Banza Chick Pea Pasta and low carb.

[Bella the Ball 360]

Has anyone else tried this pasta made from chick peas. I stumbled on it at the store and gave it a try thinking it would go the way of all the other good for you pastas. I was wrong! It is good when you put it in anything it looks and tastes like regular pasta but it is much more fiber, less calories and less carbs. Four ounces cooked is 190 calories and while it is 43 carbs it is about a third less than regular pasta. with 13 grams of protein. Even my very picky husband who hates everything grudgingly admitted that it is surprisingly good. Best price for it is Walmart at 2.88 per 8 oz however, Costco had a 5 pack of spirals for 7.99 which is a steal but it must be popular b/c my Costco sold a pallet in a week!
Wanted to also mention that if you are working on low carb Costco has almond flour 3lbs for 11.99! It is usually 7.99 to 8.99 a lb.

 

[Christine]

Thanks for the review of this. I have seen it in my grocery store but it sounded "scary." I'm not low carb but am counting calories and 2 ounces of cooked pasta is quite steep calorically. I do like to have my spaghetti w/sauce about once a week! I'll have to give this a try.

 

[mjkacmom]

It’s the only gf pasta my non-celiac family will eat. It has a nice firm texture, but a weird smell when cooking. Buffalo chicken Mac and cheese is my go to for sports pasta parties, and it’s always the first dish gone.

 

[Southernmiss]

Thanks for this. Looking for no carb options for my 17 year old with a new to her chronic autoimmune ailment and my dh who is my pickiest eater.

Wish we could have a thread on low carb alternatives.

And wish Food Network would cater a few shows to health related diets

 

[Bella the Ball 360]

Thanks for the review of this. I have seen it in my grocery store but it sounded "scary." I'm not low carb but am counting calories and 2 ounces of cooked pasta is quite steep calorically. I do like to have my spaghetti w/sauce about once a week! I'll have to give this a try.

If you go to their website eatbanza.com you can get a buyone get one free coupon; if you choose to buy on line you can get 20% off your order from retail me not code. I recently purchased the "rice" and will use it tonight. I bought it at their site and it arrived within two days. The rice is only available at Whole Foods at what I am guessing is a higher price than the website.

 

[Bella the Ball 360]

Thanks for this. Looking for no carb options for my 17 year old with a new to her chronic autoimmune ailment and my dh who is my pickiest eater.

Wish we could have a thread on low carb alternatives.

And wish Food Network would cater a few shows to health related diets

I am going to start a thread on low carb alternatives. My sister is into this topic big time and I have a lot of alternatives too and these are GOOD not the plastic stuff that you would expect. I just had a low carb brownie which in my opinion is to die for.

 

[Hikergirl]

Thanks for this. Looking for no carb options for my 17 year old with a new to her chronic autoimmune ailment and my dh who is my pickiest eater.

Wish we could have a thread on low carb alternatives.

And wish Food Network would cater a few shows to health related diets

It's so funny you said that, just last night as I was scrolling through FN on my fireTV I was saying how I wish they had a show dedicated to low-carb eating.

I'm currently on and off the wagon, when I get in the kitchen I lose all motivation to eat low carb. There are plenty of recipes out there but I'd love to tune into a show watching someone prepare them.

OP I have never tried that pasta, I use the frozen veggie pasta by birds eye or I just make zucchini noodles. Next time I'm at the grocery store I will grab a box. I will "cut" it with the zucchini to lower the carb count.

 

[Cubbiecakes]

Haven't tried the pasta the OP asked about, be we LOVE Trader Joe's Black Bean Pasta. It looks absolutely horrifying when you're cooking it, but it really is delicious.

 

[Bella the Ball 360]

Haven't tried the pasta the OP asked about, be we LOVE Trader Joe's Black Bean Pasta. It looks absolutely horrifying when you're cooking it, but it really is delicious.

LOL I have tred the BB pasta and you are correct is horrifying. i do not know the comparison of the nutritional count but even though the smell of both the bb and the chick pea pasta when they re cooking is funky, I do like the Banza better. I made the rice last night, I cooked it in some Better Than Bullion chicken flavor. It said to drain and rinse but just by cooking it in the bullion it made a chicken soup. I did drain it and add a table spoon of tomato paste and some fresh salsa, and a tablespoon of tomato paste (the kind in the toothpaste type tube from TJ.s )because I did no rinse only drain it came out like a very creamy version of the rice one might get at a Mexican restaurant. It was GOOOD!

