I get a lot of questions about the products I buy at the grocery store and personally use on a daily basis because readers know I’ve done the investigative work. One of those questions is always, “What are the healthiest pastas available and which ones do you recommend?”. There are a lot of options out there and it can be a daunting task trying to navigate the maze of choices and I’m here to help.
First, let’s talk about what you won’t see on my list of staples. I don’t like to buy or make wheat (white, enriched, semolina, or whole wheat) based pastas for a few reasons:
- Enriched white pasta has been completely stripped of its nutrients and likely chemically bleached.
- Most wheat or semolina pasta has been hybridized and damaged nutritionally during processing.
- The consumption of wheat flour increases inflammation in the body and is extremely acidic.
- Wheat flour can disrupt the good intestinal bacteria in your digestive system.
- Wheat flour has been shown to cause addiction, making you crave and eat more.
So without wheat flour pastas, what is left? Fortunately, there are a lot!
Here Are My Top Pasta Recommendations:
- Zucchini Noodles – Wonderful zucchini & squash vegetables can be made into noodles using a tool called a spiralizer (available online here)…Ok, I know this isn’t technically pasta, but boy, does it taste like pasta! If you are trying to go grain-free or want a less heavy alternative to traditional pasta, this is a fantastic way to get your pasta fix. You can eat the noodles raw or warmed slightly in a skillet with sauce. Also, if you don’t want to use a spiralizer, you can cut the zucchini or squash into thin slices like lasagne and bake them. Remember to choose non-GMO and organic zucchini and squash, as the majority of them grown in this country are made with genetically modified seeds.
- Spaghetti Squash Noodles – Spaghetti Squash is not something I knew about for a while and I found out most people don’t either. After discovering it, I told everyone about it and they were like “Eh! what? when you cook it, it comes out like real spaghetti?” I responded “DUH! That’s why they call it spaghetti squash!” This is one of the most versatile pasta substitutes available. It has 1/4 of the calories of traditional pasta per cup, meaning you can eat and eat and eat some more. One of my favorite ways to eat this squash is straight up with homemade spicy tomato sauce and raw goat’s milk hard cheese. Heavenly. Also, check out my recipe for spaghetti squash casserole with quinoa – it’s really good!
- Bean Pastas – A company by the name of Explore Asian makes the most delicious pasta using 100% mung beans. This pasta is extremely high in protein and fiber and gets you super full really quick. The noodles are a bit more chewy than traditional pasta. The recipe for fettuchini on the back of the package works like a charm and is my favorite way to make these. They are available online here. Also check out Tolerant brand that makes lentil based pastas here.
- Soba Buckwheat Noodles – I love buckwheat! It’s actually not a grain but a fruit seed and is suitable for people on a gluten-free diet. They are high in protein and fiber and extremely satisfying. Remember to look for 100% buckwheat – there are a lot of impostors out there that use a blend of wheat and buckwheat that I don’t recommend. Eden makes 100% buckwheat noodles and is available online here. Orgran makes 90% buckwheat, 10% rice spirals and is available online here.
- Ancient Grain Pastas – Ancient grains are grains that haven’t been hybridized over time and are more nutrient dense than the wheat that is produced today. I’ve loved the recent innovations in this category, including the quinoa, amaranth, and brown rice combination Tru Roots came up with. They have several different varieties – elbows, penne and spaghetti available online and in most natural health stores. The elbows have been a staple in my house for homemade mac & cheese (recipe coming soon!). Also, other ancient grain pastas I recommend include Vita Spelt pasta, Jovial Einkorn Pasta, Quinoa Pasta and this Eden Kamut Quinoa Blend.
- Sprouted Grain Pastas – This pasta is hearty and definitely more dense than most pastas available, but I love the nutritional profile. Most sprouted grain pastas have wheat, but it’s not wheat flour – it’s the whole wheat kernel sprouted before processing, which increases the fiber and protein available and removes the phytic acid that makes wheat more digestible. The sprouting process also increases the beneficial enzymes, vitamin and mineral content. People who are gluten intolerant can sometimes enjoy this type of wheat without any issues because the increased enzymes metabolize the starch (gluten) in the wheat. My favorite brand is Ezekiel Food for Life, which is available in most natural foods stores and online. I like the combination of ingredients that also include other beneficial whole grains and beans: organic sprouted whole grain wheat, organic sprouted whole grain barley, organic sprouted whole grain millet, organic sprouted whole lentils, organic sprouted whole soybeans, organic sprouted whole grain spelt.
