Delightfully chewy gnocchi, often made with potatoes, is considered both a type of pasta and a type of dumpling — depending on who you ask. Can it also be a healthier, more nutritious alternative to traditional pasta? That also depends on how you look at it.
Gnocchi is naturally a bit lower in calories and carbohydrates per serving than traditional pasta, Grace Derocha, registered dietitian and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, tells TODAY.com.
But pillowy potato gnocchis tend to be denser than pasta, notes Shonali Soans, a registered dietitian in the Integrative Health and Wellbeing program at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian.
"A 2-ounce serving of gnocchi is going to look like a very small portion compared to 2 ounces of pasta," she tells TODAY.com, meaning you're likely to eat more gnocchi at a meal than pasta.
So, realistically, the nutritional differences between these two carbohydrate-heavy foods may not be drastic. But there are still some important factors to keep in mind when deciding between gnocchi and pasta — especially if these are staple foods in your diet, Soans says.
Pasta nutrition
In 100 grams of plain spaghetti noodles, you'll find:
- 158 calories
- 31 grams carbohydrate
- 2 grams fiber
- 6 grams protein
Gnocchi nutrition
In 100 grams of potato gnocchi, you'll get:
- 135 calories
- 17 grams carbohydrate
- 1 gram fiber
- 2.5 grams protein
Keep in mind that the exact nutrients in store-bought pasta and gnocchi may differ from brand to brand. You might also see enriched and unenriched pasta, as well as versions with and without salt added.
Carbohydrates
Both pasta and gnocchi are rich sources of carbohydrates, an essential macronutrient that serves as the body's main source of energy. That means we all need to eat some carbs.
But those who are managing their weight or keeping an eye on their blood sugar levels may want to limit the amount of carbohydrates they eat in a day, pair carbohydrates with other nutrients carefully or choose the carbs they eat wisely.
Gnocchi generally contains fewer carbohydrates than pasta, Derocha says. "Pasta has about 40 to 45 grams of carbohydrates in 1 cup cooked, whereas gnocchi has 30 to 35 grams in a cooked cup," she explains.
However, Soans encourages consumers to think of them as essentially equal here, with both being mainly carbs. "They're both going to be your sources of carbohydrate and starch," she says.
Protein
While gnocchi has slightly fewer carbohydrates than pasta, you also "lose some of the protein" that you'd find in pasta, Derocha says.
A cup of cooked pasta provides about 7 to 8 grams of protein while 1 cup of cooked gnocchi only has 2 to 3 grams of protein, she explains.
Neither gnocchi nor pasta will be the major source of protein in a meal, the experts say. But a serving of pasta does have a little bit more protein than gnocchi.
Fiber
For a starchy vegetable, whole potatoes contain a good amount of fiber: about 4 grams. So, you might assume that potato gnocchi also provide some fiber. But that's not necessarily the case.
Much of the fiber in a potato is found in the skin, which isn't used when making gnocchi, Derocha says. So, ultimately, pasta and gnocchi come up even on fiber content, with about 1 to 2 grams per serving.
Sodium
While store-bought pasta typically doesn't have added salt, Derocha says, gnocchi sometimes does contain salt. A serving of gnocchi can contain around 500 to 600 milligrams, she says.
For most people, that's an amount of sodium that can fit within an overall healthy diet. But, if you're watching your sodium intake for any reason, keep an eye out for extra salt in your gnocchi.
Is sweet potato gnocchi healthy?
Sweet potatoes don't necessarily have more nutrients than regular white potatoes, the experts say. They simply offer a different set of nutrients. And the same is true of sweet potato gnocchi.
For instance, while regular white potatoes provide a big dose of potassium, sweet potatoes will help you load up on beta carotene, which the body converts to vitamin A. Both will give you a good amount of carbohydrates, potassium and vitamin C.
The nutrient profile of sweet potato gnocchi is "pretty comparable" to gnocchi made with white potatoes, Derocha says. "It's just a little bit of a tweak in the antioxidants and some of the vitamins that you're getting."
Keep in mind that sweet potatoes may have a little more fiber than white potatoes, but much of that fiber is in the potato's skin. And, as explained above, the skin isn't used when making gnocchi.
Are alternative pastas healthy?
We're lucky to live in an age that offers so many varieties of pasta.
There's whole-wheat pasta and gluten-free varieties, for instance. You can choose pasta made from chickpeas, lentils and beans, which generally offer more protein and fiber than traditional pasta due to their main ingredients.
However, the texture and taste of these alternative pastas is usually a little different than what you might be used to. If you enjoy eating these types of pasta, know that you'll also get some extra nutrient benefits from them.
Is gnocchi healthier than pasta?
Just because gnocchi is made from potatoes doesn't automatically make it a healthier choice than pasta. In fact, in many respects, the two foods are largely equivalent.
Both gnocchi and pasta are rich in energizing carbohydrates but low on fiber and protein. Generally, gnocchi contains fewer calories and grams of carbs than pasta does, Derocha says. But, because those chewy gnocchi pieces are more dense than pasta noodles, a serving size of gnocchi may seem much smaller and less satisfying than a serving of pasta, Soans adds.
That's why the experts tell TODAY.com to keep two major — and related — factors in mind when selecting between gnocchi and pasta: First, stick to a reasonable portion size. And, second, consider what else is on your plate.
A 100-ish-gram serving of either gnocchi or pasta may not seem like a whole lot on its own. So it's important to pair it with filling lean protein, heart-healthy fat and fiber-rich vegetables to balance out and bulk up your meal.
While pasta and gnocchi can be part of your dish, they shouldn't be the star of the show, experts told TODAY.com previously. Your cooking method and sauce ingredients will also impact the overall nutrition of the dish.
Of course, if you're going out to eat once in a while and choosing between traditional pasta and gnocchi on a menu, simply pick whichever you prefer, Soans says. "Choose the one you enjoy more," she says.
But if pasta or gnocchi is a regular part of your diet, Soans continues, be sure to keep portion size in mind and balance it out with other ingredients, like lean protein and non-starch vegetables.
And she encourages folks to mix it up! If gnocchi is a staple for your home menu, try occasionally swapping in some pasta — or even chickpea pasta — to keep it interesting.
