Table of Contents
Pasta
Look at most fitness sites and influencers and what you should be eating is posted frequently. It should be. You can exercise all day long and if your eating pizza and drinking beer you're going nowhere. So I get why when they create "fitness foodie" type of posts pasta is usually not included. Pasta in the fitness world gets a bad rap and some of it is warranted. Pasta is high in carbohydrates. If you are trying to stay lean and not an endurance athlete you really don't have a need for all those carbs. If you love spaghetti you should have spaghetti occasionally because depriving yourself of the foods you love is pointless (and torture). If you are however looking for pasta that you could eat more frequently and it aligns with your fitness goals I think you should take a look at Banza Pasta.
What is Banza Pasta?
Banza Pasta is an alternative pasta that is made from chickpeas. 3 things are immediately clear when you look at the image of the ingredients above.
Total Carbs are lower than traditional pasta. The company's website states Banza Pasta has about 25% fewer carbohydrates than white-flour pasta. I'm not going to do the math on this one but that seems about right. Banza has 35 grams of carbs and pasta in my pantry shows 45 grams.
Plenty of Fiber. Banza Pasta has 5 grams of fiber per serving. That's double what traditional pasta has. With all the processed foods out there fiber intake is really lacking. Banza can help you nudge your intake upwards.
More Protein! I think one of the biggest gripes I hear is how tough it is to get all your protein in for the day. Banza pasta has 11 grams of protein which is double the amount a white-flour pasta typically has. It might not sound like a lot but for someone who struggles with their protein intake, this can inch them closer.
How To Cook Banza Pasta
So at the start, Banza Pasta cooks just like every other pasta. You boil some water and throw it in. Once you start boiling the pasta you're going to notice something strange........FOAM! The first time I cooked Banza Pasta I noticed that the foam rapidly rose up the pot and began spilling over onto the stove. I went to the companies FAQ section of their webpage and apparently, that is perfectly normal. That is what happens when you boil chickpeas. To try and combat the foam they recommend lower heat, a splash of oil in the pot, and skimming the foam off the top. I know for me what helps is to use the lowest amount of heat to get the water to boil and then skim the foam off as you go. Once they are cooked put them in a strainer and rinse them off because they will have some foam on them as well.
How Does Banza Pasta Taste?
This is where I have to tell you the bottom line truth. Banza Pasta will not taste the same as your traditional white-flour pasta. With that being said it doesn't taste bad it's just a different taste. I am not a food critic so I'll take what other people described it as a "nutty flavor". I can't say I taste a nuttiness to it but I will say it's a little chewier. As I said it's not a bad taste and I enjoyed the spaghetti dishes I have made with it. I look forward to pasta night every week!
Banza Pasta Recipes
First I recommend checking out Banza's website under their recipe section. They have a ton of different recipes that should touch on everyone's taste. The Pasta I make with it is a basic spaghetti dish pictured above. I use a marinara from Costco and then add ingredients that I have on hand to make it more nutritious. For this batch, I included red peppers, spinach, onion, and mushrooms. The next thing I add is cooked lean ground meat. I like using ground sirloin from Costco but for this one, I used turkey burger. Throw in the Banza noodles and you have a high-protein lower calorie pasta dish!
Where To Buy Banza Pasta?
Banza pasta has really taken off in the past few years. I remember seeing it at one grocery store and it would only be one kind. Now that the alternative pasta market is taking off so are their products. They have many types of pasta along with rice, and pizza. There is a good chance you'll see their bright orange boxes at your local grocery store but if not check out Costco, Target, Walmart, and even Amazon.
The Verdict
If you're on a fitness journey of any kind why wouldn't you at least try Banza Pasta? If you're trying to lose weight, gain muscle, or maintain you can fit Banza into your plans. I reviewed Huel a little while ago and they both have something in common. They are both stripped-down, no-frills, highly nutritious staples that could be the foundation of your diet. The next time you are thinking about pasta night go to the store and get a box of Banza. Cook your favorite dish with the only change being the chickpea noodles. If you like the taste there will be no looking back!