Anyone heard of Zero Noodles?

OK it's in the Daily Mail, but I've just read this:

"Zero Noodles, a new Japanese brand, contain only ten calories in each 200g packet, meaning they can help you to feel full while barely registering on your waistline.

Made of 96 per cent water and containing the Asian ground root konjac, they have flown off the shelves in trials, with advocates claiming they can reduce the calorie content of a meal by up to 500 and effectively trick your brain into thinking you have eaten a full meal."

They're apparently available in Holland & Barrett here in the UK and, I presume, in Japanese supermarkets but possibly under another name.

I'm really curious to hear if anyone's tried them or knows anything about this konjac they mention.
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Replies

  • Mistyblu08
    Mistyblu08 Posts: 580 Member
    i havent heard of them but I would think with a name like zero...it probably has zero nutrients and a bunch of other man made things in it that arent good for you...be interested in hearing from others on it :)
  • HMD7703
    HMD7703 Posts: 761 Member
    If they are anything like Shirataki noodles, I would interested to try them.
  • kendrafallon
    kendrafallon Posts: 1,030 Member
    I just had to Google... :tongue:
    http://www.zeronoodles.com
  • I've actually bought them. they're called shirataki noodles in the grocery market. i bought them thinking this is great! 0 calories and i can have pasta!!! honestly, they come in a plastic bag with a HORRIBLY foul smelling liquid to keep them moist. Smells and textures do not usually make me sick, but I couldn't bear the smell. I rinsed them for about 8 minutes and then soaked them in chicken broth overnight in the fridge trying to make them smell better. I couldn't do it. Some people swear by them so I suppose it's worth it to buy one packet and give it a whirl. I've heard the textures are different but the angel hair is most similar to regular pasta in relation to mouth feel.

    As for me, I prefer spaghetti squash. Same guilt free idea, but you're also getting the nutrients from the squash. I cut mine in half, scoop out the seeds and then microwave it in a gallon ziploc bag sealed almost entirely, with a little room on the side not closed for it to breathe. I put it in for 9 minutes and then shred with a fork. I find it tasty and extremely similar to pasta.

    As for me, I'm not a shirataki fan because the smell just was unbearable. But, like I said, if you can get past the smell I hear lots of people swear by them. hope this helped!!! :) Nikki

    Good luck!
  • Mistyblu08
    Mistyblu08 Posts: 580 Member
    ok found this.....this is the main fiber
    Glucomannan is a sugar made from the root of the konjac plant (Amorphophallus konjac). Glucommanan powder, capsules, and tablets are used as medicine.

    Glucomannan is used for constipation, weight loss in adults and children, type 2 diabetes, blood sugar control, and lowering cholesterol.

    In foods, glucomannan is used as a thickener or gelling agent. Glucommanan flour and powder are used in food.



    How does it work?
    Glucomannan might work in the stomach and intestines by absorbing water to form a bulky fiber which treats constipation. It may also slow the absorption of sugar and cholesterol from the gut, helping to control sugar levels in diabetes, and reducing cholesterol levels.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    With 96% water, it sounds like you are better off just drinking a glass of water.
  • tommygirl15
    tommygirl15 Posts: 1,012 Member
    I'm having a hard time just trying to find shirataki noodles.... :(
  • BernadetteChurch
    BernadetteChurch Posts: 2,210 Member
    I'm having a hard time just trying to find shirataki noodles.... :(

    I've seen mention of shirataki noodles on MFP but not really read about them.

    I've got a decent sized Japanese supermarket not far from work. I shall investigate!
  • escloflowneCHANGED
    escloflowneCHANGED Posts: 3,038 Member
    It's nasty lol
  • diddyk
    diddyk Posts: 269 Member
    I've had "Miracle Noodles" and shirataki noodles from the grocery store. They aren't like regular noodles, I couldn't fathom eating them with spaghetti sauce. I use them in stir-fry, with a bunch of vegetables and some sauce and tofu (vegetarian). They don't have a lot of flavour but absorb flavour of what they are cooked with (i.e. absorb stir-fry sauce when sautéed.)

    They're not bad, depending on how they are prepared. Give them a shot, certainly better than eating a pile of rice with my stir-fry.
  • BernadetteChurch
    BernadetteChurch Posts: 2,210 Member
    I've had "Miracle Noodles" and shirataki noodles from the grocery store. They aren't like regular noodles, I couldn't fathom eating them with spaghetti sauce. I use them in stir-fry, with a bunch of vegetables and some sauce and tofu (vegetarian). They don't have a lot of flavour but absorb flavour of what they are cooked with (i.e. absorb stir-fry sauce when sautéed.)

