As someone who writes about both food and wellness, I'm constantly being introduced to new food products that have some kind of "healthy" spin. And frankly, almost all of them are disappointing. Dehydrated vegetables seasoned with ranch don't taste like Doritos. Sugar-free funfetti protein bites might look like cake balls, but the aftertaste is funky and they feel like chalk in your mouth.
Once in a blue moon, though, I'll taste some newfangled health food innovation and think, "I would actually buy this." Such was the case with Banza, the chickpea-based pasta that boasts "double the protein, four times the fiber, and nearly half the net carbs" of traditional pasta. I first tried it in 2015 and it's been present in my pantry ever since.
In the past couple of years, I've discovered a few other bean-based pasta brands that are actually worth buying. But at the same time, I've grown increasingly skeptical of any food that presents itself as a healthier version of something else. Are these swaps ever actually worth it? Does a little extra fiber or protein hidden somewhere you wouldn't expect to find it really make a difference? As with most nutrition-related questions, the answers are floating around in the gray area of each person's unique tastes, food preferences, priorities, and eating styles.
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