By Claire Pickens

Let’s face it: Everyone loves pasta, but we could definitely do without the carb overload that comes with it. Zucchini noodles, known as zoodles, are the new form of veggie pasta that has everyone talking. Gluten-free and almost four times lower in carbs per cup, zoodles are a great substitute for standard, processed pasta and an easy way to get more vitamins and nutrients in your daily diet.

The trend has spiraled from restaurants to competitive supermarkets like Whole Foods and Wegmans. To make zoodles at home, all you need is a spiralizer, which churns out ribbons of zucchini. In addition to zucchini, many other vegetables are being turned into pasta like butternut squash, beets, sweet potato and squash. BuzzFeed’s Tasty videos have picked up on the trend and have created a number of recipes that center around Zucchini noodles.

To get a better sense of what people think about the zoodle trend, I asked college students who have tried zoodles what they thought. Most felt that zoodles and other alternative pastas, like squash spaghetti and gluten-free grain, gave consumers healthy options in an area that was known to be carbohydrate central. One student said, “Zoodles make being gluten-free so much easier because it tastes and looks like you’re eating regular pasta.”

In case you want to try out some zoodles for yourself and see what the buzz is all about, here is an easy 30 minute recipe for Zucchini Alfredo. The sauce is so creamy that you won’t even miss the pasta and you’ll save tons of calories!

If you’re not into cooking (or live in a dorm), multiple Syracuse restaurants have picked up on the trend as well.  Faculty, Syracuse’s on campus restaurant serves them, as well as Aster Pantry Parlor in Armory and Khao Gaeng, a Thai restaurant.