Soy noodles , typical of oriental cuisine, are a fairly new ingredient and still little used in our kitchens.  It is true that ousting Italian pasta is really difficult, but perhaps these spaghetti, together with those of vegetables and rice, have properties that could still gain our attention. Notwithstanding the fact that there are many recipes that can be made with  soy spaghetti , from oriental, fusion or even traditional Italian cuisine, let’s try to understand what their benefits are and how much it is possible to integrate them into a healthy and balanced diet?

First of all, the first criterion is that of choice : the ideal is always to opt for organic soy noodles, because they come from organic soybeans . In Italy, the Fior di Loto, Explore Cuisine and Vitaquell brands are the ones that you can find in organic shops or buy online.

Instead, let’s see in detail the strengths of soy noodles, namely:

– moderate glycemic index: they are thin, and have a glycemic index of 45/55. The glycemic load is also low due to the yield of soy spaghetti: a satisfactory portion does not exceed 50-60 grams of product, unlike pasta.

– egg-free, lactose-free, gluten-free and low-fat: soy noodles are low in fat, naturally gluten-free, and without other substances such as yeast, lactose, eggs. They are suitable for those on elimination diets, for example for celiacs. In addition, they are an alternative to rice noodles and rice products that often abound in the tables of the latter. They are obviously contraindicated in those allergic to soy.

– very low presence of isoflavones: isoflavones are controversial substances, because they have an estrogen-like activity (for better or for worse), but these spaghetti are obtained from the processing of soy starch, and have a very low isoflavone content, which undoubtedly makes them far less insidious than other soy products.

– satiety: since soy noodles swell during cooking, half a portion is the optimal one, so 50 grams per head is enough. This makes them perfect in low-calorie diets, because they are more filling than a “halved” dish of pasta. The calories per 100 grams range from 330 to 340, but as I told you, 50-60 grams is enough and almost similar to 80-90 grams of pasta.

– they are digestible: unlike traditional pasta and given their low glycemic load, soy noodles are satiating but also digestible.

How to cook soy noodles?
There are two ways. Spaghetti should always be rinsed in water before cooking, then the skeins must be cut in two to be able to cook them better. Then they should be placed in boiling water for a maximum of 2 minutes, drained, cooled under cold running water and used in the preparations. Otherwise you have to soak them for a few hours in cold water, without cooking them. If we pass them over in oil, it is healthier to add a little apple cider vinegar together with the oil, customize the dish with spices such as turmeric or curry that we can add to the cooking water to color them. After that, just try one of the soy noodle recipes that you can find on the web.