If we care about health when we have a good plate of pasta, we have probably already heard of all the different types that substitute something else for wheat. There is spinach pasta, chickpea pasta and much more. However, one that we may need to consider is red lentil pasta.
The benefits of red lentil pasta over regular pasta are so high that anyone should start substituting it. Red lentil pasta is just like any other pasta, only with one big difference: the ingredients used to make it. Pasta is traditionally made from an unleavened dough made from durum wheat flour, usually mixed with water and/or eggs. However, it is not necessary to use durum wheat to make pasta, we can use other ingredients, such as lentils.
Properties
Red lentil pasta has more protein and fiber than regular wheat pasta, giving it a lower glycemic index score. It is also typically higher in iron than normal. However, lentil pasta is not a low-calorie or low-carbohydrate food, so serving size is still important for many dieters.
However, it benefits anyone who strives to reduce caloric intake. A single serving of red lentil pasta contains 5% fewer calories than its wheat counterpart. It also contains double the grams of fiber per serving.
No more thinking of ways to add protein to pasta dishes. Wheat pasta may only contain 7 grams of protein per serving, but the red lentil variation has nearly double that at 13 grams. This makes red lentil pasta a great choice for anyone looking for ways to make up for any protein deficits they may have in their plant-based diet that they wouldn’t have if they were still eating a diet rich in animal products.
Calcium is important for bone health and heart, muscle, and nerve function. Not getting enough calcium in the diet can put us at risk for osteoporosis, osteopenia, and hypocalcemia. Red lentil pasta again outperforms regular pasta, at 17 mg per serving, compared to 12 mg found in durum wheat pasta.
Iron is an essential mineral primarily responsible for transporting oxygen throughout the body. Red lentil pasta benefits those seeking more iron in a 3 to 2 ratio compared to wheat pasta.
Advantage
Considering the nutritional value of lentils, it’s safe to say that any pasta made with lentils will have many of those same benefits.
diabetes-friendly
Red lentil pasta has a lower glycemic index than wheat pasta, as it is higher in protein and fiber. One study found that red lentil pasta had a glycemic index of 22 compared to 56 for wheat pasta. Along with the good news in terms of the glycemic index, that article also found higher levels of antioxidants in lentil pasta than regular pasta.
Another study found that making pasta with 50% red lentil flour lowered the glycemic index from 61 to 55. This technically made lentil pasta low on the glycemic index, although a drop of 6 points doesn’t seem like a big change .
However, keep in mind that some people actually respond differently to lentil flour than they do to whole lentils. So it is possible that the body reacts differently to blood sugar levels.
Without gluten
Unlike standard durum wheat pasta, red lentil pasta is gluten-free. One of the biggest markets for lentil pasta is people on a gluten-free diet, so it makes sense that most brands keep their lentil pasta wheat-free and gluten-free.
Most brands of lentil pasta are grain-free. Lentils are legumes, not grains. However, some brands have added cereals to lower their price. For example, there are some green lentil penne that contain quinoa, which is a pseudocereal.
Weightloss
Lentil pasta can be a smart choice for weight loss, as the fiber and protein make it quite filling. However, lentil pasta still has about the same number of calories as regular pasta, with 200 calories per 56-gram serving. But there is one factor that makes lentil pasta slightly better for weight loss: fiber. Some brands of lentil pasta have double or even triple the fiber of regular pasta. This can help you feel full for longer, with the same amount of calories.
Healthy foods make weight loss easier. That’s because we can actually eat enough to feel full and satisfied without eating too many calories. This is the principle of calorie density, and it’s key to losing weight without counting calories.
Special for athletes
Lentil pasta typically has 50% to 75% more protein than regular wheat pasta. In a 56-gram serving, most lentil pastas have 12 to 14 grams of protein, while wheat pasta typically has 8 grams of protein.
So yes, lentil pasta is considerably higher in protein than most wheat pasta. In fact, lentil pasta is higher in protein than rice, corn, and other starches as well. Although some boxes of lentil pasta say “25 grams of protein” or “21 grams of protein” on the front of the box, that’s actually for a pretty large serving. Actually, lentil pasta gives us about 6 or 7 grams of protein for every 100 calories.
What does it taste like?
Since nutritional comparison is not a challenge, the only thing left to consider is how it tastes compared to regular pasta.
The red lentil variation has a texture and firmness more similar to wheat pasta. In other variations, like chickpea paste, they have a more neutral flavor, but are a bit soft and rubbery when cooked. Red lentil pasta holds its firmness much better in comparison.
As far as flavor goes, red lentil pasta has a distinctive sweet and earthy aftertaste on its own. However, it’s barely noticeable once it’s dressed with some of the sauce and toppings we’d normally put on pasta. At the very least, it’s worth a try, and if you don’t like the taste, you can always try other pasta alternatives, like chickpea pasta.
