The Best/Healthiest Substitute for Pasta: Organic Edamame Spaghetti

One of my very generous clients recently gave me a huge Costco box of “Explore Asian” Edamame Spaghetti for me to try. She and others had been telling me about it and when I looked at the nutrition information I quickly gave my stamp of approval since the only ingredient is organic edamame. However, I had never personally tried it up until last week. Previously I had made the Explore Asian black bean spaghetti for my family and friends, which I have to say did not go over too well due to the fact it seemed dry, tasteless, and was not an adequate substitute for pasta at all. In defense of the black bean spaghetti, the nutritionals on it are exceptional since it is only made from black beans.

I was blown away by the quality of the Edamame spaghetti. For being a nutrient powerhouse, it actually does make for a good substitute for pasta in terms of texture and appearance. Calorie-wise, it is very comparable to eating regular spaghetti, at about 210 calories for 2 oz. However, nutrient-wise regular semolina pasta doesn’t even come close.  The edamame spaghetti has a whopping 24 grams of high-quality protein (compared to 6-8 g of low biological value protein found in semolina/regular spaghetti) and 11 grams of fiber (compared to the pathetic 2 grams in the white grain form). Additionally, you get 30% of your daily value of iron, some Vitamin A, C, and Calcium with the edamame version, not to mention the healthy isoflavones attributed with soy. These isoflavones exhibit antioxidant properties which have shown extremely beneficial for lowering cholesterol and have shown to help prevent many illnesses and may help ease menopause symptoms. For more info on soy, please refer to my previous blog on the subject.

Ever since I tried this edamame pasta, I have been recommending it to almost all of my clients as a great way to feel like they are eating something indulgent, while actually being very good for you. This “pasta” is especially good for my vegetarian clients or those that don’t eat much lean protein since the spaghetti is going to be your protein source for the meal. Additionally, since it is made from nothing but soybeans, it is good for those on a gluten-free diet.

Another benefit of this “pasta” is it takes about five minutes to cook, so it can be a very quick and healthy meal. So, I have been recommending people make a big bowl of spaghetti primavera with tons of veggies and up to a cup of the edamame spaghetti. I have enjoyed the edamame spaghetti this way, but I think it works well as cold or hot sesame noodles too, below is how I have made it:

Kelly’s Sesame Edamame Noodles

Makes 1 serving*

Ingredients:

1 oz edamame spaghetti (~ ½ c cooked)

1 tsp sesame oil

2 tsp light soy sauce

½ tsp honey

2 tsp sesame seeds

Directions:

1. Bring 2 cups water to a boil- add edamame spaghetti and simmer for 4 minutes

2. Heat oil, soy sauce, and honey in pan, add cooked edamame spaghetti

3. Top with sesame seeds and add to big bowl of stir-fried veggies for a very low-calorie and healthy meal!

* Note: Recipe can be increased to make more servings. For my clients looking for a “complete” meal according to my standards, I recommend adding your proper portion of 100% buckwheat soba noodles.

Nutrition info w/o added veggies: 175 calories, 7 g fat (3 g MUFA, 3 g PUFA), 15 g carb, 6 g fiber, 13 g protein (calculated using Diet Master Pro software)

DISCLAIMER: I did not receive any form of compensation or incentive to write this post advocating the consumption of Explore Asian products- I simply believe in and recommend this specific product. :-) 

My Favorite Ways to Prepare Oat Bran

My oat bran I packed for work this morning: made with oat bran, cashew milk, mixed
cooked fruit (strawberries, cranberries, apple, and banana), a spoonful of
Breakstone's 2% cottage cheese, and dash of pumpkin pie spice. 

If you are a client of mine, or have talked to a client of mine, you know that oat bran is my #1 recommended food. My previous blog on this magical food explains all the health benefits; primarily for its abilities to help lower cholesterol, aid in weight loss, keep blood sugar even, and providing satiety for several hours after eating. 

Oat bran is prepared the same way you would instant oat meal, so it’s a super quick and healthy breakfast. However, some of my clients are initially turned off the first time they make it if it is just prepared with water. That being said, I have listed below some of my favorite ways to prepare it so hopefully you will learn to love it like I do. While some combinations may sound bizarre, you just have to trust me and try it out yourself! 

You can find oat bran in the bulk bins at Whole Foods or Wegman’s (I really like Wegman’s Fine Oat Bran in bulk), or can purchase Bob’s Red Mill, Hodgson Mill, Quaker, and other brands in a normal grocery store (typically in the “natural food” aisle), and Trader Joe’s has their own version. I personally also top my oat bran with a high fiber cereal like Trader Joe’s High Fiber or All Bran twigs- adds a nice crunch and extra dose of fiber to fill you up!

I have listed the calorie breakdown of the traditional oat bran recipe, so you can have a better idea of how the tweaks in each recipe will change the nutrient composition.

