Youcanstill enjoy pasta if you havediabetes. But because it is high incarbohydrates, you’ll need to adjust your portion size and/or choose healthier varieties, such as whole wheat or fortified pasta. Pasta substitutes like ancient grains or spiraled vegetables are also great options.
Eating too many carbs can cause inflammation, weight gain, and higher blood sugars, especially in people with diabetes.Choosing a healthy alternative to traditional pasta can help you satisfy your craving while managing your condition.
This article looks at the best traditional pasta varieties and alternative “pastas” that are best for those with diabetes. It also covers tips for incorporating these options into your diet.
Best Choices in the Pasta Aisle
Sian Irvine / Dorling Kindersley / Getty Images
Instead of regular white pasta made from refined grain, look for pasta that is high in fiber and/or protein and contains fewer carbs.
Ancient Whole Grains
Natasa Mandic / Stocksy United
Ancient whole grains are another great alternative to pasta. They may not look at all like the pasta you are used to, but they have the same kind of hearty flavor while packing in more nutrients.
More common grains, such asquinoa, have become popular in recent years. Less common options, at least for Americans, are farro andsorghum. These are rich in fiber, protein, vitamins, and minerals when mixed into your favorite sauces and recipes.
To add flavor, these ancient grains can be cooked in chicken, beef, or vegetable stock instead of plain water. Serve them as a side dish with fish or chicken, or top with another protein like egg or tofu, plus vegetables and a sauce.
You can make grain-based salads too, but remember to keep your portions in check for best blood sugar control.
Spaghetti Squash
LauriPatterson / Getty Images
Spaghetti squash is often used to replace pasta. It has a mild, slightly sweet flavor that is perfect for tomato-based sauces. The squash flesh becomes stringy when cooked and looks a lot like spaghetti; hence the name. It can be used as a lower-carb, more nutrient-rich version of some of your pasta favorites.
There is another difference you might welcome too. When compared to traditional pasta, you can eat a lot more spaghetti squash for the same amount of carbs. In fact, 1 1/2 cups of the cooked, shredded squash is equal in carbs to 1/3 cup of cooked pasta.
Veggie Spirals and Ribbons
Georgia Glynn Smith / Photolibrary / Getty Images
Use a vegetable peeler to produce spirals or ribbons of non-starchy vegetables to use in place of pasta. Some good options to try include zucchini, yellow summer squash, carrots, eggplant, peppers, and cabbage.
Steam the ribbons so that they taste and feel like regular pasta. Enjoy a serving size of 1 1/2 cups of cooked veggie ribbons for only 15 grams of carbs.
Pasta Night Tips for People With Diabetes
If you have diabetes, it’s important to make healthier choices and manage your carbohydrate consumption. Here are a few guidelines for making healthier choices on pasta night.
The Truth About Dreamfields “Low-carb” Pasta
Summary
If you’re looking for healthy options to traditional pasta, you may find whole-grain and veggie substitutes that reduce your carb intake are as good or better than what you’re used to. That’s important for people with diabetes who need to keep their blood sugar levels in check.
The options are helpful for people who need to avoid gluten, too. But you don’t really need a reason to choose healthier pasta options that can benefit everyone without losing out on taste.
4 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Myette-Côté É, Durrer C, Neudorf H, et al.The effect of a short-term low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet with or without postmeal walks on glycemic control and inflammation in type 2 diabetes: A randomized trial.Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol. 2018;315(6):R1210-R1219. doi:10.1152/ajpregu.00240.2018Di Stefano V, Pagliaro A, Del Nobile MA, et al.Lentil fortified spaghetti: technological properties and nutritional characterization.Foods. 2020;10(1):4. doi: 10.3390/foods10010004Zarzycki P, Sykut-Domańska E, Sobota A, et al.Flaxseed enriched pasta—chemical composition and cooking quality.Foods. 2020;9(4):404. doi: 10.3390/foods9040404Harris WS, Tintle NL, Imamura F, et al.Fatty Acids and Outcomes Research Consortium (FORCE). Blood n-3 fatty acid levels and total and cause-specific mortality from 17 prospective studies.Nat Commun. 2021 Apr 22;12(1):2329. doi:10.1038/s41467-021-22370-2Additional ReadingHuang M, Lo K, Li J, et al.Pasta meal intake in relation to risks of type 2 diabetes and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease in postmenopausal women : findings from the Women’s Health Initiative.BMJNPH. 2021;4(1):195-205. doi: 10.1136/bmjnph-2020-000198Zavitsanou S, Massa J, Deshpande S, et al.The effect of two types of pasta versus white rice on postprandial blood glucose levels in adults with type 1 diabetes: a randomized crossover trial.Diabetes Technology & Therapeutics. 2019;21(9):485-492. doi: 10.1089/dia.2019.0109