I will leave you with this tip from Dr. Andrew Weil – Remember to cook your pasta al dente (when it has “tooth” to it) because it has a lower glycemic index than fully-cooked pasta. Low-glycemic-load carbohydrates should be the bulk of your carbohydrate intake to help minimize spikes in blood glucose levels.
What Are Your Favorite Pastas? Share with me and others in the comments below…
If you know someone who loves pasta, please share this post with them. Who knows maybe they’ll invite you over for some yummy delicious & nutritious noodles!
Buon Appetito,
Food Babe
P.S. Remember to check out our Meal Plans for Health Program which has a bunch of yummy healthy recipes using the best ingredients and foods on the planet! You get a monthly calendar with weigh-loss recipes, exactly what to eat and which groceries to buy. Signing up for this program helps to support all the Food Babe investigations – so thank you!
Have you heard of miracle noodles? They are supposed to be low carbs. Amazon had deals on them once or twice. What are good choices for noddles when you are craving stir fry or Asian cuisine?
Hey Anwanwan! Buckwheat soba is delicious and is absolutely perfect if you are craving a stir fry or Asian inspired dish. Enjoy!
Thank you
i don’t think so…as you didn’t talk about kelp noodles with green tea , the best to loose weight ,
i still lyk ya blog , but it’s pretty shame , ta!
Hi Yavonne – I’ve had them and honestly think they taste terrible. They have the consistency of squid, which to me is not what you want when eating pasta:) Of course – you may love them. I’ve seen them more and more in the natural food section of our local grocery stores.
I personally go for the summer squash over miracle noodles. Generally I roast them face up with a bit of olive oil based on them – and a sprinkle of sea salt.
Tinkyada rice pasta hands down
I love Tinkyada too!
me too!!
Yes! It’s the best pasta, never mushy and so forgiving. *slurp*
This one is my favorite one as well. My husband and toddler love it, too!
Food babe, you are a babe after my own heart. I love love love reading your investigations! I just have one idea I would like to share with you, have you ever thought of translating your articles to spanish???? i would love to share these with my mom and my entire family in Colombia. Anyway I’m thinking its prob already on your to do list and my sister is a legit translator. Anyway email me if you want her info…I have turned her into a WELLNESS WARIOR too so she would love it!!! xoxo
I believe you can use google translate and it will translate the blog to her language. I know it’s a little added work and if she’s anything like my mom…well, hard to do, but if you take the time to show her or even do screen shots for her and email them to her…it will give you the result.
I know already translated would be more helpful, but this is a start….
Victoria and Celeste – both great ideas! We will look into translating…
Google translate is really bad.. So is the one that Bing uses.
See http://www.dietdoctor.com/. His email comes in Swedish, you click on his logo to open the email and then you can click on the English flag to translate. Someone might sponsor this capability for Vani’s FoodBabe site.
How do you feel about Dreamfield’s pasta? As a low carb eater, that has been the best solution I’ve found to pasta cravings. Can’t stand spaghetti squash and have yet to meet a whole wheat pasta that tasted right…
I too would also like to know what you think about Dreamfields.
Yes, pls comment on Dreamfields. That is my go to.
I don’t think you’re gonna like the answer.
Shiritake noodles! Miracle Noodle is my favorite brand. They are stored in water, which can have an unpleasant “fishy” smell at first, but after a good rinse it’s gone. They have a great texture and are tasteless on their own, so they work well with any recipe. They also have virtually no calories or carbs! I like to throw mine together with some organic peanut butter, liquid aminos, chilis, garlic and veggies for a healthy pad Thai!
I have digestion issues and was wondering what you know about lectins in any of these products.
have you any info on brown rice pasta?
We like Annie Chun’s Maifun Brown Rice Noodles and any Tinkyada rice pasta.
Been happily using Trader Joe’s Brown Rice pasta for years! All three varieties ( fusilli, penne, & spaghetti ) have the same texture as regular pasta but w/o the cardboard taste of others.
