Let’s face it: pasta tastes good, and for many of us, it may even have some traditional family value–after all, everyone remembers their grandmother’s lasagna or mom’s spaghetti and meatballs. The problem with regular pasta, however, is that it’s loaded with carbs (like, a lot), which can seriously impede your weight loss goals. Why? Too many carbs trigger your body to store fat rather than use it for fuel. Plus, pasta is made from highly processed and refined carbohydrates, which are known to jack up your blood sugar levels, promote inflammation, and increase your risk for metabolic syndrome and other chronic diseases. As a healthier alternative, try veggie noodles!
Just because you’ve set a personal goal to eat healthier doesn’t mean you have to give up the joy of eating pasta–not exactly, anyway. For a way healthier, easy, and almost-too-tasty-to-be-good-for-you option, try the newest nutrition trend: veggie noodles.
Where to Buy and How to Make Veggie Noodles
If you’ve ever had spaghetti squash, then you already understand how awesome and delicious vegetable noodles can be. But as healthy as spaghetti squash is, it does take a bit of time to prepare and make. For an equally nutritious, quick, and tasty side dish, enter veggie noodles made from a nifty little kitchen tool known as a spiralizer.
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A spiralizer makes long thin slices in vegetables, forming, well, noodles! You can use it with a wide variety of veggies, including:
- Beets
- Sweet potatoes
- Zucchini
- Eggplant
- Carrots
- Summer squash
- Butternut squash
It’s easy to find a spiralizer to meet your budget and needs. Most are affordable, easy to use, and easy to clean, too. Looking for an even quicker way to add veggie noodles to your family dinner? More and more major grocery stores now sell pre-made veggie noodles–just look for them in the produce aisle.
3 Reasons Why You’ll LOVE Veggie Noodles
Vegetables that function as pasta–sounds amazing, right? In fact, I doubt you need much encouragement to add veggie noodles to your shopping list. But in case you do, here are three reasons anyway:
- Veggie noodles allow you to enjoy a “pasta” dish without all the carbs. Easily substitute spaghetti with your veggie noodle of choice, and top with whatever your heart (and stomach) fancies. They hold up well and honestly taste fantastic. I even like mixing them in with my scrambled eggs for an early morning veggie serving.
- Veggie noodles are full of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and other nutrients that are super good for you, which processed grains just don’t offer.
- Veggie noodles are super easy to prepare and cook. As little as 5-10 minutes in the saute’ pan should do the trick. Looking for inspiration? Check out some of these recipes for a light and nutritious meal.