Dumb question about carbs.

e_v_v
e_v_v Posts: 131 Member
edited November 14 in Food and Nutrition
Is there such thing as a carb-less pasta? (besides the veggie type, obviously... like spaghetti squash) I am going low-carb starting on the 1st, but have an absolute love for pasta and will have a really hard time giving it up. I feel dumb asking this, but what exactly does gluten-free pasta take out? Are there brands or varieties out there?
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Replies

  • e_v_v
    e_v_v Posts: 131 Member
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    if there is it is not pasta...

    Right, but something almost the same that isn't veggies?
  • TR0berts
    TR0berts Posts: 7,739 Member
    There's some kind of noodle that is (supposedly) Calorie-free - and thus, carb-free - made from shiritaki or something. I'm feeling too lazy to use the old google-fu to get the details, but you can try it.
  • Skyblueyellow
    Skyblueyellow Posts: 225 Member
    Not really. You are going to substitute texture or flavor by doing some alternate options. You could try shirataki noodles instead. Even veggie pastas have some amount of carbohydrate content, just not nearly as high as your regular old boxed pastas.

    Personally I still eat pasta on a low carb diet. I just plan my day around it. I weigh everything and log it. Right now I've been more active so my macros are set to 35% carbs. Some days I get that 35% and other days I'm more like 20-25%. Honestly I probably only have pasta once or twice a month. It is a food that is hard for me to control myself around so I do limit my exposure and am careful to plan those meals so that I can stick to my goals.
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
    You could try skirataki noodles. I wouldn't personally use them to replace actual pasta in Italian dishes (up to you of course) but I don't mind them in stir fries
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    TR0berts wrote: »
    There's some kind of noodle that is (supposedly) Calorie-free - and thus, carb-free - made from shiritaki or something. I'm feeling too lazy to use the old google-fu to get the details, but you can try it.

    Yep, shiritaki noodles (or "Miracle Noodles") are basically carbohydrate- and calorie-free. OP, if you absolutely love pasta, be aware that these don't really taste like pasta and they don't have the texture of pasta. But if you like noodles as a delivery vehicle for sauce or mixed with other things, they may fit the bill. Most people prefer them in Asian-style recipes rather than with tomato or cream sauce.

  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    edited December 2016
    ebrass73 wrote: »
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    if there is it is not pasta...

    Right, but something almost the same that isn't veggies?

    You might try "miracle" or Shirataki noodles (thin, translucent, and gelatinous) they are basically just fiber and water.....not tried them myself because low carb would never be a lifestyle change for me.

    I can't think of anything that would resemble pasta & not be a grain or veggie.

    Gluten free pasta removes the wheat. Rice flour might be something used in gluten free noodles....not exactly low carb.
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
    GF pasta is often higher in carbs than wheat/durum pasta.

    I don't know of any LC pasta substitutes. I've used spaghetti squash in the past but I find just eating the meat sauce with lots of parmesan to be yummier.
  • GottaBurnEmAll
    GottaBurnEmAll Posts: 7,722 Member
    edited December 2016
    Shirataki noodles are brilliant for stir fries, but I don't think they'd work well with Italian dishes.

    I think the Miracle Noodle brand is the best, if you can find it. Wegman's carries it in the gluten free section, if you have one near you.

    Gluten free pastas are made from gluten free grains. Carb counts are pretty similar to gluten containing pasta for similar amounts of pasta.
  • noclady1995
    noclady1995 Posts: 452 Member
    The shiritaki noodles remind me of ramen noodles, and I wouldn't really consider them anything like pasta. But I like them in Asian recipes. The only thing is you have to rinse them really well, and even then, they have a super "earthy" aftertaste.

    The pastas like Dreamfields that claim to be low-carb aren't that low carb.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    ebrass73 wrote: »
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    if there is it is not pasta...

