Shirataki Noodles

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cindl24
cindl24 Posts: 178
in Food and Nutrition
Is anyone familiar with these? I saw them on a list of 6 super foods that you are "probably not eating" on Yahoo. I tried to look them up via the CDC and Mayo Clinic websites to see if the information is true, but I was not able to find anything. It is one of those things that sounds too good to be true. Only 50 calories and 4 carbs per serving and you can use them in place of pasta.

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  • spark409
    spark409 Posts: 96
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    i used to eat them a lot regularly. they have a rubbery texture to them and they absorb flavour well. i would not recommend them tho. and they are NOT a supefood. i now realise how silly it was to cut out a food group (carbs) and try to cheat myself using shirataki noodles. I would say eat normal noodles or pasta in moderation. shirataki noodles have no calories thus also no nutrittional value either.
  • SophinMaine
    SophinMaine Posts: 48 Member
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    Here's some info on them
    http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/products/p/shiratakinoodle.htm

    I'd never even heard the name before seeing it in posts here a few days ago!
  • pastryari
    pastryari Posts: 8,646 Member
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    They sell them at grocery stores near the tofu. If you do try them, make sure you rinse them VERY well. Personally, it's not worth it for me. I'd rather use regular pasta.
  • verptwerp
    verptwerp Posts: 3,659 Member
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    Ate them a few times, but honestly, they smell so foul before you rinse them, I can't get over the smell ...... blerk :sick:

    So now I just eat a smaller portion of regular pasta, or use spaghetti squash or zucchini ribbons :drinker:
  • supergirljen
    supergirljen Posts: 98
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    I just tried the tofu ones and I have a bag of the regular ones in my fridge...they were so rubbery I couldn't even chew them. I dry fried them (as suggested by everyone, and rinsed them well also) I can't get over the consistency of them. Its like eating worms or something.
  • lolo641
    lolo641 Posts: 33 Member
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    I use them , and don't mind them , when you have your favourite sauce.So yes it's alot less calories.My husband won't eat them though , so I end up cooking pasta as well.
  • verdancyhime
    verdancyhime Posts: 237 Member
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    I've seen mixed reviews on Amazon. I'm more interested in the tofu ones that have like 50 cals or something per serving and more protein. Not for all the time, but sometimes I want to eat a large bowl of pasta, it's a craving thing and if I can find a way to make that not be like 800 cals, that's a good thing.

    The "rinsing" thing and the smell is a bit disconcerting, though. Is there any reason you couldn't rinse a bunch of them at once and then freeze them or something?
  • kimosabe1
    kimosabe1 Posts: 2,467 Member
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    YUM!! They are in the fridgerate oriental section at my store.... love them!
  • captainsuperpants
    captainsuperpants Posts: 64 Member
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    All of the above is true, however I eat them. Maybe once a week, if i'm feeling really lazy.

    The thing is, it doesn't matter if you're cutting something out occasionally, especially if you make a nice, healthy sauce to go with them. You're getting the nutritional value of the sauce, and in addition feeling full from the noodles. And you can eat as much as you want, great for when you're wanting to fill up on comfort food (like spag bol, or in my case vego spag bol) but don't have many cals left in the day.

    So long as you're not relying on them, i don't see the problem.

    Also, as someone mentioned they do have a weird texture- they certainly aren't like proper pasta- but i'm not cooking gourmet with them or anything.

    They're in the health food section at the ordinary Supermarket where i'm from, just on the shelf (not refrigerated).
  • LesaDave
    LesaDave Posts: 1,480 Member
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    Yes, I have tried them--and they work great AS LONG AS you rinse well in hot water and dry-fry them. I will see if I can find the link with a BUNCH of Q-n-A stuff that will answer just about anything before you try them.

    You can really get FULL...and use up very little calories.

