Shirataki Noodles - zero calories!!!

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Replies

  • ndj1979 wrote: »
    so not sure where you are getting the no nutritional value….

    I didn't say that carbs had 'no' nutritional value. I said that "most carbs don't give you a whole lot of nutrition anyway".

    I'm well aware that there are some fab 'carbs' out there that really buck this trend. I personally love unsweetened, unsalted museli for the bran and oats. But, in reality, the sort of carbs that people tend to eat a lot of with a meal, don't tend to be that nutritious. As for brown rice, please notice my other comment:

    "A 70g (dry weight) serving of brown rice has over 250 calories. And considering what nutrients you can get from it (Manganese and Selenium) are also found in much lower calorie foods, I'm not too worried about skipping the brown rice."

    You can get your daily requirement of Selenium from 2 brazil nuts. And you can get Manganese from things like spinach, for much less calories.

    Obviously, if you like brown rice, or you don't think you can get these nutrients from the rest of your diet, then eating brown rice works perfectly for you, and more power to you. But for me, I'm getting these nutrients for less calories elsewhere and I want to save on calories - so shitaki noodles are perfect for me.

    It's not about restricting food choices, it's about making the best choice for your diet profile. For people who are concerned about the calorie content of their carbs, these noodles are a great idea, which is why they work for me :-)

  • aggelikik wrote: »

    Although I am getting to see this is a low carb thread, not a low cal one

    It's not a low carb thread for me! It's a 'how to have your carbs and eat them' thread for me. People who don't like carbs are not really going to be interested in a low calorie 'carb', imo.
  • LKArgh
    LKArgh Posts: 5,178 Member
    edited August 2015
    aggelikik wrote: »

    Although I am getting to see this is a low carb thread, not a low cal one

    It's not a low carb thread for me! It's a 'how to have your carbs and eat them' thread for me. People who don't like carbs are not really going to be interested in a low calorie 'carb', imo.


    When the basic concept is "carbs are evil, non nutritious, not worth eating, I need to save my entire 2450 calories for lean meat and sauce and not waste any of them on a bowl of noodles or rice", then yes, this is a "carbs are the devil" thread. It is not even a "personally I do not care about noodles and other carbs" thread, because people who do not care about eating these foods, they do not miss them and have no need for replacements. It is definitely a "how to pretend I am eating regular pasta which I miss, but keep my low-carb diet" thread. Which is fine, but the title is misleading.
  • NewMeSM75
    NewMeSM75 Posts: 971 Member
    I'm not sure what version I bought but they had a rubber band texture.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    edited August 2015
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    so not sure where you are getting the no nutritional value….

    I didn't say that carbs had 'no' nutritional value. I said that "most carbs don't give you a whole lot of nutrition anyway".

    I'm well aware that there are some fab 'carbs' out there that really buck this trend. I personally love unsweetened, unsalted museli for the bran and oats. But, in reality, the sort of carbs that people tend to eat a lot of with a meal, don't tend to be that nutritious. As for brown rice, please notice my other comment:

    "A 70g (dry weight) serving of brown rice has over 250 calories. And considering what nutrients you can get from it (Manganese and Selenium) are also found in much lower calorie foods, I'm not too worried about skipping the brown rice."

    You can get your daily requirement of Selenium from 2 brazil nuts. And you can get Manganese from things like spinach, for much less calories.

    Obviously, if you like brown rice, or you don't think you can get these nutrients from the rest of your diet, then eating brown rice works perfectly for you, and more power to you. But for me, I'm getting these nutrients for less calories elsewhere and I want to save on calories - so shitaki noodles are perfect for me.

    It's not about restricting food choices, it's about making the best choice for your diet profile. For people who are concerned about the calorie content of their carbs, these noodles are a great idea, which is why they work for me :-)

    and i am pointing out for anyone that comes in here that carbs do provide adequate nutrition. Personally, I have tried these "noodles" before and found them gross, but if you like them and want to eat them, then by all means do so. However, lets not spread misinformation about carbs having "little" nutritional value….

    also, one serving of brown basamatti rice is 150 calories. If 150 calories is too much food for your day, then you may want to re-consider your intake.

