Pass the pad Thai, please
You can only feed your noodle cravings with spaghetti and meatballs for so long before it becomes unbearably monotonous. Presenting rice noodles, a popular Southeast Asian culinary substitute for pasta that is chewy and light. Rice noodles are gluten-free, but are they healthy? The answer is (thankfully) overwhelmingly yes. Whether you’re avoiding gluten or not, rice noodles are a healthy option because they have a moderate calorie and fat content.
How many calories are in rice noodles?
Just 1 cup (176 grams) of cooked rice noodles provides 190 calories, which is comparable to a similar serving size of white rice (3).
Therefore, they’re fairly moderate in terms of calories.
Notably, rice noodles have 14–20% fewer calories per serving than refined or whole wheat pasta, respectively (4, 5).
Shirataki noodles or veggie noodles made from yellow squash or zucchini are good options if you’re looking for something lower in calories.
Rice noodles may be associated with several health benefits.
Since rice is naturally gluten-free, products made with rice flour are safe substitutes for grains containing gluten for those who have celiac disease or gluten sensitivity but are not gluten-intolerant (6, 7).
Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye that triggers an immune response in people with these conditions, leading to intestinal damage and symptoms like cramping, bloating, and diarrhea (7, 8).
If you follow a gluten-free diet, which is the suggested eating pattern for people with celiac disease or non-celiac gluten sensitivity, rice flour products, such as rice noodles, are easy substitutes because they taste and texture very similar to those of wheat products (7, 8, 9)
Even so, it could be wise to look for a gluten-free label on your rice noodles because they might contain gluten traces.
Rice noodles are naturally low in sodium.
While this mineral is an essential nutrient and electrolyte, excess intake may harm your health and increase your risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, and kidney disease (10, 11, 12, 13).
The U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends consuming less than 2,300 mg of sodium — or about 1 teaspoon of salt — per day (14).
Although rice noodles don’t contain much sodium, you should watch what you eat, especially when it comes to popular salty ingredients like soy sauce.
3 Health Benefits of Rice Noodles
If you have celiac disease or a gluten sensitivity, rice noodles will be your go-to. While gluten isn’t inherently unhealthy, Harvard Medical School reports than nearly 2 million Americans may have celiac disease, though only about 300,000 of them have been diagnosed. So, if you have a hunch you could be sensitive to wheat, rice noodles might be easier on your tummy.
