Trader Joe’s Cauli Gnocchi and Cashew Fiesta Dip

[realfoodrebecca]

Hello!

I am about to start my first whole30 and I have a few questions!  I apologize if these have been addressed before, but I wanted to ask if the Trader Joe’s cauliflower gnocchi and cashew fiesta dip would be considered SWYPO. Pasta is not an indulgence food for me - I almost never eat or want pasta so I am not concerned that the cauliflower gnocchi will be a “replacement” for me, just a potential way to add some veggies and carbohydrate to my diet. I work out a lot so I would like to have some carbohydrate options for my whole30. As for the cashew fiesta dip, I know it’s supposed to be a “non-dairy queso dip” but I include it my diet now as a sauce for veggies. I don’t use it as a queso substitute and it isn’t really cheesy to me, just yummy in its own right. I add a couple tablespoons and I’m good. I know SWYPO is pretty individual (I will have to be careful of the RX bars!) but wanted to ask if there was something about these products that made them a general no-no. Thanks in advance!

[ShannonM816]

The rules specifically say no pasta re-creations, so the gnocchi is definitely out.

I think the dip, as long as all the ingredients are compliant, I don't actually know what they are, is ok, especially as a sauce for vegetables. If you do find yourself refusing to eat veggies without it, or eating it straight from the container, then you might want to rethink that.

Cauliflower is not going to add many carbs, so the pasta wouldn't have been terribly helpful on that front anyway. Look for high-carb, starchy vegetables like potatoes, sweet potatoes, other root veggies like beets, turnips, carrots, parsnips, winter squashes like butternut or acorn or kabocha squash, or plantains. Most people do well with one fist-sized serving of these a day, but people who are very active definitely may need more.

[realfoodrebecca]

Thank you! The ingredients for the dip are WATER, ORGANIC CASHEWS, ORGANIC POTATOES, ORGANIC CARROTS, ORGANIC ONIONS, ORGANIC GREEN CHILE PEPPERS, ORGANIC TOMATO PASTE, SEA SALT, ORGANIC DISTILLED VINEGAR, ORGANIC GARLIC POWDER, NATURAL FLAVORS, ORGANIC JALAPENO PEPPERS, so it’s all good!

[kirbz]

I'm also very active and I tend to eat high-carb, starchy vegetables multiple times a day (sometimes I'll have potatoes with all three meals). So, I can relate and just wanted to share a few of my favorite recipes for higher-carb meals and sides: 

• Spinach and Artichoke Twice Baked Potatoes (this is my favorite Whole30 recipe ever): https://www.paleorunningmomma.com/twice-baked-potatoes-paleo-whole30-vegan/ 
• Twice Baked Sweet Potato: https://www.paleorunningmomma.com/twice-baked-sweet-potatoes-paleo/ 
• Pork Lo Mein with Sweet Potato Noodles: https://www.paleorunningmomma.com/paleo-pork-lo-mein-whole30/
• Belly Dance Beet Salad: http://meljoulwan.com/2010/05/27/belly-dance-beet-salad/

Anyway, I hope you find something that works for you! Best wishes to you! 

[Puzzler]

I don’t know if gnocchi is considered a pasta- it’s primarily made from potatoes. Since potatoes are allowed, shouldn’t a potato-substitute be allowed?

[Jihanna]

Gnocchi isn't a noodle, but it IS a style of pasta.

Wikipedia gives this definition: "Gnocchi are a variety of pasta consisting of various thick, small, and soft dough dumplings that may be made from semolina, ordinary wheat flour, egg, cheese, potato, breadcrumbs, cornmeal or similar ingredients, and possibly including flavourings of herbs, vegetables, cocoa or prunes."

You can certainly make gnocchi with compliant ingredients (there are plenty of paleo-friendly recipes out there), but none would be allowed during Whole30 because it's a pasta recreation.

[Cambriaw]

Loads of whole30 recipes have zucchini noodles and just the above post has an example recipe with sweet potato noodles, those are pasta recreations.  Whole30 uses cauliflower rice to recreate white or brown rice. Trader Joe’s cauliflower gnocchi is no different.

[ladyshanny]

1 hour ago, Cambriaw said:

Loads of whole30 recipes have zucchini noodles and just the above post has an example recipe with sweet potato noodles, those are pasta recreations.  Whole30 uses cauliflower rice to recreate white or brown rice. Trader Joe’s cauliflower gnocchi is no different.

It is different - zucchini noodles is zucchini cut in a certain way - no additives or processing. Sweet potato noodles are the same - just a thinly sliced sweet potato. Cauliflower rice is shredded cauliflower. Gnocchi on the other hand is a bunch of ingredients put together to make a soft, doughy dumpling and the program has determined that these are out for the 30 days. 

[SchrodingersCat]

17 hours ago, Cambriaw said:

Loads of whole30 recipes have zucchini noodles and just the above post has an example recipe with sweet potato noodles, those are pasta recreations.  Whole30 uses cauliflower rice to recreate white or brown rice. Trader Joe’s cauliflower gnocchi is no different.

It's different because it isn't just cauli cut into a shape, it's cauli processed with other ingredients to make gnocchi. Believe me, many many people have run your same argument, and the response is that cauli gnocchi is not compliant. 

[Jihanna]

20 hours ago, Cambriaw said:

Loads of whole30 recipes have zucchini noodles and just the above post has an example recipe with sweet potato noodles, those are pasta recreations.  Whole30 uses cauliflower rice to recreate white or brown rice. Trader Joe’s cauliflower gnocchi is no different.

There's a difference between a "substitute" and a "recreation".

Spiralized/cut/shredded veggies can be used as a substitute for similar foods that are off-limits. Cutting a sweet potato in a way that resembles a noodle isn't changing anything except the shape of the sweet potato. This makes it a totally compliant substitute for the wheat noodles that my son prefers.

Making noodles from sweet potato flour, water, and maybe other ingredients would NOT be compliant because it's recreating pasta, which is against the rules. Even though it uses compliant ingredients, it's still creating a non-compliant food (pasta). Gnocchi is pasta, therefore any gnocchi mix is going to be off-limits for the duration of the Whole30 round.