For those embracing the Paleo lifestyle, the comforting thought of slurping on a bowl of noodles might seem like a distant memory. Most traditional pastas and noodles contain gluten, a big no-no for Paleo enthusiasts. But fear not! Even gluten-free pasta, often made from starchy ingredients, can lead to a high-carb overload, which is also something to avoid. Fortunately, there's a world of Paleo-friendly noodle alternatives waiting to be explored. This article delves into various options, from vegetable-based noodles to seaweed and konjac yam varieties, providing a comprehensive guide to enjoying "pasta" while staying true to your Paleo commitments.
The Paleo Noodle Revolution
Craving noodles or pasta but trying to avoid grains and gluten? Don’t worry! There are many paleo noodles recipes and pasta alternatives that are tasty and nutritious. The key to making (most) paleo pasta and noodles: a spiralizer. It’s a kitchen gadget staple in many houses and it does what it says it does and spiralizes anything you squeeze in between the blades, turning them into noodles. As well as vegetable noodles, there are other paleo-friendly options like zero-carb shirataki noodles, kelp noodles and spaghetti squash.
Vegetable-Based Noodles: A Colorful and Nutritious Choice
One of the most popular approaches to Paleo noodles is using vegetables. Thanks to the magic of spiralizers and julienne slicers, a wide array of vegetables can be transformed into delicious and nutritious noodle alternatives.
Zucchini Noodles (Zoodles)
Zucchini, or courgette, is one of the easiest vegetables to spiralize. It’s healthy and those big zucchinis will yield a ton of “pasta.” This is the perfect option for anyone who is trying to cut grains or carbs, and its mild taste makes it very versatile. Farmer’s markets are selling massive courgette and it’s in bloom in everyone’s gardens.
What are zoodles? They are noodles made from zucchini.
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How do you make zoodles? You can use a spiralizer or a julienne slicer. The great thing about a spiralizer is that you can make a variety of noodle shapes from it. The downside is that it takes up storage space in your kitchen cabinets. Alternatively, you can make zoodles using a julienne slicer which is the size of a carrot peeler and can be stored in a drawer. The downside of the julienne peeler? It only makes one size and type of noodle -spaghetti. You can eat zucchini noodles raw or sautéed. Not only is it low in carbs, but it’s also low in calories. Having a light base means you can really focus on the fun stuff - the sauce and the toppings.
Sweet Potato Noodles
For something a little heartier, consider sweet potato noodles. Unlike zucchini, sweet potato does add some carbs to the dish. It’s also great at taking on thicker sauces. Sweet potato noodles are heartier and less delicate than most other veggie options, so they can really get the job done when you need it.
Parsnip Noodles
Either you love or hate parsnips, this root vegetable makes a fun and unique base for a pasta dish and is great for making curly fries. Parsnips are relatively low-carb despite being a starch. They’re full of nutrients, namely potassium, fibre, vitamin C and vitamin E.
Spaghetti Squash Noodles
You don’t need any tools to make spaghetti squash noodles. In fact, they basically make themselves. This winter squash is oblong and yellow, making it stand out against the rest. When cooked, its flesh becomes spaghetti-like. Another thing that sets it apart from other winter squash is that it’s actually a watery vegetable - not a starchy one. This means it’s very low-carb and low-calorie. One of my favourite ways to eat it is straight from the skin. You don’t even need a bowl! You can pick apart the flesh with a fork, turning it into noodles, and pour the sauce right into the squash. Spaghetti squash noodles are made from cooked spaghetti squash. These paleo noodles are perfect with a meat based marinara and incredible in Asian dishes such as the Pad Thai recipe in the New York Times best selling cookbook, Paleo Cooking from Elana’s Pantry.
Celeriac Noodles
Celeriac is the root of celery and is most common in autumn/winter. If you’ve never had it, you’re not alone. You’ve probably walked right past it a few times. This is another sturdy choice for soaking up flavours and sauces. It contains potassium and high amounts of vitamin K and phosphorous. It will also boost your vitamin C. It’s relatively low in carbs. Unsurprisingly, it tastes a little bit like celery, although it’s much milder. Simply peel off the hard skin and spiralize into thin noodles or ribbons. Celery root makes a great noodle. Celery root noodles are also amazing stir fried with a bit of olive oil and salt.
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Butternut Squash or Pumpkin Noodles
Butternut squash or pumpkin is practically begging to be spiralized. It’s the perfect shape for it, a bit oblong so you’ll get beautiful, long noodles every time. It’s an AMAZING source of vitamin A with a serving topping you off at 297% of the RDA. Plus, it’s packed with immune-boosting vitamin C, potassium, and even a little magnesium. It’s slightly sweet and cooks up nice and creamy.
