Pasta Alternatives for Gluten-Intolerants
Just because your digestive system cannot deal with gluten protein, you cannot cook pasta and get to eat it too. There are pasta alternatives you can choose to replace made from barley, durum, kamut, rye, semolina, spelt, triticale, wheat bran or wheat flour.
To avoid pasta containing gluten-protein, buy or make pasta made from brown rice, chickpea or quinoa. All three are in fact healthy and flavorful alternatives, just be sure to use gluten-free ingredients for your pasta sauce as well.
You can’t go wrong with the traditional Italian pesto sauce, especially if you use fresh basil and sun-dried tomatoes. Add pine nuts for texture, extra virgin olive oil and garlic cloves for flavor.
If you’re just gluten intolerant, topping your pasta dish with parmesan cheese will complete the flavor and texture of a hearty, gluten-free pasta dish. If you are gluten-intolerant and vegan at the same time, you will love nutritional yeast as substitute for parmesan cheese.
Also when buying instant brown rice, chickpea or quinoa pasta, check if the manufacturer is a certified gluten-free food maker.
Brown Rice Pasta Nutritional Facts
Brown rice is one of the most popular substitute ingredients for the traditional wheat-based pasta because it can attain the same chewy texture when cooked al dente. Its mild flavor blends well with any sauce whether you’re gluten intolerant or not.
More importantly, brown rice as it is, is rich in fiber and loaded with essential nutrients such as manganese, magnesium and selenium; whilst containing powerful antioxidant compounds that can aid in cell repair and in fighting common chronic disorders lice cancer, diabetes and heart diseases
Chickpea Pasta Nutritional Facts
Chickpea pasta is a recent addition to the choices of gluten-free pasta. It has received favorable recommendations not only from gluten intolerant pasta lovers but from health-conscious dieters as well.
Although pasta made from chickpeas has a chewier texture than brown rice pasta, it is high in protein and can yield a filling effect. That is why those looking to control their calorie intakes, are inclined to settle on chickpea as substitute ingredient for traditional pasta.
Since chickpea is also fiber-rich, adding it to your diet can work toward controlling blood sugar levels and in regularizing bowel movements.
Quinoa Pasta Nutritional Facts
Pasta made from quinoa is usually made more flavorful by combining other grains like brown rice and/or corn; yielding pasta with nuttier flavor and grainier texture. Otherwise, quinoa alone as pasta ingredients makes for a mildly-flavored pasta substitute.
Quinoa is one of the healthy choices popular among vegans because it can provide all the essential amino acids needed by the body. In addition, quinoa grain can also provide a host of vitamins and minerals that include copper, iron, fo;ate, magnesium, manganese and phosphorus.
