Tasty, blood sugar friendly, low carb pasta can be hard to find but there are lots of great options out there!
I’ve lived with diabetes for over 30 years and have tried some truly awful low carb or blood sugar friendly pasta options. But, I’ve also found some of the best low carb pasta and noodle options that are both blood sugar-friendly and delicious!
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What to look for in low carb pasta for diabetes
Below, I’m going to show you some of my favorite pasta brands but I also want you to feel confident in choosing your own favorites. So, let’s discuss what we want to look for.
Ideally, when comparing options to traditional pasta, we’re searching for one or more of the following…
- Lower amounts of carbohydrate compared to traditional pasta (<40g/serving)
- More fiber (>5g/serving)
- More protein (>8g/serving)
And, most importantly, you enjoy eating it!
Popular low carb pasta brands
Some of the more common popular low carb or more blood sugar friendly brands include:
Categories for top high protein, high fiber, or low carb pasta options
These top 19 choices fall into the following categories and are listed in the order below.
Category 1: Best low carb pasta options
- Bean based pastas
- Low carb pasta shells
- Low carb gluten free pasta
- High protein low carb pasta
Category 2: Best low carb noodles
- Almond flour noodles
- Low carb egg noodles
- Low carb ramen noodles
- Low carb macaroni and noodles made from vegetables
Category 1: Best low carb pasta options
There are so many higher fiber, higher protein, and/or low carb pasta options on the market. While there’s no way to cover all of them, below you’ll find some of my top picks.
Bean based pasta options
Bean based pasta has about 30% less carbohydrate typically compared to traditional pasta. And is also higher in protein (by quite a lot usually) and fiber. These are some of my favorite options:
How to choose a high protein low carb pasta
Your best option for higher protein and lower carbohydrate pasta is going to be some of the bean based pasta options we mentioned in this article. While they do still have about 30g carbohydrate/serving, they also have a good deal more protein.
1. Banza Chickpea Pasta
Category: Bean based pasta
For a long time, Banza chickpea pasta was one of the only chickpea pastas on the market. They offer a variety of shapes and products from traditional pasta to boxed mac & cheese. Compared to regular pasta, it has more protein and fiber. It does get a bit gummy if you don’t rinse it after cooking though.
2. Explore Cuisine Edamame Noodles
Category: Bean based pasta
I originally discovered Explore cuisine edamame noodles at Costco and have always loved how versatile it is! It holds up well and has great flavor. It has a similar macronutrient (carbs, protein, and fat) profile to chickpea pastas.
3. Explore Cuisine Black Bean Noodles
Category: Bean based pasta
Explore cuisine offers a variety of pasta made from different types of legumes. The black bean version, Explore cuisine black bean noodles, has a richer flavor and is higher in protein and fiber, like the edamame version.
4. Barilla Chickpea Spaghetti
Category: Bean based pasta
I had not tried Barilla’s version of chickpea pasta until last year, but Barilla Chickpea Spaghetti has quickly become my favorite blood sugar friendly pasta option!
5. Tolerant Chickpea Pasta
Category: Bean based pasta
Tolerant chickpea pasta prides itself on being made from ONLY chickpeas. (The other chickpea-based pastas listed above do have some other ingredients to optimize texture.) Nutritionally, it’s a great option, but the texture is not my favorite… though many people love it so it’s worth including in this list.
6. Chickapea Chickpea and Lentil Pasta
Category: Bean based pasta
Chickapea chickpea and lentil pasta is made from just chickpeas and lentils. And, like the other bean based pastas on this list it has less carbohydrate, more protein, and more fiber than traditional pasta.
7. Barilla Red Lentil Rotini
Category: Bean based pasta
Barilla red lentil rotini has a slightly firmer texture than the chickpea version, but is equally delicious and blood sugar friendly.
8. Impastable Pasta Shells
Category: Low carb pasta shells
Impastable pasta has a huge fan base and prides itself on being extremely low in carbs. Most of the carbohydrate in these Impastable pasta shells comes in the form of fiber, so keep that in mind if you’re sensitive to large doses of fiber.
9. Liviva Shirataki Penne Pasta with Oat Fiber
Category: Low carb gluten free pasta
Liviva Shirataki penne pasta with oat fiber are noodles made from a type of fiber found in the konjac plant which grows in Japan, China, and southeast Asia. And, most of the carbohydrate in these noodles is indigestible so they have very little impact on blood sugar levels.
10. Brami Pasta
Category: High protein low carb pasta
Brami Fusilli Pasta is made from a combination of wheat flour and lupini beans. It has less carbohydrate than traditional pasta and packs 12g protein and 6g fiber per serving. Since I myself have celiac, I haven’t tried it. But, I talked to several people who have and they could not stop raving about both the taste and the texture. This seems like a great in-between-type pasta if you’re not ready for full blown bean based pasta!
Category 2: Best low carb noodles options
Whether you’re making soup, ramen, spaghetti or another noodle-based dish, below you’ll find some great blood sugar friendly pasta options.
Low carb ramen noodles
Ramen is traditionally made with a wheat-based noodle. Since most ramen dishes include protein and fiber sources, ramen can be a great blood sugar friendly option for many people. If you’re looking for a lower carb noodle though, some people prefer to use shirataki noodles or some of the other options I’ve listed below.