I love the T.J’s brown rice pasta too!! So do my kids!!
I’ve been trying the Explore Asian Mung Bean Fettuccine and Black Bean Spaghetti for a couple months now and I am just blown away with how fabulous they are! 25g protein per 2 oz serving, 100% beans and water, organic, they cook up in a flash and reheat just fine! EXCELLENT vegan source of protein. They are hardly chewier than regular pasta, and leave you feeling full and satisfied. They even help curb my sugar cravings because I am left feeling so fulfilled (from the loads of protein). Versatile as well, both varieties work well with marinara, soups, curry or pesto. So obsessed with these noodles it’s unreal! Check out a preparation video of it at Raw Food World http://www.therawfoodworld.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=100540
I use organic mung bean fettuccine noodles to make pesto pasta (since I’m allergic to wheat). It’s really very good! I highly recommend it!
RE the Mung Bean Pasta. I just went to Eden Foods’ website and looked at the nutritional values. Per your post they are high in Fiber and Protein. Per Eden Foods they have ZERO Fiber and ZERO Protein, just a whole lotta carbs.
I don’t eat Eden Brand Mung Bean Pasta – rather Explore Asia brand. See link in post. Thanks!
http://www.lowcarbcanada.ca/Explore-Asian-Organic-Mung-Bean-Fettuchini-p/exa002.htm
i ordered the mung bean and black bean pasta but only the black bean has fibre????
seems this maybe old explore asian product???? without fibre as it has no red outline……..any thoughts?
But, while your show in charloutte today , u said u r a big fan of eden foods!!
I am trying to be mostly grain free, so I eat a ton of spaghetti squash for Italian dishes and kelp noodles for Asian dishes. I think those work great! This is a good recipe for those (although we thought it had too much meat, so I would recommend either doubling everything else or halving the meat!): http://nomnompaleo.com/post/2540758120/stir-fried-kelp-noodles-with-ground-beef-broccoli
Korean sweet potato noodles are also OK. Sweet potatoes have lots of nutritional benefits too – http://www.care2.com/greenliving/9-reasons-to-love-sweet-potatoes.html
I also eat Dreamfields pasta and my kids love it. Please let me know if this passes the Food Babe test! Thank you!
Essential Eating Sprouted Pasta!!!! Ingredients: Organic Sprouted 100% whole wheat flour. No chemicals, additives, colorings, just yummy pasta that digests as a veggie because it is sprouted! The Elbows are my favorite. They work great for cold salads too. They are so great tasting!
Thanks for all your great posts! My husband has even started buying some different beer after your last article…our favorite is still Samuel Adams–any thought about them?
Other than wheat, the brown rice pasta from TraderJoe’s was good.
Tried the Ancient Harvest “Quinoa” pasta once. It’s more corn than quinoa and was HORRIBLE! It was a sticky clump of mush, didn’t taste very good, and most of it was left in the cooking water as corn meal sludge. Maybe it was something I did wrong, but I’m not willing to pay that much for that again. Just my 2 cents.
I agree – it’s not my favorite. Have you tried Tru Roots, yet? That’s awesome!
Thanks! Will have to put it on my list.
This is the only pasta we have….love it.
Do you know if any of these can be found at whole foods?
Hi Ana – yes most of them can be found at my Whole Foods. Some stores probably carry them all.
Hey Food Babe!
I’ve seen in your posts that you eat Ezekiel bread or sprouted grains. I have read alot about how grains, especially sprouted grains, are gut damaging and toxic. There is so Mich confusing information out there, it is so hard to keep track. Even some beans are on the grain catagory. What is your take and where to get the best resrource on how to decide for ourselves?
Thank you!
-Robin
Where have you seen the research showing sprouted grains are toxic? I’d love to see them.
well… depends… Not the sprouts itself… But contaminations of commercially grown sprouts with bacterias such as Escherichia coli and Salmonella (Gabriel, Alonzo A. et al.; Berja, M; Estrada, A; Lopez, M; Nery, J; Villaflor, E (2007). “Microbiology of retail mung bean sprouts vended in public markets of National Capital Region, Philippines” and Breuer, Thomas et al.. “A Multistate Outbreak of Escherichia coli O157:H7 Infections Linked to Alfalfa Sprouts Grown from Contaminated Seeds”) -however most “sproutbrakes” are associated with alfalfa, legume sprouts, etc.
