Sunday Funday: My 5 Second Healthy Pasta Tip

Let’s be honest here: Nothing satisfies a carb craving like a nice plate of pasta. Read on how to make this guilty pleasure a lot less guilty – in only five seconds! 

(Lentil tide by Michael is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

In case you are wondering how on earth one could make pasta more healthy in just five seconds, let me get straight to the point: All you need to do is to halve the amount of pasta you are cooking and replace it by a nice large handful of dried *drumroll* red lentils! Just add them to your boiling water at the same time you add the (whole-grain) pasta and cook them together for eight to ten minutes. Amazingly, both ingredients will be done at the same time: Drain them, add a sauce of your choice and enjoy your pasta only five seconds later than usual, but substantially oomphed in the health department 😉

• First, keep in mind that lentils have the third-highest level of protein by weight out of all vegetables, after hemp and soy.
• Lentils are also a good source of iron for vegans and vegetarians, having over half of your daily allowance in only one cup. Remember that iron is better absorbed by your body if your meal also contains vitamin C: Add a spritz of lemon juice to your aglio olio or just a tomato sauce, and that would be taken care of as well.
• Lentils are a good source of folate, vitamin B₁ and minerals.
• Their very low levels of readily digestible starch (5%) make them a great food for people suffering of diabetes. 

Whilst all of you Italians or pasta connaisseurs out there might be crying out loud right now, let me just say that whilst this might be an utterly unorthodox form to cook pasta (yes, I know, it’s an art, it’s an art…), the health benefits could outweigh the violation of holy pasta rules in the eyes of a great many people 🙂 Enjoy!

(Thumbnail: A pasta of vegetables in season by Maaco is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)