Pesto up your Pasta

Love your carbs again

We all need those quick recipes to impress those unexpected guests, or to surprise ourselves that something so delicious takes little time to prep and cook. Also, carbs are not the enemy.

Choose a pasta that offers some added fibre made from lentils, chickpeas or beans. Not only are these pastas gluten free, they’re also a great way to incorporate complex carbs.

A quick and easy way to add some nutrition, and why complex carbs are good.

Ingredients & Directions

350 g pasta (choose a pasta made from beans, chickpeas, lentils for some
80 g fresh basil
1-2 garlic cloves
½ cup pine nuts
½ lemon juiced
¼ cup + 1 tbsp olive oil
½ tsp salt
2 tbp vegan parmesan

Blend all ingredients in a blender. Toss with warm pasta and lightly heat.

Vegan Parmesan

½ cup blanched almonds
2 tsp nutritional yeast
¼ tsp onion powder
¼ tsp onion powder
¼ tsp salt to taste

Blend ingredients in a magic bullet or blender. Grind until coarse like parmesan.

NOURISHED FACT

Carbs are not your enemy. I repeat, carbs are not the enemy.

Carbs come in two forms:

• simple - think of refined carbs like refined white sugar or flour as an ingredient falling in many recipes

• complex - think of what the same says. Complex. Meaning longer chains of starch molecules. This means your body goes to work harder and the way it’s meant to work. Not lazy work that fools the body like simple or refined carbs do. Examples include beans, vegetables, and whole grains.

We should look to add the complex carbs to our diet - as we get both the sugars (for energy) and fibre (to keep us regular and regulate body processes). Complex carbs are a necessary part of the diet, they relieve us from constipation, feed our good gut bacteria, and provide us with fuel to keep going. So eat those chickpeas, beans, legumes and whole grains. Swap in a legume rich pastas when you have a craving. Add in more fibre loaded veggies. Eat that fruit.

And remember that denying your body from satisfying a craving is denying satisfaction. Don’t beat yourself up over a bowl of noodles, just be mindful of whole foods over processed. Whole veggies and fruit over sugary or overly-refined treats. Our microbiomes are depending upon what we put in. Indulge, but do it wisely.