Cheap Healthy Eats: Pasta

YUM

With many people tightening their budgets, eating healthy may seem like more of a challenge than ever. Use the Tips each Monday this month to help guide your grocery shopping and keep the bills to a minimum.

Quality carbohydrates are an essential part of a balanced, healthful diet, and pasta is a low-cost source of carbohydrates that can fit the bill. I recommend the following:

  1. Aim for 2-3 servings per week (one serving is equal to about 1/2 cup cooked pasta, which is far less than Americans typically eat).
  2. Cook pasta only until it is al dente (when it has “tooth” to it) to achieve a lower glycemic index than fully-cooked pasta. Low-glycemic-load carbohydrates should be the bulk of your carbohydrate intake to help minimize rapid rises in blood glucose levels.
  3. Choose organic pasta, rice noodles, bean thread noodles, and part whole wheat and buckwheat noodles such as Japanese udon and soba.

Source: Dr. Weil Tip of the Day

Recipe: Asian Noodle Salad with Eggplant from Bon Appetit

Ingredients

4 Japanese eggplants, unpeeled, cut on diagonal into 1/3-inch-thick slices
8 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed
2 bunches green onions, trimmed
1/4 cup Asian sesame oil
1 6-ounce package dried chuka soba (Japanese-style) noodles*
1 8-ounce package sugar snap peas, trimmed
7 tablespoons hoisin sauce
3 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
4 teaspoons finely grated lime peel
1 1/2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger

Directions

  1. Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat).
  2. Combine first 3 ingredients; add Asian sesame oil and toss to coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
  3. Grill vegetables until tender, turning often, about 7 minutes for eggplant and mushrooms and 5 minutes for green onions.
  4. Transfer mushrooms and onions to cutting board; cool slightly. Slice mushrooms and onions.
  5. Meanwhile, cook noodles in large pot of boiling salted water until almost tender but still firm to bite, about 3 minutes.
  6. Add sugar snap peas to noodles; cook 1 minute longer. Drain well. Transfer noodle mixture to large serving bowl. Add grilled vegetables.
  7. Whisk last 4 ingredients in small bowl to blend. Toss noodle salad with dressing; season with salt and pepper.

Serves 4.

*The cooking time of Japanese-style chuka soba noodles varies by a minute or two depending on the brand of noodle. Test them after three minutes to avoid overcooking.

Jan 26 2009

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