    There not bad, depending on how they are prepared. Give them a shot, certainly better than eating a pile of rice with my stir-fry.

    Thanks. Think I'd only eat them with Asian food and not pretend they're pasta.

    Now that I know they're shirataki noodles I've just done a search on the forum and there are plenty of posts for me to investigate further.
  • GemskiB
    GemskiB Posts: 95 Member
    I have tried them - I got them from Amazon (UK). I think they were OK, a similar consistency to rice noodles, but a bit more sloppy.

    Two things though - they're expensive! And they smell a bit funky. I had read somewhere about the smell, and the tip was to rinse them in plenty of water. I did, and they were OK, but despite the low calories I won't be rushing to eat them. They are too expensive to justify, and I would rather spend my time working out filling healthy meals that I can eat in the long term.

    Hope this helps!
  • needamulligan
    needamulligan Posts: 558 Member
    They take a bit of getting used to but they are fantastic! They are generically called yam noodles or shirataki noodles. They are pretty easy to find in the states now. Look in the refrigerated produce section. Have fun experimenting!
  • hughtwalker
    hughtwalker Posts: 2,213 Member
    It sounds as cardboard would be just as nutritious, filling and possibly more tasty - and a lot cheaper
  • I've actually bought them. they're called shirataki noodles in the grocery market. i bought them thinking this is great! 0 calories and i can have pasta!!! honestly, they come in a plastic bag with a HORRIBLY foul smelling liquid to keep them moist. Smells and textures do not usually make me sick, but I couldn't bear the smell. I rinsed them for about 8 minutes and then soaked them in chicken broth overnight in the fridge trying to make them smell better. I couldn't do it. Some people swear by them so I suppose it's worth it to buy one packet and give it a whirl. I've heard the textures are different but the angel hair is most similar to regular pasta in relation to mouth feel.

    As for me, I prefer spaghetti squash. Same guilt free idea, but you're also getting the nutrients from the squash. I cut mine in half, scoop out the seeds and then microwave it in a gallon ziploc bag sealed almost entirely, with a little room on the side not closed for it to breathe. I put it in for 9 minutes and then shred with a fork. I find it tasty and extremely similar to pasta.

    As for me, I'm not a shirataki fan because the smell just was unbearable. But, like I said, if you can get past the smell I hear lots of people swear by them. hope this helped!!! :) Nikki

    Good luck!

    THIS

    You really might be better off with spaghetti squash. And it can be used pretty much like spaghetti.
  • tommygirl15
    tommygirl15 Posts: 1,012 Member
    Here's a little site I found on shirataki noodles. http://www.shiratakinoodles.net/

    If I could find them, I'd be willing to try them once, but from the sounds of it from other posters they are probably gross and/or lacking any real flavour. I'm not yet convinced they are worth a trip all the way to Chinatown for.
  • Nix143
    Nix143 Posts: 522 Member
    Ok guys, I am a serious convert to shirataki noodles

    And it all comes down to how you prepare them.

    There is a great thread on here about them - let me see if I can find it

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/667310-let-s-talk-about-shirataki-noodles-the-continuation?hl=shirataki+noodles - there you go.

    Most important thing is DRY FRY THEM! Seriously, dry fry them, makes all the difference to the taste/consistency.

    Then anytime you are craving thai/chinese use these bad boys.

    in the UK I have only been able to find the thin ones and I wouldn't used them in any pasta based recipes - but for me they are an absolute godsend.

    My small chinese supermarket has them in the chiller cabinets, they are about £1.50 a bag so quite expensive compared to egg noodles but for ZERO calories I will take that.

    Try them and I hope you are not disappointed :)
  • Nix143
    Nix143 Posts: 522 Member
    Re having no flavour - how much flavour does the noodle in your singapore vermicelli or pad thai actually have? It's a bland base around which you concoct your dish.

    And don't go into it thinking they will be yucky.

    Rinse, dry fry, use - then say thank you Nixy for being so durn convincing :laugh:
  • Laura_beau
    Laura_beau Posts: 1,029 Member
    Yes, the shriritaki/konjac/konnyaku/miracle noodles/ zero noodles/ slim pasta are all the same sort of noodle, just different names.

    I live in the UK too and get mine from my local oriental supermarket- you will find them in the chiller section. Do keep an open mind and try them.