Cucumber and Daikon Noodles
Cucumber noodles are the lowest carb noodles listed here. Cucumber noodles are fantastic in Asian food dishes. Cucumber noodles with Sesame Sauce, and homemade Gomasio, make for a fabulously healthy Chinese takeout type dish! Like zoodles, you can prepare cucumber noodles using a julienne slicer or a spirilizer. If you get bored of cucumber noodles you can use daikon to make noodles instead. Daikon noodles are deliciously crunchy and slightly spicy, since daikon is a form of radish.
Beyond Vegetables: Exploring Other Paleo-Friendly Noodle Options
While vegetable noodles are a staple, the Paleo world offers other intriguing alternatives.
Kelp Noodles
Kelp is a Japanese staple, and we all know the Japanese live a long time! These noodles are made from the extract after steaming kelp, retaining some of its incredible nutrient profile. Kelp noodles are a really wonderful source of iodine - something you don’t find in very many foods! This is an important nutrient for thyroid health. Adding seaweed to the diet is great for overall health. Kelp noodles are a seaweed based noodle that is high in iodine, very low in calories, and high in fiber. Kelp noodles come in a package and you can buy them at many health food stores. If you like your noodles crunchy no preparation required. I love using this seaweed based noodle in Asian inspired dishes such as my Sesame Noodles.
Shirataki Noodles
If you haven’t tried shirataki noodles yet, I highly encourage you to do so! These “miracle noodles” are zero calories and zero carbs, so you’re probably wondering what the heck they’re made of then. They’re made from konjac yam, mostly comprised of water and fibre. They are thin, almost transparent, and gelatinous. They actually have a rather fishy scent upon first opening the package, but don’t let that turn you off. Shirataki noodles are popular for one big reason: calories. Some brands have 0 calories; others have 5 or 10 for a great big serving, so basically 0.
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Understanding Shirataki Noodles and Paleo
Calorie-counting dieters love them because even a big, satisfying serving won’t break right through their daily calorie limit. There are also some health claims about cholesterol and stuff, but let’s be honest: 90% of the draw is the idea of getting enough noodles to fill up on without any carbs/calories. Most people want to eat satisfying meals that make them feel full without doing emotionally fraught calorie math at every meal, and a big pile of 0-calorie food lets you do that without worrying or guilt. But “low-calorie” and “Paleo” aren’t the same thing. They’re mostly made of water and konjac glucomannan, a type of fiber. Konjac glucomannan comes from the root of a plant, Amorphophallus konjac, which is native to Asia. Some types of 0-calorie noodles are made from all kinds of non-Paleo ingredients other than konjac, most notably soy - always check the ingredients list! Konjac glucomannan is a viscous soluble fiber - that’s the type of fiber that forms a gel in the intestines once it comes into contact with water. Other foods high in viscous fiber include oats and psyllium husk (a common source of fiber in laxatives). In that sense, there’s no reason why konjac glucomannan wouldn’t be a Paleo-friendly ingredient - it’s basically a fiber supplement in noodle form.
Taste and Texture
As for the taste, it takes a bit of getting used to. Shirataki noodles aren’t at all like traditional Italian pasta. They wouldn’t go well with marinara and a big pile of meatballs; the texture is all wrong. They’d be better in chicken soup, or with a lighter Asian-inspired topping like grilled chicken and spring onions. The texture could be charitably described as “chewy” and uncharitably as “slimey” and it’s really a personal preference whether you like them or not. They have almost no flavor of their own; if you want flavor in the finished dish, you'll have to put it there.
Health Benefits of Konjac Glucomannan
There aren’t a lot of studies on shirataki noodles specifically. Here’s one of the few - researchers gave people a meal with either 100% normal noodles, 50/50 split between konjac and normal noodles, or 100% konjac noodles. The meals were matched for volume, with the same physical bulk of food for everyone; only the calorie count was different. After the noodle meal, the subjects got to eat as many cookies as they wanted. Konjac glucomannan is the fiber in shirataki noodles, and there have been some additional studies on it as an ingredient or additive outside just the noodles. In this study, the authors gave konjac glucomannan to 11 people with high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes. For 3 weeks, they either got control biscuits or special konjac glucomannan biscuits every day. In another study by the same authors, subjects got konjac biscuits (for a total of 8-13 grams of konjac fiber per day) or wheat bran biscuits. This study is interesting because it’s by a different group and it’s a bit bigger - 63 healthy men got 3.9 grams of konjac glucomannan or a placebo every day for 4 weeks. A more recent review also supported the role of konjac fiber generally in reducing cholesterol if eaten in the amount of roughly 3 grams per day or more. Konjac glucomannan seems to be more or less harmless, if your digestive system doesn’t go into active revolt at the prospect of that much fiber.
The Verdict on Shirataki Noodles
Shirataki noodles without a bunch of soy and junk in them are basically noodle-shaped fiber supplements. Processed? On the one hand, deliberately choosing a food because it doesn’t contain any nutritional value (which is, after all, traditionally the point of food) is a weird. On the other hand, our whole food situation today is weird. For the first time in the history of the species, we have a problem with too much food instead of too little, and we’re all swamped with addictive junk food all the time.