“A single surviving bacterium in a kilogram of seed can be enough to contaminate a whole batch of sprouts, according to the FDA”(Neuman, William (10 June 2011). “The Poster Plant of Health Food Can Pack Disease Risks”. New York Times.)
Also – mould.
Any grain right after sprouting can develop a mould which is highly toxic.
One of the ways to deal with this at home – right after grains will sprouts, refrigerate them or freeze…
However in commercial environment could be more chances that the tiny mould formations will get unnoticed…
Hi Vani, I agree & disgree with your blog, I think you might find it interesting if I tell you why because you have just launched your diet program. Studying naturopathic medicine, I’ve learned that every one has a different digestive system mostly due to their blood type. Wheat definitely causes inflammation for some blood types, like O, but not for others, like myself. Check out Dr.D’adamo’s Blood Type Diet books, if you haven’t already, I think you would really like them. With my background in Anthropology & working in the naturopathic field I’ve found an interesting amount of validity in his work. 🙂 Keep up the good work!
Well… prepared spaghetti squash… Everything would be ok., but the squash itself was quite bitter… All of us ate it, because nobody knew what it suppose to taste like… My friend after dinner browsed internet and found out that the bitter squashes extremely toxic and consuming them can lead to stomach cramps, diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, bloody stool… Everybody took a laxative instead of dessert… So, not very nice experience and if the internet info about bitterness – toxicity in spaghetti squash is right – not very healthy… In the future I’ll stick to whole grain spaghetti…
I’m not a big squash lover, but I’ve never tasted spaghetti squash that was bitter. Did you remove all the seeds? It’s very mild tasting and slightly sweet.
Hey Food Babe,
My favorite is King Soba Organic Pumpkin, Ginger and Rice Noodles. Organic brown rice, organic pumpkin and organic ginger are the only ingredients in them and they are perfect for stirfrys.
I love, and will continue to eat DeBoles — spinach, and garlic parsley are my favorite!
I really like spiralized organic zucchini noodles (salted & drained). For the topping/sauce, I smoosh up an avocado, mix it with 1-2 minced garlic cloves, 3-4 drops extra virgin olive oil & splash of lime juice, then garnish with fresh chopped cilantro. Lovely! Might be nice with some massaged kale, but I haven’t tried that yet.
My mouth is watering!
What is the best spiralizer?
My family loves brown rice pasta 🙂 I love your suggestions and will have try a few of them!
The black bean pasta fri a explore Asian is also axing and made just like the mung bean pasta. Only two ingredients black beans and water!
What about quinoa pasta?
I make my own using sprouted wheat flour(I like One Degree) and organic eggs (just those two ingredients). My omega had a noodle attachment…so easy and so yummy!!
I LOVE organic Ancient Harvest Quinoa noodles!
Can you tell me what you think about this one??
http://www.amazon.com/Eden-Foods-Organic-Quinoa-Twisted/dp/B00CQ7TDNU/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1379586739&sr=8-9&keywords=ezekiel+pasta
Thank you,
Colleen
No mention of quinoa pasta….good or bad?
She did mention how there are hybrids of ancient grain pastas. Have a read again in that section 🙂
What about rice pasta????
Brown rice pasta is good too – there is some concern though about arsenic levels in rice…
We are sensitive to preservatives in packaging. Are there any bht’s in any packages of noodle you recommend? I figure not since you investigate so well, but never hurts to ask!
I have always bought 100% whole wheat pasta, but after reading this I think I may venture out. I am working on switching my entire family of 6 (including 4 tweens/teens) over to a whole foods diet. Bread has been a huge issue, especially when grilling out & they want a burger on a white bun! LOL! Let’s see how some new pasta’s go over! I will keep you updated! 🙂
I’m with you… I have a teen and a tween myself. If they are used to whole wheat pasta, I bet they will be fine with some new variations. Good luck!
We’ve had great success with our teens (and even my picky 8 yo!) with Jovial brand brown rice spaghetti pasta!