    Personally, I prefer the tofu ones even though they have a few more calories.
  • LesaDave
    LesaDave Posts: 1,480 Member
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    OK, I hope I did this correctly. Here is the link:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/667310-let-s-talk-about-shirataki-noodles-the-continuation

    It's interesting and informative.
  • BeckZombie
    BeckZombie Posts: 138 Member
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    Yup! I had some a couple days ago and will have some Tuesday for lunch. They do have a rubbery texture, BUT you can eat a lot of them and not eat a ton of calories. They work really well in stir fries and Asian dishes, though I know a lot of people who use them in Italian dishes and love them.
  • geebusuk
    geebusuk Posts: 3,348 Member
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    I like them. Ones I've been getting don't smell TOO bad at all.
    Means I can be fuller for the same calories.
    Means you can have others sources of carbs if you still want some carbs - for instance other vegtables, or I will even add them to something with noodles already in - for instance I had a chow mein ready meal which I added a pack of these and some extra ham to. 100g of ham which is mostly protein and water, so a total of 100kc added to my meal, yet it's now twice as big on the plate.
    I've been getting the 0 calorie ones; only ones the Chinese shop in the next town sells; and very happy with them.
    Dig get some 'chunks' of it, but didn't find them nearly as palatable.
  • Firefox7275
    Firefox7275 Posts: 2,040 Member
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    Is anyone familiar with these? I saw them on a list of 6 super foods that you are "probably not eating" on Yahoo. I tried to look them up via the CDC and Mayo Clinic websites to see if the information is true, but I was not able to find anything. It is one of those things that sounds too good to be true. Only 50 calories and 4 carbs per serving and you can use them in place of pasta.

    They are indigestible and not nutritious so arguably not actually food just edible. You could eat toilet paper for much the same effect, plenty of anorexics do in fact.
  • cindl24
    cindl24 Posts: 178
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    Is anyone familiar with these? I saw them on a list of 6 super foods that you are "probably not eating" on Yahoo. I tried to look them up via the CDC and Mayo Clinic websites to see if the information is true, but I was not able to find anything. It is one of those things that sounds too good to be true. Only 50 calories and 4 carbs per serving and you can use them in place of pasta.

    They are indigestible and not nutritious so arguably not actually food just edible. You could eat toilet paper for much the same effect, plenty of anorexics do in fact.

    Wow. I'm definitely not anorexic and not into eating toilet paper.

    I started on a low-carb diet because I was pre-diabetic and have had the most success ever in weight loss by eating this way. I can live without the pasta, but thought this might be a good alternative for an every once in a while thing. Pasta, though I do love it, was never a mainstay meal for me.

    Thanks everyone for the great information. :smile: :drinker:
  • geebusuk
    geebusuk Posts: 3,348 Member
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    They are indigestible and not nutritious so arguably not actually food just edible. You could eat toilet paper for much the same effect, plenty of anorexics do in fact.
    If it works nicely with minced beef and a pasta sauce, I'm there!
  • spark409
    spark409 Posts: 96
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    these noodles go well mostly with asian flavors of japan and korea - think soy sauce, spicy flavours etc.. they would not go well with most pasta sauces like cream, tomato or mushroom etc.. i think it is beause many asian noodles have a similar texture to shirataki. if you use shirataki to replace spaghetti you will be disappointed.
    also i dont think it is sensible to argue that you get nutrition from your sauces and 'you can eat as much as you want'
    surely you should be eating a healthy amount regularly and letting yourself binge on shirataki is going to mess you up. (im talking from experience)
    so thats my two cents :)
    good luck :)
  • Allyice
    Allyice Posts: 122 Member
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    I love them, I add extra sauce and ingredients for flavour since the calories from regular pasta are cut so much.
  • geebusuk
    geebusuk Posts: 3,348 Member
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    if you use shirataki to replace spaghetti you will be disappointed.
    Or not. I wasn't. I was very pleased. Sure, I'd prefer normal pasta, but I thought overall a 'spaghetti' Bolognese made with them worked very nicely and was a good compromise.

    I personally wouldn't consider pasta particularly 'nutririous' - a good source of carbs if you need lots of energy, but that's about it.
    I'd much prefer to get 'nutrition' from added vegtables if on a limited calorie diet, than the pasta.

    I'm not sure what you're suggesting by saying they will 'mess you up'? That you'll want more bigger meals?
  • chervil6
    chervil6 Posts: 236 Member
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    ive seen them on amazon

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