For a lot of people, pasta is an easy go-to meal, but that doesn’t mean it has to be unhealthy. Most conventional store-bought pasta is filled with artificial ingredients, so we’ve decided to figure out what makes a good, healthy pasta. While researching, we found that the best pastas are made from just a few whole ingredients and feature nutrient-packed bases like beans or whole grains.
They cater to personal dietary restrictions and have a balanced macronutrient profile. Keeping these things in mind, we’ve handpicked our favorite healthy pastas, including Explore Cuisine's Edamame Spaghetti. We also prepared a buying guide with tips from nutritionist Kara Swanson if you want to pick your own.
Kara Swanson is a certified nutritionist and the founder of Life Well Lived. She is married to her best friend and the proud mother of three. Her passion is to make nutrition simple, easy, and delicious! You can find her amazing nutrition plans and learn tips and tricks to staying healthy on her website, Instagram, or Facebook.
※Please note that these products were not picked by Kara Swanson, but chosen through extensive research and by combing through customer reviews by our staff at mybest.
6 oz., 6 pack
$26.00
Type | Edamame |
---|---|
Ingredients | Organic edamame |
Per serving | Calories: 180, Carbs: 20g., Protein: 24g., Fat: 3.5g. (2oz. serving) |
Certifications | Organic, non-GMO, gluten-free, vegan, kosher |
3 lbs.
$39.99
Type | Red lentil |
---|---|
Ingredients | Red lentils |
Per serving | Calories: 355, Carbs: 63g., Protein: 25g., Fat: 1g. (100g. serving) |
Certifications | Gluten-free, vegan |
16 oz., 8 pack
$18.07
Type | Durum wheat |
---|---|
Ingredients | Organic durum semolina and water |
Per serving | Calories: 200, Carbs: 40g., Protein: 6g., Fat: 1g. (2oz. serving) |
Certifications | Organic |
8 oz., 6 pack
$25.00
Type | Chickpea |
---|---|
Ingredients | Organic chickpea flour, organic brown rice flour, organic tapioca starch, organic pea protein |
Per serving | Calories: 200, Carbs: 35g., Protein: 11g., Fat: 2.5g. (2oz. serving) |
Certifications | Organic, non-GMO, vegan, gluten-free, kosher |
8 oz., 6 pack
$26.99
Type | Edamame, soybean, black bean |
---|---|
Ingredients | Organic edamame/organic soybean/organic black bean |
Per Serving | Calories: 190, Carbs: 20g., Protein: 25g., Fat: 4g. (2oz. serving) |
Certifications | Organic, gluten-free |
12 oz., 2 pack
$18.41
Type | Kamut |
---|---|
Ingredients | Organic whole grain kamut wheat |
Per serving | Calories: 210, Carbs: 40g., Protein: 10g., Fat: 1.5g. (55g. serving) |
Certifications | Vegan, kosher |
7 oz., 6 pack
$26.94
Type | Soy bean, mung bean |
---|---|
Ingredients | Organic mung bean, organic green soy bean |
Per serving | Calories: 188, Carbs: 18g., Protein: 21g., Fat: 3.5g. (50g. serving) |
Certifications | Organic, non-GMO, gluten-free, vegan |
8 oz., 6 pack
$45.00
Type | Green lentil |
---|---|
Ingredients | Organic green lentil flour, organic green pea flour, organic brown rice flour |
Per serving | Calories: 190, Carbs: 31g., Protein: 11g., Fat: 1g. (2oz. serving) |
Certifications | Organic, non-GMO, gluten-free, vegan |
8 oz.