  • alfonsinarosinsky
    alfonsinarosinsky Posts: 198 Member
    I bought them several years ago and thought they were very yucky. It was more the texture of them that I found unappealing. That's great though that you like it as its a good alternative when you want to fill up
  • softblondechick
    softblondechick Posts: 1,275 Member
    We tried them, the funk smell and weird rubbery/slime texture was off putting for me. I rinsed them off, and put them in a stir fry, I was eating around them to avoid eating them.

    I would rather have zucchini zoodles any day.
  • Kalikel wrote: »
    I usually mix my pasta with soft onions, garlic and diced tomato. Red sauce is a little much for me and white sauces, as much as I liked them, are out, so I do the onion, garlic and tomato thing (and some spices.) It's pretty good with whole wheat pasta.

    Thanks for mentioning this. It's an interesting idea. Maybe I'll try it one of these days. I'm glad you like it! :)

    Nom, this sounds really nice, I might try that sauce with some of the penne shitaki.

    Glad you found it interesting, I was pleasantly surprised by it too :-)
  • I would rather have zucchini zoodles any day.

    I like courgetti (I guess that is similar to what you call zoodles) in place of spaghetti, but I found that it doesn't really soak up the sauce as well as I'd like. I do slice it into a stir fry but I might try the 'zoodles' as you call them instead and see how it goes. Thanks for the suggestion!

  • faye_machine
    faye_machine Posts: 8 Member
    YES. My ultimate go-to meals are always made with shirataki (sesame, or peanut sauce, or plain ol' stir-fry, or as a good base for lettuce rolls). I love them; since I grew up eating noodles similar to taste and texture, so none of that bothers me.
  • ndj1979 wrote: »
    also, one serving of brown basamatti rice is 150 calories. If 150 calories is too much food for your day, then you may want to re-consider your intake.

    Great! So after you've had your zero calorie noodles, you can go get yourself a nice big bowl of brown basmati rice as well and then everyone's happy. It's not either / or. You can save calories in one area and 'spend' them in another area without it having to be pro or anti carbs. I, personally, don't consider brown rice to be that appealing or nutritious so I wouldn't eat it regardless of whether I was dieting. But I do like pasta and noodles, which aren't that nutritious, and I see no harm at all in switching them out for something similar with much fewer calories. But each to their own.
  • YES. My ultimate go-to meals are always made with shirataki (sesame, or peanut sauce, or plain ol' stir-fry, or as a good base for lettuce rolls). I love them; since I grew up eating noodles similar to taste and texture, so none of that bothers me.

    Yes, I keep seeing sesame and peanut sauce recipes for shitaki noodles, I want to give it a try. Got a link or a good recipe to share?
  • z304
    z304 Posts: 84 Member
    The ones I tried had a very tough texture, to the point of being hard to chew- despite being in a bag of water?

    We've been eating Barilla ProteinPLUS recently:
    Serving Size 2 oz(56g - about 1/7 box)

    Calories 190
    Fat Cal 20
    Cholesterol 0.0mg 0%
    Sodium 25.0mg 1%
    Total Carb 38.0g 13%
    Fiber 4.0g 16%
    Sugar 2.0g
    Protein 10.0g 12%
    Vitamin A 0%
    Vitamin C 0%
    Calcium 2%
    Iron 10%
  • LeslieB042812
    LeslieB042812 Posts: 1,799 Member
    YES. My ultimate go-to meals are always made with shirataki (sesame, or peanut sauce, or plain ol' stir-fry, or as a good base for lettuce rolls). I love them; since I grew up eating noodles similar to taste and texture, so none of that bothers me.

    Yes, I keep seeing sesame and peanut sauce recipes for shitaki noodles, I want to give it a try. Got a link or a good recipe to share?

    Hungry Girl has a lot of shirataki recipes (some with creamy sauces, too!). Her recipes are usually pretty good. I used to eat a lot of the shirataki noodles, but got a bit sick of them and have found other ways to fill my belly without too many calories. :smile: They do work for that, though!

