Protein is an important nutrient – it helps support healthy muscle mass, makes you feel full, and much more!
Whether you’re trying to boost your protein intake and avoid low-protein pastas, or maybe you’re trying to limit protein for certain health reasons – you’ll need to know which pastas contain the least protein!
Some of the lowest-protein pastas are:
- Kelp noodles
- Shirataki noodles
- Spaghetti squash
- Cassava pasta
- Hearts of Palm pasta
- Spiralized veggies (e.g. zucchini)
- Brown rice pasta
- Gluten-free pasta (corn & rice flour)
Just how low in protein are these pastas? We’ll tell you in this article!
Protein in pasta
The protein content of pasta varies a lot depending on what the pasta is made from. Regular pasta is made from durum wheat, which is a particular type of high-protein/gluten wheat that is ideal for pasta making.
Some pasta made from things besides wheat can be higher or lower in protein. Gluten-free pasta made from protein-rich sources like lentils, beans, and edamame is higher in protein than regular pasta, for instance.
8 low-protein pastas
For reference, regular white pasta has 7 grams of protein per serving (2 oz. dry).
Kelp noodles – 0 grams per serving
Many of the keto– and Paleo-friendly pasta alternatives are low in protein. This is the case with kelp noodles, a popular low-carb pasta option.
Kelp noodles are semi-transparent and crunchy in texture. Made from the jelly-like extract that remains after steaming edible kelp, kelp noodles are very low in calories compared to regular pasta.
Shirataki noodles – 0 grams per serving
One of the most popular low-carb pasta options, shirataki noodles are made from konjac flour, which is from the konjac plant. Some types of shirataki noodles are made from tofu, and those noodles are slightly higher in protein, but not by much (around two grams per serving, depending on the brand).
Spaghetti squash – 0.6 grams per serving (1 cup)
Sometimes you have to get creative with low-carb and grain-free pasta alternatives! Spaghetti squash is a unique vegetable because its flesh turns into noodle-like strands when cooked, which is why it’s a popular pasta alternative. Because it’s a vegetable, it’s not naturally high in protein (vegetables are good for you, but their protein content isn’t their strong suit).
Cassava pasta – 1 gram per serving
This Paleo-friendly, grain-free pasta is one of the more popular store-bought versions. Cassava is a type of starchy root vegetable, and its flour isn’t very high in protein, so neither is cassava pasta.
Hearts of Palm pasta – 1 gram per serving
This pasta alternative is made from hearts of Palm, a type of vegetable from the core of certain types of palm trees such as coconut trees. It has a noodle-like shape like spaghetti squash, which is why it’s often used as an alternative to regular pasta.
Spiralized veggies – 1.5 grams per serving
Spiralized veggies are a nutritious low-carb pasta alternative. How do you make spiralized veggie pasta? It’s pretty easy! All you need are vegetables (zucchini is the most popular) and a spiralizer, a tool that turns fresh vegetables (and other foods, too!) into spirals.
Brown rice pasta – 4 grams per serving
A bit higher in protein than the other pasta alternatives, brown rice pasta is lower in protein than regular pasta. Brown rice isn’t as high in protein as durum wheat, so this gluten-free, allergy-friendly pasta is lower in protein.
Gluten-free pasta (corn & rice flour) – 4 grams per serving
Gluten-free pasta (like Barilla gluten-free) is usually made with both corn and rice flour. Neither corn nor rice flour is high in protein, so you will sacrifice a few grams per serving when you choose gluten-free pasta over regular pasta.
Nutritional comparison of low-protein pasta
| Pasta (2 oz. portion size unless specified) | Calories | Total fat (saturated) | Total carbs (fiber) | Protein |
| Kelp noodles – 1.2 cups | 6 | 0 g | 3 g (1 g) | 2 g |
| Shirataki noodles – 100 grams | 5 | 0 g | 4 g (2 g) | 0 g |
| Spaghetti squash – 1 cup | 31 | 0.6 g (0.1 g) | 7 g (1.5 g) | 0.6 g |
| Cassava pasta | 200 | 0 g | 49 g (4 g) | 1 g |
| Hearts of Palm pasta – ½ cup | 20 | 0 g | 5 g (3 g) | 1 g |
| Spiralized veggies (zucchini) – 1 cup | 21 | 0.4 g (0 g) | 3.9 g (1.2 g) | 1.5 g |
| Brown rice pasta | 210 | 1 g (0 g) | 44 g (2 g) | 4 g |
| Gluten-free pasta (Barilla gluten-free) | 190 | 1 g (0 g) | 44 g (2 g) | 4 g |
FAQs:
Corn- and rice-based pasta, shirataki noodles, and cassava pasta are among the lowest-protein pastas.
It’s ideal to eat an adequate source of protein at each meal to help make you feel full. Adding protein-rich foods like meat and cheese can help boost the protein content in a pasta dish. Alternatively, you can choose naturally protein-rich pasta like edamame pasta and pasta made from legumes if you don’t plan on adding a protein source to pasta.
Thanks to the higher protein content of durum wheat (what regular white pasta is made from), white pasta has around seven grams of protein per serving. Other types of pasta are even higher in protein such as edamame pasta and pasta made from legumes like lentils and chickpeas.
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