Noodles & Company Is Testing Out Low-Carb Linguine. Here's How You Can Try It
Whether it's spaghetti and meatballs, a steaming bowl of ramen noodles, or macaroni and cheese, pasta is one of America's favorite comfort foods. According to the International Pasta Organization's 2019 World Pasta Industry Status Report, the average American consumes about 20 pounds of pasta each year, per Share The Pasta. That's a lot of noodles!
Noodles & Company is notorious for its carb-laden menu of noodle dishes from around the world. Per its website, the fast casual chain currently has 452 locations across the country.
If you're someone who is trying to cut down on carbs you might try the zoodles or cauliflower noodles but if you're a true pasta lover, you know they may not hit the spot as the real deal would. Noodles & Company recognizes this dilemma and is hoping to have the solution to your healthier eating dreams with the chain's new low-carb linguini, aka LEANguini.
LEANguini is only available in select states
Appropriately named LEANguini, the new low-carb pasta is currently available at select test locations in Colorado, Illinois, and Ohio (via PR Newswire). According to the press release, LEANguini has the same flavor and texture as regular linguini. But when compared with your normal wheat pasta, it has 56% fewer net carbs, 30% fewer total carbs, and 44% more protein.
If you live in one of the areas where the LEANguini is being served, you can order it in three brand-new dishes: LEANguini Lemon Parmesan, LEANguini Fresca, and LEANguini Shrimp Scampi. You can also substitute the low-carb noodle in any existing dish at Noodles & Company.
"Our initial paneling of LEANguini showed us that more than half of guests would like to substitute this noodle into their go-to Noodles dish, making LEANguini one of our most versatile and desired noodles yet," Noodles & Company chief marketing officer, Stacey Pool, said in a statement. As for what's in the noodles, Food Business News reports that the ingredients "include Health Sense flour, whole egg, vital wheat gluten, durum flour, and salt."