It is hard not to love a warm bowl of pasta! This week I compiled a list of healthier pasta dishes packed full of nutrients that you are sure to enjoy.
Years ago I ate pasta, a lot! It was on the menu in my house multiple times a week.
After discovering Paleo, I realized that it was not serving my body in a way that made me feel my best. It was not just the pasta that was having ill effects on my physical and mental wellbeing. I was also drinking alcohol daily, on birth control, not very active, etc.
All those things combined left me feeling blah most days and not the most pleasant person to be around.
Once I started eating a fairly strict Paleo diet back in 2010 and removing some unhealthier foods from my diet, I began to feel better and as a bonus, I lost the extra weight I had been carrying around.
After taking the nutritional consultant course through the Nutritional Therapy Association, my outlook on food shifted a little again.
My strictness around food began to loosen because I learned about the importance of properly preparing foods to enhance their nutritional value. My belief in the importance of finding a balanced way of eating that works for you was deepened.
I began to add a larger variety of dense carbs back into my diet…Paleo was basically low carb when I started it. I still basically eat that way today, but at more of a moderate carb level….chasing a toddler and being pregnant has my body asking for more carbs to help me feel my best!
While I tend to stick to real food carbohydrates like potatoes and long-fermented sourdough, we do have a healthier pasta dish a few times a month. I like to stick to gluten-free pasta for these dishes. Most processed grains do not work for my family and I.
Thankfully, there are many great options these days when it comes to gluten-free and healthier pasta.
How do you make pasta healthy?
The trick to making a healthier pasta dish is really what you put WITH the pasta.
Do not just eat pasta, for starters. This will likely result in a blood sugar spike, which will cause your body to be stressed. Plus, that spike is followed by a crash in energy as your body works to recover. Ever need a nap not long after a meal full of carbs, that spike and crash is the reason for it.
Think about more than just adding a side salad. By this I mean, add lots of finely diced veggies into the sauce.
Adding homemade broth is another great way to up the nutrients you are getting.
If you really want to up the nutrient level of your pasta dish, sneak in some liver! My favorite way to do this is by adding liver pate. You can add it to meatballs or to a sauce.
My Favorite Pasta Brands
In the last couple of years, I have tried multiple gluten-free kinds of pasta in my search for a good replacement for wheat pasta.
Some have been bad, some mediocre, and some great! Here are my current favorite brands:
- Jovial Gluten Free Pasta – These rice noodles are by far the best gluten-free pasta that I have found! The texture is really fantastic. It doesn’t fall apart after being cook like some other brands.
- Lotus Foods – These Pad Thia noodles are my go too for chicken noodle soup and as a side to a couple Asian-style dishes, like my Asian Chicken Thighs. Again, they have a great texture and hold up well.
- Jovial Grain Free Pasta – If you need a grain-free pasta, Jovial’s cassava noodle are a good choice The texture is pretty close to standard pasta. They are a bit more dilacate so you have to handle them with a gentle touch.
- Ancient Harvest – These noodles are made of a mix of gluten-free grains and are really great.
- Banza Pasta – Made from chickpeas, these are another grain-free option for you. I have only cooked the elbow noodles but they were delicious and had great texture.
Healthier Pasta Dishes
I dug around on a couple of my favorite new real food websites to find some delicious and veggie-packed pasta recipes that you are sure to love!
Tuna Noodle Casserole from The Real Food Dietitians – This one just makes me think of my childhood. My mom made tuna noodle casserole often, though she didn’t have this healthy version.
Greek Veggie Pasta Salad from The Real Foood Dietitians – this would be a perfect side dish to any grilled meat. I like that it has yogurt in it to provide some beneficial bacteria for your gut.
Slow Cooker Lasagna from Raising Generation Nourished – This lasagna packed with veggies and made in the slow cooker sounds like a real winner!
One Skillet Creamy Tomato Basil Spinach Pasta & Chicken from Raising Generation Nourished – Love the added nutrition that is provided by the broth and spinach in this recipe.
One Skillet Copycat Hamburger Helper from Raising Generation Nourished – You need to make this one! It is simply delicious and has a ton of veggies in it.
Real Food Mac N Cheese from Raising Generation Nourished – Mac N Cheese with real food ingredients…need I say more!
Let me know in the comments if you have a favorite healthier pasta dish….with a toddle who loves his noodles, I am always on the lookout!