    Right, but something almost the same that isn't veggies?

    pasta
  • tcunbeliever
    tcunbeliever Posts: 8,219 Member
    gluten free pasta is usually made with rice (yum, but not low carb) or quinoa (kind of grainy and not a good pasta substitute to me)

    shirataki noodles are veggie noodles and crunch more than wheat pasta, but they are pretty tasty as long as you drain and rinse them

    my favorite low carb noodle is zucchini noodles

    dreamfields pasta is higher fiber/protein wheat pasta which in theory results in lower "net carbs" but while some of my diabetic friends love it, others still have the same blood sugar reaction as regular pasta, so if you are looking to control blood glucose levels it may or may not work for you
  • tcunbeliever
    tcunbeliever Posts: 8,219 Member
    ...or if you are very adventurous you can make homemade pasta from soy flour, it has fewer carbs than wheat, but is still not zero carb...
  • GottaBurnEmAll
    GottaBurnEmAll Posts: 7,722 Member
    ...or if you are very adventurous you can make homemade pasta from soy flour, it has fewer carbs than wheat, but is still not zero carb...

    Explore Cuisine has soy spaghetti. You can just buy it!
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    I feel dumb asking why you are going low carb, even so low carb that you can't fit in some pasta now and then?
  • VKetoV
    VKetoV Posts: 111 Member
    Chicken + marinara + Alfredo is about as close as you can get going low carbohydrate. You could always reserve the real thing for "refeeds" should you choose to incorporate them
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    ebrass73 wrote: »
    Is there such thing as a carb-less pasta? (besides the veggie type, obviously... like spaghetti squash) I am going low-carb starting on the 1st, but have an absolute love for pasta and will have a really hard time giving it up. I feel dumb asking this, but what exactly does gluten-free pasta take out? Are there brands or varieties out there?

    No, there isn't. Shirataki noodles are low carb, but I couldn't imagine using them as a substitute for traditional pasta dishes...sit fries and other Asian food yes...Italian food no.

    How low carb are you going...I know people who are lower carb, but not so much that they can't have a little pasta here and there.

    I guess if you're doing keto, you'll just have to suck it up.
  • littlechiaseed
    littlechiaseed Posts: 489 Member
    Don't go low carb it's stupid...like are going to forever? If not don't bother
  • MelissaPhippsFeagins
    MelissaPhippsFeagins Posts: 8,063 Member
    Barilla gluten free pasta is made from corn and tastes better than any other I have tried. I have celiac so I have tried pretty much all of it. However it is not low carb. Stick with the spaghetti squash, which lower carb, but still tasty.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    Black bean pasta but it still has 17 g carbs.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/calories/explore-asian-organic-black-bean-spaghetti-313535019

    I suggest you learn to eat your pasta with a quarter your usual amount with more sauce and meat. Eat and savour.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    Gluten free pasta takes out the protein.
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
    jgnatca wrote: »
    Gluten free pasta takes out the protein.

    Usually GF products just use other flours or starches. It's pretty impossible to make a glute containing product GF without distilling it.
  • Skyblueyellow
    Skyblueyellow Posts: 225 Member
    Don't go low carb it's stupid...like are going to forever? If not don't bother

    Low carb isn't "stupid". It is a WOE that is highly beneficial to people with certain medical conditions and yes, it is sustainable. I do agree that going low carb for a "diet" isn't beneficial. It is a WOE, not something that you do to drop pounds and then stop following. If you are serious about going low carb and staying there you will need to examine if this fits the way you want to live. And being low carb doesn't mean that carbs are off the table--it means you are eating to a certain macro ratio. I eat bread, pasta, potatoes, onion rings, ice cream and pizza. I just eat them in moderation with my goals in mind. I eat ONE truffle instead of a half dozen. I eat two slices of pizza and a salad instead of 3 slices. I have a scoop of ice cream instead of 2 or 3.
  • TonyB0588
    TonyB0588 Posts: 9,520 Member
    ebrass73 wrote: »
    Is there such thing as a carb-less pasta? (besides the veggie type, obviously... like spaghetti squash) I am going low-carb starting on the 1st, but have an absolute love for pasta and will have a really hard time giving it up. I feel dumb asking this, but what exactly does gluten-free pasta take out? Are there brands or varieties out there?

    Enjoy your pasta, but watch your portion sizes.
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  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    Don't go low carb it's stupid...like are going to forever? If not don't bother

    The same can be said for any way of eating.. Vegan, vegetarian, whatever!
This discussion has been closed.