Fiber is an important nutrient that most Americans don’t eat enough of. The recommended amount of fiber to eat each day is 21-25 grams per day for women and 30-38 grams per day for men.
Certain types of pasta can help you reach your fiber goals – which is great news if you’re a pasta fan!
The highest-fiber pastas include:
- Chickpea pasta
- Edamame pasta
- Fiber-enriched pasta
- Lentil pasta
- Whole wheat pasta
Just how much fiber is in these pastas, and how do they compare? We have the answers next!
Fiber in pasta
Pasta is made from plant-based ingredients like wheat flour, lentil flour, and soybeans (edamame). Plant foods contain varying levels of fiber, which is a type of carbohydrate that isn’t absorbed by your body.
Getting enough fiber in your diet is important for many reasons. Fiber helps support healthy digestion and it can even benefit your heart health by helping to keep your cholesterol in check!
The amount of fiber in pasta depends on the type. Most types of “regular” pasta are made from durum wheat semolina, a type of coarsely ground flour that is high in protein (and therefore gluten).
“Regular” pasta is usually made from refined and enriched flour, which means the outer layers of the wheat kernel have been removed. The outer layers contain a lot of fiber, which means refined pasta tends to be lower in fiber compared to whole wheat pasta using the entire part of the wheat kernel.
What about non-wheat pasta?
Some of the highest-fiber pastas are made from sources other than wheat flour (AKA veggie pasta). Plant foods like soybeans, lentils, and peas are high in fiber, so pasta made from these ingredients tends to be the highest in fiber. (They are also high in fiber, which means high-fiber pastas are generally higher in protein as well!)
Is fiber added to pasta?
Some types of pasta marketed as “high fiber” are regular wheat pasta with the addition of fiber in the form of pea protein or another high-fiber ingredient. You can tell if pasta has added fiber by checking the ingredient label.
Is high-fiber pasta low-carb?
High-fiber pasta can still be high in carbs, but it’s generally lower in net carbs, which is important if you’re following a low-carb diet such as keto.
Because fiber isn’t digested by your body, you can subtract it from total carbs to give you net carbs, the amount that has an impact on your blood sugar.
For instance, if a type of high-fiber pasta contains 20 grams of fiber and 10 grams of fiber, then it has 10 grams of net carbs, which might make it more suitable for some low-carb diets.
5 high-fiber pastas
Chickpea pasta – 5 grams per serving
Chickpea pasta (e.g. Banza brand) is made from chickpeas and pea starch, which make it high in fiber. Even though it’s made from a source other than wheat, chickpea pasta isn’t Paleo-friendly (legumes like peas and beans aren’t allowed) and it’s not low enough in net carbs to be keto-friendly. It IS gluten-free because it doesn’t contain wheat, though!
Edamame pasta – 13 grams per serving
Edamame pasta is loaded with fiber and is the highest-fiber pasta on our list! With only 7 grams of net carbs per serving, edamame pasta can be suitable for certain low-carb diets in moderation.
Like chickpea pasta and other non-wheat pastas, edamame pasta is gluten-free. It’s not Paleo-friendly since soybeans (what edamame is made from) are legumes, which aren’t Paleo-approved.
Fiber-enriched pasta (Pastabilities Mighty Pasta) – 12 grams per serving
This particular type of pasta is made from regular wheat (durum wheat) and has pea protein added, which boosts its fiber content significantly.
Lentil pasta – 6 grams per serving
Lentil pasta is made from lentil flour (not a big surprise there!) which is rich in fiber. Like chickpea pasta, lentil pasta isn’t Paleo-friendly and it’s not low enough in net carbs to be keto-friendly.
Because it doesn’t contain wheat, lentil pasta is gluten-free.
Whole wheat pasta – 7 grams per serving
Whole wheat pasta is naturally rich in fiber (no fiber added) because it’s made from flour that contains the germ and bran, which are typically removed with refined and enriched pasta. Whole wheat pasta is a bit denser than regular pasta, but it’s also higher in protein!
Nutritional comparison of highest-fiber pastas
LC=lower-carb (10 or fewer grams of net carbs per serving)
GF=gluten-free
| Pasta (2 oz serving) | Calories | Total carbs (fiber) | Net carbs | Protein | LC/GF |
| Chickpea pasta | 190 | 32 g (5 g) | 27 g | 12 g | GF |
| Edamame pasta | 180 | 20 g (13 g) | 7 g | 24 g | LC, GF |
| Fiber-enriched pasta (Pastabilities Mighty Pasta) | 180 | 38 g (12 g) | 26 g | 11 g | (None) |
| Lentil pasta | 190 | 34 g (6 g) | 28 g | 14 g | GF |
| Whole wheat pasta | 180 | 39 g (7 g) | 32 g | 8 g | (None) |
FAQs:
Some types of pasta are good sources of fiber, such as whole wheat pasta and pasta made from ingredients like edamame (soybeans) and lentils.
White pasta is made from non-whole-wheat flour, so it’s not very high in fiber. One serving of “regular” white pasta contains three grams of fiber per serving, while whole-wheat pasta contains 8 grams of fiber per serving.
Even though high-fiber pasta is lower in net carbs than regular pasta, that doesn’t mean it’s keto-friendly because it’s generally still too high in carbs to be keto. For a true keto-friendly pasta, opt for a type like shirataki noodles, which contain 2 grams of net carbs per serving.
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