4 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Myette-Côté É, Durrer C, Neudorf H, et al.The effect of a short-term low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet with or without postmeal walks on glycemic control and inflammation in type 2 diabetes: A randomized trial.Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol. 2018;315(6):R1210-R1219. doi:10.1152/ajpregu.00240.2018Di Stefano V, Pagliaro A, Del Nobile MA, et al.Lentil fortified spaghetti: technological properties and nutritional characterization.Foods. 2020;10(1):4. doi: 10.3390/foods10010004Zarzycki P, Sykut-Domańska E, Sobota A, et al.Flaxseed enriched pasta—chemical composition and cooking quality.Foods. 2020;9(4):404. doi: 10.3390/foods9040404Harris WS, Tintle NL, Imamura F, et al.Fatty Acids and Outcomes Research Consortium (FORCE). Blood n-3 fatty acid levels and total and cause-specific mortality from 17 prospective studies.Nat Commun. 2021 Apr 22;12(1):2329. doi:10.1038/s41467-021-22370-2Additional ReadingHuang M, Lo K, Li J, et al.Pasta meal intake in relation to risks of type 2 diabetes and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease in postmenopausal women : findings from the Women’s Health Initiative.BMJNPH. 2021;4(1):195-205. doi: 10.1136/bmjnph-2020-000198Zavitsanou S, Massa J, Deshpande S, et al.The effect of two types of pasta versus white rice on postprandial blood glucose levels in adults with type 1 diabetes: a randomized crossover trial.Diabetes Technology & Therapeutics. 2019;21(9):485-492. doi: 10.1089/dia.2019.0109
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Myette-Côté É, Durrer C, Neudorf H, et al.The effect of a short-term low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet with or without postmeal walks on glycemic control and inflammation in type 2 diabetes: A randomized trial.Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol. 2018;315(6):R1210-R1219. doi:10.1152/ajpregu.00240.2018Di Stefano V, Pagliaro A, Del Nobile MA, et al.Lentil fortified spaghetti: technological properties and nutritional characterization.Foods. 2020;10(1):4. doi: 10.3390/foods10010004Zarzycki P, Sykut-Domańska E, Sobota A, et al.Flaxseed enriched pasta—chemical composition and cooking quality.Foods. 2020;9(4):404. doi: 10.3390/foods9040404Harris WS, Tintle NL, Imamura F, et al.Fatty Acids and Outcomes Research Consortium (FORCE). Blood n-3 fatty acid levels and total and cause-specific mortality from 17 prospective studies.Nat Commun. 2021 Apr 22;12(1):2329. doi:10.1038/s41467-021-22370-2
Myette-Côté É, Durrer C, Neudorf H, et al.The effect of a short-term low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet with or without postmeal walks on glycemic control and inflammation in type 2 diabetes: A randomized trial.Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol. 2018;315(6):R1210-R1219. doi:10.1152/ajpregu.00240.2018
Di Stefano V, Pagliaro A, Del Nobile MA, et al.Lentil fortified spaghetti: technological properties and nutritional characterization.Foods. 2020;10(1):4. doi: 10.3390/foods10010004
Zarzycki P, Sykut-Domańska E, Sobota A, et al.Flaxseed enriched pasta—chemical composition and cooking quality.Foods. 2020;9(4):404. doi: 10.3390/foods9040404
Harris WS, Tintle NL, Imamura F, et al.Fatty Acids and Outcomes Research Consortium (FORCE). Blood n-3 fatty acid levels and total and cause-specific mortality from 17 prospective studies.Nat Commun. 2021 Apr 22;12(1):2329. doi:10.1038/s41467-021-22370-2
Huang M, Lo K, Li J, et al.Pasta meal intake in relation to risks of type 2 diabetes and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease in postmenopausal women : findings from the Women’s Health Initiative.BMJNPH. 2021;4(1):195-205. doi: 10.1136/bmjnph-2020-000198Zavitsanou S, Massa J, Deshpande S, et al.The effect of two types of pasta versus white rice on postprandial blood glucose levels in adults with type 1 diabetes: a randomized crossover trial.Diabetes Technology & Therapeutics. 2019;21(9):485-492. doi: 10.1089/dia.2019.0109
Huang M, Lo K, Li J, et al.Pasta meal intake in relation to risks of type 2 diabetes and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease in postmenopausal women : findings from the Women’s Health Initiative.BMJNPH. 2021;4(1):195-205. doi: 10.1136/bmjnph-2020-000198
Zavitsanou S, Massa J, Deshpande S, et al.The effect of two types of pasta versus white rice on postprandial blood glucose levels in adults with type 1 diabetes: a randomized crossover trial.Diabetes Technology & Therapeutics. 2019;21(9):485-492. doi: 10.1089/dia.2019.0109
Meet Our Medical Expert Board
Share Feedback
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
What is your feedback?
