Many people have been using spaghetti squash as a pasta replacement. I had heard on TV and from other students of dietetics of their love for spaghetti squash. The squash was topped with with marinara, meat, and cheese similar to your typical Italian pasta dish. As a foodie and avid pasta lover I was instantly turned off by the idea of replacing one of my favorite home cooked meals. I certainly wanted to try it but I figured I would never love it quite as much as my whole grain pasta goodness.
However, all it took was one try and my mind changed completely. I came home in the evening to my roommate eating this spaghetti squash dish and it smelled delicious. After a discussion of why she loved it my distrust of this replacement diminished. To my surprise four days later I had purchased a spaghetti squash, marinara, and Parmesan cheese. Once I had tried it I immediately loved it. Who would have thought?
As a future dietitian, I was beginning to look into a nutrient analysis to compare it to whole wheat pasta as well as enriched varieties. Here is the breakdown based on one cup cooked:
Enriched Pasta Whole Wheat Pasta Spaghetti Squash
Calories 220 Calories 172 Calories 42
Protein 8 g Protein 7 g Protein 1 g
Carbohydrates 43 g Carbohydrates 37 g Carbohydrates 10 g
Fiber 3 g Fiber 6 g Fiber 2 g
Sugar 1 g Sugar 1 g Sugar 4 g
Total Fat 1 g Total Fat 1 g Total Fat 0 g
Sodium 1 mg Sodium 4 mg Sodium 28 mg
When considering the major nutrients in all three of these pasta options it was found that spaghetti squash had significantly fewer calories, lower grams of carbohydrates and zero fat. Spaghetti squash does have high sodium levels in comparison to the other two options though.
Spaghetti squash would be a good option for those watching their calorie intake and those wanting to eat more vegetables. When considering fiber it looks like whole wheat pasta is the way to go. If someone is wanting to eat pasta I would always suggest whole wheat instead of enriched pasta. But depending on a variety of personal factors and taste preference any of these would be fine in moderation. However, whole wheat is preferred to enriched pasta and when trying to eat more vegetables spaghetti squash would be a wonderful choice.
Just know when you are considering trying a new recipe that spaghetti squash is not just healthy for you but also tastes delicious.
However, all it took was one try and my mind changed completely. I came home in the evening to my roommate eating this spaghetti squash dish and it smelled delicious. After a discussion of why she loved it my distrust of this replacement diminished. To my surprise four days later I had purchased a spaghetti squash, marinara, and Parmesan cheese. Once I had tried it I immediately loved it. Who would have thought?
As a future dietitian, I was beginning to look into a nutrient analysis to compare it to whole wheat pasta as well as enriched varieties. Here is the breakdown based on one cup cooked:
Enriched Pasta Whole Wheat Pasta Spaghetti Squash
Calories 220 Calories 172 Calories 42
Protein 8 g Protein 7 g Protein 1 g
Carbohydrates 43 g Carbohydrates 37 g Carbohydrates 10 g
Fiber 3 g Fiber 6 g Fiber 2 g
Sugar 1 g Sugar 1 g Sugar 4 g
Total Fat 1 g Total Fat 1 g Total Fat 0 g
Sodium 1 mg Sodium 4 mg Sodium 28 mg
When considering the major nutrients in all three of these pasta options it was found that spaghetti squash had significantly fewer calories, lower grams of carbohydrates and zero fat. Spaghetti squash does have high sodium levels in comparison to the other two options though.
Spaghetti squash would be a good option for those watching their calorie intake and those wanting to eat more vegetables. When considering fiber it looks like whole wheat pasta is the way to go. If someone is wanting to eat pasta I would always suggest whole wheat instead of enriched pasta. But depending on a variety of personal factors and taste preference any of these would be fine in moderation. However, whole wheat is preferred to enriched pasta and when trying to eat more vegetables spaghetti squash would be a wonderful choice.
Just know when you are considering trying a new recipe that spaghetti squash is not just healthy for you but also tastes delicious.