 

[jrmasm]

Haven't tried the pasta the OP asked about, be we LOVE Trader Joe's Black Bean Pasta. It looks absolutely horrifying when you're cooking it, but it really is delicious.

Red lentil pasta is good too!

 

[bellanotte10]

i had the barilla chickpea pasta yesterday and today for lunch. its really good with pesto...not so good with no sauce.

 

[aprilchem]

Thanks for this. Looking for no carb options for my 17 year old with a new to her chronic autoimmune ailment and my dh who is my pickiest eater.

Wish we could have a thread on low carb alternatives.

And wish Food Network would cater a few shows to health related diets

Just so you know, this pasta isn't no carb; I don't know that I'd even call it low-carb. I went low carb about 7 months ago because of a health issue I'm dealing with, and even a half serving of this pasta would be more than my carb allotment for the day. That doesn't mean you shouldn't eat it (everyone is different!) but just be aware of the carb count.

 

[Hikergirl]

Just so you know, this pasta isn't no carb; I don't know that I'd even call it low-carb. I went low carb about 7 months ago because of a health issue I'm dealing with, and even a half serving of this pasta would be more than my carb allotment for the day. That doesn't mean you shouldn't eat it (everyone is different!) but just be aware of the carb count.

This is very true so if you cant eat a lot of carbs as opposed to us who choose not too, the only way to ensure you are getting low carb pasta is make your own with almond and/or coconut flour.
There is a real low carb pasta you can buy made by Impastable, but it is pricey.
There are other ones out there too, but also very pricey.
You can substitute shirataki noodles but they are definitely not like traditional pasta.

 

[Bella the Ball 360]

Just so you know, this pasta isn't no carb; I don't know that I'd even call it low-carb. I went low carb about 7 months ago because of a health issue I'm dealing with, and even a half serving of this pasta would be more than my carb allotment for the day. That doesn't mean you shouldn't eat it (everyone is different!) but just be aware of the carb count.

You are so right but it is an alternative for those wanting to cut down on carbs I think it is like 43 carbs per serving but that is 2 oz dry and 4 oz cooked so cutting it in half and mixing it with veggies etc gives you the feeling of more with only 21.5 carbs. My husbands endocrinologist is allowing 30 carbs per meal so this is not bad.

 

[Southernmiss]

Has anyone tried heart of palm noodles from a can? I am seeing these in recipes now and looked at my local Walmart Grocery, but they did not have them yet. Haven't had time to look at other markets near me for them.

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=heart+of...399728&tag=googhydr-20&ref=pd_sl_1tp1rvay4k_e

 

[Imzadi]

I haven't tried the Banza Chick Pea Pasta. It sounds like they stole/borrowed the idea from Barilla Protein Plus pasta, which has been out for years. I am loyal to the Barilla. I've talked about it so times on the DIS that I think people may suspect me of working for Barilla.

Do NOT add salt to the cooking water. The pasta already is salted.

In addition to the chick peas, lentils, flaxseed & egg whites, it is contains semolina wheat too. So it is not GF.

https://www.target.com/p/proteinplus-153-multigrain-rotini-pasta-14-5oz-barilla-174/-/A-13156101

 

[Southernmiss]

Just so you know, this pasta isn't no carb; I don't know that I'd even call it low-carb. I went low carb about 7 months ago because of a health issue I'm dealing with, and even a half serving of this pasta would be more than my carb allotment for the day. That doesn't mean you shouldn't eat it (everyone is different!) but just be aware of the carb count.

Thanks. I now read the back of every product bag or can that goes into my basket. She's not no carb, but we are definitely modifying and reducing grains, breads, pastas, etc. She loves bread and pasta, as do I, so an occasional substitute is a treat.

 

[elgerber]

Thanks for the review of this. I have seen it in my grocery store but it sounded "scary." I'm not low carb but am counting calories and 2 ounces of cooked pasta is quite steep calorically. I do like to have my spaghetti w/sauce about once a week! I'll have to give this a try.

The calories in 2oz dry are the same in the Banza and regular pasta, FYI, so you won't save calories by eating it.

 

[Christine]

The calories in 2oz dry are the same in the Banza and regular pasta, FYI, so you won't save calories by eating it.

Thanks! I guess I misread her post when she referenced 4 oz. at 190. I guess that's what it expands to when cooked.

 

[SueInBoston]

This is the only pasta i cook at home now, I prefer the rotini, a little firmer without breaking into tiny pieces.