OAT BRAN RECIPES

Traditional Oat Bran Preparation

1/3 c dry oat bran [~130 calories]

1 c skim milk [~80 calories]

½ c berries [~35 calories]

½ tsp Cinnamon [~10 calories]

1-2 tsp pure maple syrup or honey (optional) [~20 calories per teaspoon]

Traditional Prep Nutrition Info w/o sweetener: 255 calories, 3.5 g fat, 47 g carb [18 g sugar, 10 g fiber], 15 g protein (using unsweetened almond or cashew milk instead of skim cuts calories to 225, carbs to 43 g [sugar to 11 g] and protein down to 9 g)

Peaches ‘n Cream Oat Bran

1/3 c dry oat bran

¾ c unsweetened cashew milk

½ c sliced peaches

½ tsp cinnamon

Dash of salt

2-3 tbsp plain yogurt or kefir (add after cooking)

My Favorite Pumpkin Oat Bran:

1/3 c dry oat bran

½ c canned 100% pure pumpkin

1 c light vanilla soymilk

2 dashes pumpkin pie spice

1-2 tsp pure maple syrup (optional)

My Favorite [Cottage Cheese] Pumpkin Oat Bran

1/3 c dry oat bran

¼ c canned 100% pure pumpkin

¼ medium banana

¼- 1/3 c low-fat cottage cheese

¾ c light vanilla soymilk

2 dashes pumpkin pie spice

1-2 tsp pure maple syrup (optional)

Apple Pie Oat Bran

1/3 c dry oat bran

1 c milk (almond, skim, soy)

½ c chopped apple- cooked on stove or microwave until soft

Dash of salt

Dash of pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon

1 tbsp no sugar added apple butter

High Protein Oat bran

1/3 c dry oat bran

1 c milk (almond, skim, soy)

½ - 1 scoop flavored protein powder (I like Garden of Life RAW)

½ c cooked mixed fruit

Even Higher Fiber Oat bran

1/3 c dry oat bran

1 c milk (almond, skim, soy)

2 tbsp wheat bran

1 tsp inulin or other powdered fiber

2 tsp ground flax seeds

½ tsp cinnamon

½ c cooked mixed berries

·         Top with High Fiber cereal

PB banana honey Oat Bran

1/3 c dry oat bran

1 c milk (almond, skim, soy)

2 tbsp PB2 or powdered peanut butter

½ medium banana

1-2 tsp honey (optional)

Nutty calorie packed oat bran

1/3 c dry oat bran

1 ¼ c milk (almond, skim, soy)

½ medium banana

½ tsp Cinnamon

1 tbsp hemp/flax/chia seeds

1 tbsp pumpkin seeds

1 tbsp pure maple syrup

Feel free to leave comments with your favorite way to prepare this breakfast staple!

Source for nutritional analysis: Diet Master Pro 

The Powers of Sauerkraut

Sauerkraut is an amazing food and something that everyone should incorporate in their diet. First, sauerkraut is made from cabbage, which I rank as one of the healthiest, and cheapest, vegetables on earth. Cabbage is an all-star when it comes to cancer fighting benefits, because of beneficial compounds called isothiocyanates. When making sauerkraut, cabbage is fermented which results in the breakdown of glucosinolates, which works to enhance the carcinogenic properties, making sauerkraut an even stronger cancer-fighting food. In fact, in a study from 1998, researchers compared the breast cancer incidence in Polish women and Polish women who had immigrated to Michigan. The immigrants were 4-5x more likely to develop cancer compared to the women who had stayed in Poland. The researchers explained the main difference was the amount of cabbage and sauerkraut the women ate; with the women in Poland eating significantly more.

In addition to the antioxidant properties of sauerkraut, like raw cabbage, sauerkraut contains lots of fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Furthermore, sauerkraut is a very low calorie food, making it an excellent way to beef up your meals for very few calories. 1 cup of sauerkraut contains about 27 calories, compared to 1 cup of cooked spaghetti at 220 calories! I have clients mix sauerkraut into their salads, pasta dishes, and eggs to not only enhance the nutritional profile, but also to add bulk to their meals as to dilute the calories. Sauerkraut is also a great source of healthy probiotics, so if you aren’t a yogurt eater, this is another way to get beneficial bacteria into your diet. Just be sure not to heat sauerkraut as doing so can kill the healthy probiotics which are a product of the fermentation process. For more info on probiotics, visit my previous blog on the topic.

My recommendation:

Begin incorporating sauerkraut and other fermented foods in your diet on a regular basis. Make sure you buy sauerkraut in the refrigerator section (by the pork and other meats) in bags which say “barrel aged” or in the can – but look at the ingredients to make sure cabbage, water, and salt are the only ingredients going into canned sauerkraut. If there is any vinegar or acid added most likely the product is not actually fermented and won’t contain the healthy components discussed above. I always recommend rinsing the sauerkraut to rid it of excess sodium. Also, try making your own! It’s not that difficult and can be a fun science experiment.  You can easily find recipes on the internet to make counter top fermented sauerkraut. Kimchi, a Korean fermented cabbage product, is very healthy too, though tends to be higher in sodium and very spicy, so not great for those with reflux or ulcers. So I urge you to try to incorporate more sauerkraut, and cabbage, into your diet- just don’t pair it with things like sausage, hot dogs, brats, and other harmful processed meats :/.

Reference:

1. Eeva-Liisa Ryhanen, Ph.D., research manager, MTT Agrifood Research Finland, Jokioinen, Finland; Yeong Ju, Ph.D., researcher, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign; Leonard Bjeldanes, Ph.D., professor, food toxicology, University of California, Berkeley; Oct. 23, 2002, Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry