11 Keto Pasta Recipes For When You Really Just Want Spaghetti (2024)

FAQs

What to eat on keto when craving pasta? ›

Eating refined high carb foods like white bread, pasta, rice, and pastries could prevent a ketogenic state if you end up getting more than your daily carb allowance. While these are fine to eat in moderation if you're not following a low carb diet, those looking to achieve or maintain ketosis will need to limit them.

Shirataki pasta is low in carbs and calories. Vegan, gluten-free, keto-friendly, and suitable for most diets.

Hoboken Farms Gourmet Marinara Sauce

This farmer's market-originated marinara is keto certified with only six carbs and no sugar added. It's also good for Whole30 and low-sugar dieters, coming in at only three grams of sugar per serving.

Zucchini is a popular noodle substitute because its texture makes it easy to spiral out into spaghetti-like shapes. This summer squash, also called a courgette, consists of about 95% water and has just about 25 calories in each small zucchini. It's also virtually fat-free and cholesterol-free.

There are tons of other gluten-free pastas to try like corn pasta, lentil pasta, soba noodles (look for 100 percent buckwheat soba noodles to stay gluten-free) and chickpea noodles. Do some experimenting and taste-testing, and you're sure to find a healthy alternative to pasta your family loves.

What type of pasta is lowest in carbs? "Vegetable-based pastas, such as zucchini noodles or hearts of palm noodles, tend to be lowest in carbs and calories," says Sassos. "They are also packed with nutrient-dense vitamins and minerals and are naturally gluten-free.

If you're overcome with carb cravings, here's a bit of unfortunate news: pasta is completely off-limits on the keto diet. Even though conventional nutrition tells you complex carbohydrates like whole wheat and whole-grain breads and pasta are “healthy” alternatives, the carbs in pasta are simply too high.

You can still make your favorite dishes from chicken noodle ramen to creamy pesto pasta by using a great alternative — keto noodles. Keto, low-carb pasta can be made from a variety of vegetables including zucchini, spaghetti squash, and kelp. Or, look to alternatives like shirataki noodles and low-carb flours.

Peanut butter can definitely be part of a keto diet, but it's best to stick to plain options that are free of extra flavors and sweeteners. Almond butter is a good choice, too, and it's slightly lower in carbs. Additionally, you should be mindful of your portion size if you're trying to lose weight.

Is popcorn okay for keto? ›

Net carbs are calculated by taking the total grams of carbohydrate in a food and subtracting the amount of fiber. In this case, popcorn contains 6 grams of carbs per 1 cup serving and 1.2 grams of fiber, bringing the net carbs per serving to 4.8 grams. Yes friends, popcorn is indeed a keto food.

Cream cheese: Cream cheese is very popular in the keto diet. At only 84 calories per 1 ounce serving, it has 1 gram of carbs and 2 grams of protein but packs 8 grams of fat per serving. It can be a keto-friendly snack or meal addition when more fat is needed.

Most hot sauces are made from natural ingredients such as chili peppers, vinegar, and spices like garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper which all fit within the guidelines of a ketogenic diet.

Pasta. There are two major reasons why your body may be craving pasta, you may be lacking nutrients and calories. First, pasta is considered a high-energy carb so if you have a big event coming up your body may crave it to help get you through the stressful time.

When you crave carb-heavy eats like bread and pasta, it may be because your energy levels have taken a nosedive. These same empty carbs can make you crave even more unhealthy foods.