Low carb macaroni and noodles made from vegetables
Many pasta manufacturers have started to make vegetable based noodles over the last several years as another lower carbohydrate option.
11. Cappello’s Almond Flour Pasta
Category: Almond flour noodles
Cappello’s almond flour pasta makes one heck a pasta product! You’ll find them in the frozen section. With less carbs and more protein per serving, you’ll love everything from their noodles to heir raviolis!
12. Carba Nada Egg Fettuccine
Category: Low carb egg noodles
While the name implies there’s no carbohydrate in this pasta, Carba nada egg fettuccine is similar to the bean based pastas we discussed above (~25-30g/serving), but it’s higher in fiber and protein than traditional pasta… and very tasty!
13. Palmini Hearts of Palm Angel Hair Pasta
Category: Low carb ramen noodles
Hearts of palm are naturally lower in carbs and can be made into pasta along with a few other ingredients! The texture of the Palmini hearts of palm angel hair pasta is different than traditional pasta but the flavor is very neutral. So, it pairs well with most sauces!
14. Tastes of Asia Angel Hair Konjac Noodles
Category: Low carb ramen noodles
Tastes of Asia angel hair konjac noodles offer an easy to prepare low carb pasta option!
15. Nasoya Pasta Zero Shirataki Spaghetti
Category: Low carb ramen noodles
Nasoya pasta zero Shirataki spaghetti offers another great low carb pasta option!
16. Kelp Noodles
Category: Low carb ramen noodles
Kelp Noodles are extremely low in macronutrients (carbs, fat, and protein). Depending on what you’re looking for in pasta qualities this may be a positive or a negative. It has a very neutral taste and pairs well with other flavors.
17. Miracle Noodles
Category: Low carb ramen noodles
Miracle noodles are another great konjac/shirataki pasta option.
18 & 19. Cybele’s Free to Eat Superfood White Pasta & Cybele’s Free to Eat Superfood Green Pasta
Category: Low carb macaroni and noodles made from vegetables
Cybele’s free to eat superfood white pasta and Cybele’s free to eat superfood green pasta are made from non-starchy veggies and lentils. The nutrient profiles offer less carbohydrate and more protein, but not as much fiber as bean based pasta. The colors and flavors make for some fun alternative pasta options.
20. Solely Spaghetti Squash Pasta
Category: Low carb macaroni and noodles made from vegetables
Think of spaghetti squash, but without the hassle of cutting it and roasting it. Solely offers a quick and veggie rich option in their Solely spaghetti squash pasta.
Common Questions About Low Carb Noodles and Pasta
Now that we’ve covered some of my top picks, here are a few of the most commonly asked questions about these different types of low carb pasta options.
Are rice noodles low carb?
Most rice noodle options are not low carb and often lack protein and fiber. But, if you enjoy eating them, you can absolutely still have them! I recommend pairing them with a fiber or protein source. For example, serve them with your favorite non-starchy veggies, and meat or tofu.
Is brown rice pasta low in carbs?
Even though brown rice pasta may have slightly more fiber than rice noodles, they’re often still a pretty high glycemic food and can be difficult to navigate with diabetes. But again, if you enjoy eating them, you definitely can still enjoy them when you have diabetes. As I said above, just pair them with other fat, fiber, and protein sources.
Is gluten free pasta low carb?
Some gluten free pastas are more blood sugar friendly and/or low carb, and some are not. Rice based pastas (as discussed above) can be trickier to navigate for those with diabetes or looking to balance blood sugars.
Ideally they should be served with protein and fiber rich foods. Pastas made from low glycemic foods like beans, lentils, and/or almond flour can be a great blood sugar friendly pasta option if you enjoy eating them.
Do you have to eat low carb noodles and pasta?
Definitely not. We can always enjoy traditional pasta and simply pair it with other fat, fiber, and protein rich foods. But, if you can find a low carb pasta, higher fiber noodle, etc. option that you enjoy eating, it can make balancing your blood sugars after the meal a bit easier.
If you don’t find an option below that you enjoy, stick to wheat based pasta (or another preference) and try some of these strategies:
- Eat a non-starchy vegetable or salad first
- Pair your pasta with a protein source
- Add peppers and onion to your sauce for added fiber
- Chill your pasta over night in the fridge and reheat it the next day
Low carb pasta recipes
Once you’ve discovered what your favorite higher protein, or lower carb pasta option is, try them in one of these delicious recipes!
- Creamy Chickpea Pasta with Spinach and Rosemary
- Mediterranean Veggie Pasta Salad
- Artichoke Lemon Pesto Chickpea Pasta
- Spinach and Truffle Mushroom Pasta
- Cheesy Ground Lamb and Spinach Pasta Bake
Want more blood sugar friendly pasta recipes? Check out my first cookbook: The Easy Diabetes Cookbook!
This post was updated in April 2024, and originally published in June 2022.
One Response
Just out of curiosity is there a reason why I do excellent with whole wheat pasta and not so good with chickpea or red lentil? They have me only doing a one hour and my meals are controlled with diet and exercise. I just find it odd.