ramen are deep fried, real ramen are not. I buy some really good whole wheat ramen at my local asian grocery store, and they have a good nutritional profile when eaten in reasonable amount. I use them anytime I have a deep shoyu ramen craving.

    Said ramen are already in the database. myfitnesspal.com/food/calories/xiamen-prosperity-whole-wheat-ramen-noodles-71924456

    Some lecture on ramen, because ramen is serious *kitten*. seriouseats.com/2013/09/the-serious-eats-guide-to-ramen-styles.html

    Along with Prosperity whole wheat ramen, I eat various kind of noodles. Soba are naturally made with whole grains, and they're tasty, so it's good... I also like black rice noodles, pumpkin noodles and sweet potato and buckwheat noodles from King Soba (usually available in the organic section of grocery store). If you like the slippery texture of mung bean noodles (also called glass noodles), I would also suggest korean sweet potato noodles. I also eat plain rice sticks and udon, because I love them despite the fact that they are more processed.

    For pasta, I usually use Garofalo whole grain whole wheat pasta (the collection is called Garofalo integrale) or Felicetti organic and whole grain pasta, either the spelt or the wheat kind.

    I hope this help.

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