$3.99
Type | Wheat |
---|---|
Ingredients | Enriched durum semolina, modified wheat starch, wheat gluten |
Per serving | Calories: 100, Carbs: 17g., Protein: 7g., Fat: 1g. (2oz. serving) |
Certifications | Non-GMO, kosher |
9.5 oz., 6 pack
$23.99
Type | Konjac |
---|---|
Ingredients | Purified water, organic konjac flour, oat fiber, citric acid |
Per serving | Calories: 5, Carbs: 2g., Protein: 0g., Fat: 0g. (100g. serving) |
Certifications | Organic |
Image | 1 ![]() Explore Cuisine | 2 ![]() Bentilila | 3 ![]() Cinque Terre | 4 ![]() Explore Cuisine | 5 ![]() The Only Bean | 6 ![]() Eden | 7 ![]() Zeroodle | 8 ![]() Explore Cuisine | 9 ![]() Fiber Gourmet | 10 ![]() Well Lean |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Name | Organic Edamame Spaghetti | Organic Red Lentil Pasta | Pasta Spaghetti | Organic Chickpea Fusilli | Organic Edamame, Soy, Black Bean Pasta | Organic Kamut Spirals | Mung Bean Spaghetti | Organic Green Lentil Lasagne | Elbow | Organic Fettuccine |
Features | High-Protein, High-Fiber Pasta That Tastes Like Whole Wheat | Best Texture for a Gluten-Free Pasta | A Healthier Take on the Traditional Pasta | Chickpea-Based and Works Well in Soups | Try a Variety of Great, Low-Carb Pastas | Rich and Nutty Ancient Grain Spirals | Only 18 Grams of Carbs | Create a Healthy and Quick Lasagna | Conventional Pasta With an Increased Fiber Profile | Miracle Pasta With a Super Low Calorie Count |
Price | $26.00 | $39.99 | $18.07 | $25.00 | $26.99 | $18.41 | $26.94 | $45.00 | $3.99 | $23.99 |
Type | Edamame | Red lentil | Durum wheat | Chickpea | Edamame, soybean, black bean | Kamut | Soy bean, mung bean | Green lentil | Wheat | Konjac |
Ingredients | Organic edamame | Red lentils | Organic durum semolina and water | Organic chickpea flour, organic brown rice flour, organic tapioca starch, organic pea protein | Organic edamame/organic soybean/organic black bean | Organic whole grain kamut wheat | Organic mung bean, organic green soy bean | Organic green lentil flour, organic green pea flour, organic brown rice flour | Enriched durum semolina, modified wheat starch, wheat gluten | Purified water, organic konjac flour, oat fiber, citric acid |
Per serving | Calories: 180, Carbs: 20g., Protein: 24g., Fat: 3.5g. (2oz. serving) | Calories: 355, Carbs: 63g., Protein: 25g., Fat: 1g. (100g. serving) | Calories: 200, Carbs: 40g., Protein: 6g., Fat: 1g. (2oz. serving) | Calories: 200, Carbs: 35g., Protein: 11g., Fat: 2.5g. (2oz. serving) | Calories: 190, Carbs: 20g., Protein: 25g., Fat: 4g. (2oz. serving) | Calories: 210, Carbs: 40g., Protein: 10g., Fat: 1.5g. (55g. serving) | Calories: 188, Carbs: 18g., Protein: 21g., Fat: 3.5g. (50g. serving) | Calories: 190, Carbs: 31g., Protein: 11g., Fat: 1g. (2oz. serving) | Calories: 100, Carbs: 17g., Protein: 7g., Fat: 1g. (2oz. serving) | Calories: 5, Carbs: 2g., Protein: 0g., Fat: 0g. (100g. serving) |
Certifications | Organic, non-GMO, gluten-free, vegan, kosher | Gluten-free, vegan | Organic | Organic, non-GMO, vegan, gluten-free, kosher | Organic, gluten-free | Vegan, kosher | Organic, non-GMO, gluten-free, vegan | Organic, non-GMO, gluten-free, vegan | Non-GMO, kosher | Organic |
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If possible, try to also avoid pasta with the word "enriched" in the ingredients list. This means that the pasta is refined–it will have more calories and less of a nutrient profile. Usually, this also means less fibers, which, in turn, means that you will feel less full after eating it, which may cause you to eat more amounts of it.
You should also look for pastas with at least two grams of fiber and as close to zero grams of sodium as you can get. This will help you feel fuller when eating it, and, since salt is usually a part of the cooking process, you'll be able to adjust the amount of sodium intake you get.
Half the time we eat pasta, we’re basically just eating noodles and sauce. But as most traditional pastas are high in carbs and low on everything else, that makes for a pretty unbalanced meal. Meals that are too high in carbs tend to give you energy spikes and don’t fill you up for very long.
To bulk up my salads, I love adding a little bit of pasta for some whole grains. It adds some texture to my salads and I love the flavor it brings with all the veggies. Plus, it keeps my salads from getting boring!
What you consume has a huge effect on your mood, energy level, and appearance. If you want to feel and look your best, consider swapping out some of the overly processed foods in your kitchen for some more healthful options.
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