Heart disease is the number one cause of death in both males and females. Pasta, along with rice and corn-based products, is a staple in the American diet. Many pasta manufacturers market their brand as being cholesterol free in an effort to increase sales, when in fact, most noodles are cholesterol free. Before your next trip to the grocery store, compare the traditional egg noodle to its non-cholesterol counterparts, and you will learn a few menu tricks on how to make them an even healthier addition to your menu.
Egg Noodles
A cup of cooked egg noodles contains the following nutrition: 213 calories, 2.4 grams of fat, 0.5 grams saturated fat, 53 milligrams cholesterol, 39.7 grams of carbohydrate, 1.8 grams dietary fiber, and 7.6 grams protein, for a total of 10.1 percent fat, 74.6 percent carbohydrate and 14.3 percent protein.
The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends that we limit our total daily cholesterol consumption to under 300 milligrams of cholesterol per day. One serving of egg noodles easily contributes to one-sixth the daily recommended limit.
This is compounded when people exceed the 1 cup portion size, dressing up their noodles with butter, beef tips, sour cream, cheese sauce or other major contributors of cholesterol and saturated fat.
Spaghetti Noodles
A cup of cooked spaghetti noodles contains 210 calories, 1 gram of fat, 0 gram saturated fat, 0 milligrams cholesterol, 41 grams of carbohydrate and 7 grams protein, for a total of 4.3 percent fat, 78.1 percent carbohydrate and 13.3 percent protein.
Serve spaghetti noodles with turkey meatballs instead of beef, which will reduce saturated fat and cholesterol. Also use homemade spaghetti sauces prepared from garden fresh tomatoes to reduce sodium content. Limit your use of Alfredo sauce, unless you make it from scratch using low-fat ingredients.
Udon Noodles
A cup of cooked udon noodles has 160 calories, 0.68 grams of fat, 0 grams saturated fat, 0 milligrams cholesterol, 32.32 grams of carbohydrate, and 5.54 grams protein for a total of 3.8 percent fat, 80.8 percent carbohydrate and 13.9 percent protein.
Udon noodles are frequently served in soup with tofu, onions, ginger and soy. These soups can be very high in sodium, so if you are salt sensitive, make sure you stock only low or reduced sodium soy sauces and soup bases in your pantry.
Rice Noodles
A cup of cooked rice noodles contains the following: 200 calories, 0 gram of fat, 0 grams saturated fat, 0 milligram of cholesterol, 46 grams of carbohydrate and 3 grams protein for a total of 0 fat, 92 percent carbohydrate and 6 percent protein.
Pasta made from brown rice flour is gluten free. Like other Asian dishes, they can be high in sodium depending on the type of soy sauce used. It is optimal to stick with fatty fish, rich sources of omega 3 fatty acids, tofu or skinless poultry as a protein accompaniment. Shellfish are high in cholesterol.
Ramen Noodles
A cup of cooked ramen noodles contains 190 calories, 7 grams of fat, 3.5 grams saturated fat, 0 milligram of cholesterol, 26 grams of carbohydrate, and 5 grams protein, for a total of 33.2 percent fat, 54.7 percent carbohydrate and 10.5 percent protein.
Ramen noodles are kind of a sleeper when it comes to fat. Many people think of them as a dieter's food. The above portion is actually only one-half the traditional grocery store single-service package. This product contains 1,580 milligrams of sodium per package and is significantly higher in fat than its other cholesterol-free counterparts.
The Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) for healthy persons is 1,500 milligrams of sodium daily. The Amercian Heart Association recommends that people with high blood pressure limit their sodium intake to less than 2,300 milligrams daily.
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