Dumb question about carbs.
e_v_v
Posts: 131 Member
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
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if there is it is not pasta...6
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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.2
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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.1 -
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 fries0
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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.
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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.0 -
I think the moral of the story is yes, you CAN replace traditional pasta with lower carb alternatives but they might not actually satisfy you. As a pasta-lover myself, sometimes you just need that traditional texture and flavor with your dishes to feel satisfied about it. That is why I don't cut anything out, because that isn't satisfying for me.
Are you willing to pair pasta days with active days? That could enable you to stick to your macro goals AND eat traditional pasta. Just throwing that out there...5 -
Gluten-free pasta isn't carb-free (even if one thinks it tastes good). Gluten is a wheat (and various other grains) protein, not a carb.5
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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.0 -
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.1 -
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.1 -
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 you1 -
...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...1
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tcunbeliever wrote: »...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!2 -
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?0
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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 them0
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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.0 -
Don't go low carb it's stupid...like are going to forever? If not don't bother2
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