Spiralized vegetable noodles are yummy, super fun to make, and a great way to bring more color to your plate. Swapping store-bought dry pasta for vegetable spirals is way more delicious and nutritious. I already got my family and friends hooked.

For quite a while I have been obsessed with zucchini noodles aka zoodles. But it doesn’t stop there! Think beyond zucchini noodles – there’s a whole world of pasta swaps out there! Though zucchini noodles remain my family’s favorite, carrot, sweet potato, and red beet noodles are also regulars at our home. 

I still remember the day I first heard and tasted zoodles many moons ago. It was in a vegetarian restaurant in Belgium. It was love at first bite. And guess what, after all those years we still love them. We love them so much that we eat them at least once a week. Not only because they make very easy weeknight dinners, but simply because they are SO delicious. 

Did I get you all excited? Yes? Good! You better be excited as vegetable noodles will rock your kitchen! I am pretty sure if you give them a try, you will also fall for this healthy, wholesome pasta substitute.

What’s more, vegetable noodles are low in carbs, low in calories, and completely gluten-free. Let’s throw in some numbers to give you an idea. One cup of cooked spaghetti has about 200 calories and 40g of carbohydrates, while one cup of zucchini noodles has around 20 calories and 5g of carbs. A mind-blowing difference, right?

To equal the calories and carbs of a plate of normal pasta, you would have to eat ten times the amount of zucchini noodles. Simply put, don’t feel shy to load up on vegetable noodles or even go for seconds. 

How To Make Vegetable Spiralized Noodles

Before I show you which tools I am using, I will briefly introduce you to the Rolls Royce of spiralizers. Keep in mind that even though this kitchen tool is not that expensive it will take up a lot of kitchen storage space. 

But, on the other hand, if you have space and not constantly moving around like us, this type of spiralizer makes without a doubt the BEST spiralized noodles. Plus, unlike the other options I will show you in a minute, this handy tool can spiralize nearly every vegetable you can think of. So, if you plan to make vegetable noodles on the regular, then it’s probably worth buying one.

Though I have owned a spiralizer like this (see pic below) before, moving to SE-Asia and constantly being on the move has made me rethink everything. Less is more! So came the day I abandoned my precious spiralizer for something nearly as good but much smaller.

When we left Belgium in 2014, I gave my spiralizer to a friend. To this day, she is still using it almost every week and has also become a zoodle addict. My baby is in good hands. 

Even now that we are not moving around so much, I prefer to keep it simple and stop filling my kitchen cupboards with unnecessary big tools. Maybe, once we are settled on our land (which we still have to find) in the country we can truly call home, I might buy one of these again. 

But for now, I am happy with the alternatives you’ll find below. 

How To Spiralize Vegetables Without A Spiralizer

#1 Julienne Peeler

Like mentioned earlier, Moving to SE-Asia made me rethink everything. It wasn’t easy to fit our life into 2 suitcases but we did it and we simplified our life dramatically.

Since I couldn’t part from my weekly zoodle addiction and I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to find a spiralizer in rural Cambodia I packed this little handy tool (see pic below).

For less than $10 you can already find a decent a julienne peeler that gets the job done and doesn’t take up any space.

Here are a few examples (click the pictures for more info):

Although it will take you a few minutes more to spiralize your veggies with a julienne peeler, it is cheaper and takes no space in your kitchen cupboards.

How to use the julienne peeler to make vegetable noodles

It is so simple to use. Wash your veggies, cut the top off, scrape the julienne peeler from bottom to top and you’ll have the noodle-like strands that you can top with basil pesto, avocado sauce, tomato sauce, etc.

The downside, it cannot spiralize all the vegetables you can spiralize with a spiralizer.

I have used the julienne peeler for red beet, sweet potatoes, carrots, zucchini, and pumpkin. 

#2 Second Generation Hand Spiralizer

Soon after moving to SE-Asia with my julienne peeler, I started missing my badass spiralizer. Not knowing if we would stay in Cambodia and no spiralizer to be found, not even in the capital, I felt like I needed something better to fix my zoodle cravings.

Though the julienne peeler doesn’t do a bad job, it’s just not the same. If you are going to take spiralized veggies seriously and make them often, but don’t want to invest in a big space-consuming spiralizer I have found THE tool you need: Second Generation Hand Spiralizer.

I bought it a few years ago and it is still one of the best kitchen tools I ever bought. It doesn’t take up a lot of space and it is moving with us on our next adventure.

After many years in SE-Asia, it is time to pack up again and set sail to the other side of the world. With 2 other friends, we are planning to buy some land in South America and go off-grid, building our own little house powered by solar and growing our own food. 

I honestly can’t wait to spiralize my very first homegrown zucchini with my precious little zoodle tool. 

Though it doesn’t come at a great cost, it is a little bit more expensive than a julienne peeler. However, in my opinion, it is so much better. Look at the difference below! The zoodles are just that bit better shaped and look more like real pasta. They are nice and round and the different blades that come with this handy tool allow you to spiralize veggies into your preferred pasta thickness. 

The downside is that it cannot spiralize all vegetables. Just like the julienne peeler, it has its limits. 

I use this tool for zucchini noodles (which are my favorite anyway) or carrot noodles. However, the julienne peeler is still my go-to tool if I want to spiralize veggies that don’t fit in the Second Generation Hand Spiralizer. These include sweet potato, red beet, and pumpkin. 

How to use the second generation hand spiralizer to make vegetable noodles

Wash your zucchini and cut off the ends. Depending on your preference, you can keep the skin on or peel it off. I prefer to leave the skin on as there are many nutrients in or just under the skin. 

Align your zucchini so it meets the blade. Gently apply pressure, feeding the zucchini into the grating blades. Keep turning until the zucchini is completely spiralized.

Small note: I have tried different models of hand spiralizer and this one (see pic below) had the best result. 

Julienne Peeler vs Second Generation Hand Spiralizer

The first veggie pasta I made (see pic below) with my julienne peeler was a zucchini-carrot pasta with fresh tomatoes from my mom’s garden, avocado sauce, and pine nuts.

Not the best pic, I know. I’ve grown a lot in my food-picture-taking and plate-dressing-skills over the past years lol! I was even surprised to find this back on my laptop. 

The pasta below was made with the Second Generation Hand Spiralizer. See the difference?

The second-hand spiralizer comes with a few different blades so you can pick the thickness of the pasta you like. Furthermore, the pasta has a much better, round shape compared to the flat spirals made with a julienne peeler.

And it is a little faster and easier too!

BONUS: More A Fettuchini Lover? Here’s How To Make Fettuccini-like Strands

Though I prefer zucchini noodles made with the second hand spiralizer as they don’t tend to lose their shape or go all soggy when cooked, some people prefer flat fettuccine-like pasta strands. 

For this, you can just use a simple potato peeler. Wash your vegetables and cut off the ends. Scrape the potato peeler from bottom to top and you’ll have the noodle-like vegetables you love. 

Are you a spiralized vegetable lover too? What are you favorite veggie spirals? Let us know in the comment below!