In reference to zucchini noodles, if you don’t want to buy another kitchen gadget that takes up a lot of precious counter space, there is a great peeler which can be purchased at Bed Bath & Beyond. It’s a set of 3 (I think) colored peelers with different teeth shapes so you just peel the zucchini and it comes off in skinny spaghetti-like strips. Easy and you don’t have to buy a bulk gadget 🙂
Ancient Harvest makes awesome quinoa pastas, and I love TruRoots new ancient grain pasta.
are there any hemp pastas? i can’t seem to find any…. is anyone making & baking commercially yet with protein powder/sprouted flours yet? thanks
Several people on here have asked about Dreamfields pasta…. Do you have an answer?
I just looke din my pantry and we have Gemelli Organic Pasta “made from100% organic duram wheat semolina” – is this a “good” one?
Several people have asked about Dreamfields Pasta and I ahevn’t seen a reply so far. This is one site I found and has some interesting findings. Usually when it tastes to good to be true it isn’t true. http://www.dietdoctor.com/the-dreamfields-pasta-fraud
Hope this helps
As a type 2 diabetic let me say the Dreamfields works and works great!
As a engineer techy guy ( geek ) I did some testing on myself using measured portions of Dreamfields and regular store pasta. I took readings with my glucometer at set times after eating. This was a blind study I didn’t know what I was eating. Every single time I ran the test there was one sample that peaked quite a bit lower and fell off faster on my meter. Guess which one!
Hi Food Babe. I read that sprouted wheat is still “Frankenwheat”, albeit less processed, and still hybredized, which is the root of many problems. True or no? Are there any available organic, whole wheat pastas which don’t spike blood sugar like the hybredized wheat does? The more I read, the more I’m thinking organic or not, this hybredized wheat is unavoidable- in which case I have no problem eating alternatives. Is Organic Kamut pasta on the ok list? thx, keep up the hottness.
Rex and Molly
is Trader Joe’s brown rice pasta good?
How do you get your family to eat these other types of pasta? My hubby is so dang particular and only wants the white, processed stuff. Also, how the heck can anyone afford to pay the prices of these things? I certainly cannot.
Lentil pasta is my go to! It’s made of just stone-ground lentils, gluten-free and vegan,, extremely high in protein, iron, and all sorts of other good stuff. It’s also not as expensive as some of these options! It even cooks super fast so I love taking it camping
I don’t like that Food Babe never answers anyone’s questions on these forums.
She (and her assistants) did at the beginning, when this post was originally posted! 😉 But, haven’t to any recent comments…
Vani– sprouted wheat, although definitely more nutritious than processed wheat, still contains gluten. Contrary to your assertion that some gluten-sensitive people can tolerate it without side effects, the side effects of gluten are not always noticeable in the short term but still happen in the long term. Even people who feel they are not sensitive to gluten because they think they do not experience adverse side effects from it are still taking damage to their intestines, little by little over time. This would include you. Don’t think it isn’t happening in you. You’re young. It’s easy to be healthy when you’re young. I suggest you rethink your position on gluten and issue a retraction on your statement that sprouted wheat is okay for many people who are gluten sensitive. In my opinion, that was really bad advice.
My only gripe here is you recommending mung bean pasta that’s made in China. Anything labeled organic from China should be avoided like the black plague. They have much different restrictions and are not regulated whatsoever. I bought that same product from Whole Foods only to realize when I got home it was made in China. I returned it immediately.
Never buy anything made in China
I buy these pastas at vitacost ….they are much more cheaper than health food stores and even amazon….Otherwise these can really be expensive. You can also get a $10 off $30 coupon here making it even cheaper.
https://www.vitacostrewards.com/AcCUvq2
Can anyone suggest a healthier asian noodles . My son loves them and just wanted to make them healthier.
Heard Brown rice is not good for health because the grains of brown rice retain toxins which are present in the environment where it was grown. What does food babe say about it?
Love your recipes! Your tenacity and commitment to exploring and finding great sources of good clean food is SO APPRECIATED! Keep up the great work and I will be a loyal follower for years to come! 🙂
which ones taste delicious? because the EZEKIAL is just downright AWFUL! I have 2 boxes in my cabinet that we won’t eat and can’t get a refund on 🙁 Although I enjoy the breads 🙂 thank you
I like to purchase pasta manufactured in Europe. There are many brands from Italy for example, no GMO’s!