    You will need to rinse them thoroughly. I use them in oriental broths (Tom Kha Gai, Ramen, Pho) and in stir-fries and also thai style salads. They have a rice noodle appearance and texture.
  • Leeanne1974
    Leeanne1974 Posts: 207 Member
    With 96% water, it sounds like you are better off just drinking a glass of water.
    Yes but water mixed with chicken and some satay sauce sounds almost as revolting as the noodles
  • Karrrrl
    Karrrrl Posts: 33 Member
    I know what these are!
    I lived on these last year during my no carb diet days!
    They're pretty disgusting I wont lie, but with a bit of practise you can make some pretty good meals with them :)
  • BernadetteChurch
    BernadetteChurch Posts: 2,210 Member
    Thank you Nixy for being so durn convincing.

    Thank you too Laura_beau.

    I work not far from Japan Centre and Chinatown in London so will definitely pop down and check them out. One day when it's not raining!

    I was already prepared to give them a try, as noodles don't really have any taste on their own and I'd only be adding them to meat, veg and some kind of sauce. And I don't mind paying a bit extra as it's not something I'd be eating every day of the week anyway.
  • IronSmasher
    IronSmasher Posts: 3,908 Member
    Dammit!

    I really need to get on one of these quick fix schemes so I can make my millions. I think I just don't understand my target audience.

    So, to recap:

    You want to buy expensive food, that has no taste, and no nutrition?

    Can you tell me how people convince you to do this? I think I understand some of the basics, like 'latest thing' or celebrity endorsement, I just need to get the hang of the buzz words and pseudo science before I can make launch a product.
  • tommygirl15
    tommygirl15 Posts: 1,012 Member
    Re having no flavour - how much flavour does the noodle in your singapore vermicelli or pad thai actually have? It's a bland base around which you concoct your dish.

    And don't go into it thinking they will be yucky.

    Rinse, dry fry, use - then say thank you Nixy for being so durn convincing :laugh:

    haha, I'm on it!!
  • miracole
    miracole Posts: 492 Member
    The first time I read about "miracle noodles" I did a bit of research on them. There are health advisories out there saying that if you are going to eat them make sure you also consume more than your normal amounts of water as the main ingredient in them can lead to intestinal blockages.

    Then again, if they have a funky smell I'd rather stay away from it in general, honestly to make myself eat it it needs to be appetizing!
  • Nix143
    Nix143 Posts: 522 Member
    As far as I am aware they've been around for donkeys years - they are just being repackaged as miracle noodles to jump on the diet bandwagon. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shirataki_noodles There you go, not a fad, just never been picked up by the dieting brigade until fairly recently.

    For people who
    - like noodley food but don't want the calories
    - combine them in a stiry fry for bulk - you gets yer protein from yer meat and yer fibre from yer veggies and you get the feeling of being a fat knacker who has stuffed their face without the huge carb load/calorie count.

    Personally I like glass noodle type noodles anyway - slightly too many noodles in that sentence.

    Horses for courses init - as always no diet is worth eating something you don't like.
  • BernadetteChurch
    BernadetteChurch Posts: 2,210 Member
    As far as I am aware they've been around for donkeys years - they are just being repackaged as miracle noodles to jump on the diet bandwagon. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shirataki_noodles There you go, not a fad, just never been picked up by the dieting brigade until fairly recently.

    For people who
    - like noodley food but don't want the calories
    - combine them in a stiry fry for bulk - you gets yer protein from yer meat and yer fibre from yer veggies and you get the feeling of being a fat knacker who has stuffed their face without the huge carb load/calorie count.

    Personally I like glass noodle type noodles anyway - slightly too many noodles in that sentence.

    Horses for courses init - as always no diet is worth eating something you don't like.

    I like you Nix143!
  • jonchew
    jonchew Posts: 239 Member
    I've actually bought them. they're called shirataki noodles in the grocery market. i bought them thinking this is great! 0 calories and i can have pasta!!! honestly, they come in a plastic bag with a HORRIBLY foul smelling liquid to keep them moist.

    What - you don't like sucking on your socks after your workout?? Seriously, they do smell bad, but if you rinse them with clear water, the odor goes right away. I personally like to pan fry them in a little PAM to firm them up, also.
  • FlaxMilk
    FlaxMilk Posts: 3,452 Member
    The only way I can eat Shirataki noodles is in soup. But I'm willing to give this dry frying business a go. If they weren't so stinky, I'd have an easier time with them. I rinse them, a lot, but I can still detect the odor.

    I don't think Miracle noodles are exactly the same as Shirataki. Close, similar, but not the same. I ate a stirfry with cellophane noodles but I'm not sure if that's what this is. I did like it though.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    It's nasty lol

    It sounds nasty. I don't care for Asian noodles anyway. I prefer rice.