    Here is a link for some information about tofu shirataki (along with some recipes) from the Hungry Girl website:
    http://www.hungry-girl.com/biteout/show/2157-hg-salutes-tofu-shirataki-low-calorie-low-carb-pasta-swap
  • LeslieB042812
    LeslieB042812 Posts: 1,799 Member
    And, sorry but I have to chime in on the whole carbs/rice/noodles debate. Please lay off the OP. She was just trying to share something new that she found and enjoyed. Someone else brought up that she should just eat rice (or whatever) and she responded to that that she didn't want to. This isn't a low carb thread or a hate on rice thread, so don't try to take it there......If you're not interested in the interesting new find that the OP started this thread to share with others, just move on to another thread.
  • jaga13
    jaga13 Posts: 1,149 Member
    I'm not sure if it's for me, but I appreciate that OP is sharing. I don't understand the debate. If you ever drink black coffee, diet soda, or crystal light-type drinks, you are evidently ok with low-to-no calorie substitutes. No one is telling you that you should be drinking coffee with cream or regular soda and you "should" be able to afford those calories. We all get to pick and choose how we spend our calories.
  • Queenmunchy
    Queenmunchy Posts: 3,380 Member
    I like them in ramen style dishes with stronger sauces (hoisin, oyster, sriracha) after rinsing in hot water and dry-frying in a pan.
  • glassyo
    glassyo Posts: 7,741 Member
    I've tried them a few different ways and couldn't get past the texture. I really wanted to like them but they were just too chewy for me.
  • kiela64
    kiela64 Posts: 1,447 Member
    I personally really enjoy brown rice, and use it to complete the protein for legumes (beans, chickpeas, lentils, etc). A half cup (measured after being cooked) is ~110cal.

    But I am super interested in trying things like zucchini noodles, or these noodles, because I am interested in replacing/substituting at least part of the white pasta that is a regular part of my family's diet. I don't find that very filling, and it's easy to overeat it for me.

    But I still totally love my potatoes, brown rice, and whole-grain bread even if they are kinda calorie-dense. I love my carbs, lol. But white pasta noodles - nah, that can get replaced/reduced for sure :)
  • Queenmunchy
    Queenmunchy Posts: 3,380 Member
    kae612 wrote: »
    But I am super interested in trying things like zucchini noodles, or these noodles, because I am interested in replacing/substituting at least part of the white pasta that is a regular part of my family's diet. I don't find that very filling, and it's easy to overeat it for me.

    Check out inspiralized.com. She has THE BEST recipes using the spiralizer.
  • bluefish86
    bluefish86 Posts: 842 Member
    I love konjac noodles. The texture is a little weird at first, but they're not unlike rice noodles... they are really good in Pho or other Asian inspired soups. I like to dry fry them first for a few minutes on high (without oil in a non-stick pan) which changes the texture and makes them less rubbery. :)
  • edwardetr
    edwardetr Posts: 140 Member
    They have carbs. Just the non-digestible kind (fiber).
  • kiela64
    kiela64 Posts: 1,447 Member
    kae612 wrote: »
    But I am super interested in trying things like zucchini noodles, or these noodles, because I am interested in replacing/substituting at least part of the white pasta that is a regular part of my family's diet. I don't find that very filling, and it's easy to overeat it for me.

    Check out inspiralized.com. She has THE BEST recipes using the spiralizer.

    Awesome, thanks! I totally need to get one of those, I think :)
  • faye_machine
    faye_machine Posts: 8 Member
    bluefish86 wrote: »
    I love konjac noodles. The texture is a little weird at first, but they're not unlike rice noodles... they are really good in Pho or other Asian inspired soups. I like to dry fry them first for a few minutes on high (without oil in a non-stick pan) which changes the texture and makes them less rubbery. :)

    Can you do the same with shirtaki noodles? Does the texture turn more like vermicelli?
  • starling01
    starling01 Posts: 81 Member
    Thank you so much for this suggestion. I've been relying on ramen noodles for some comfort (combined with the endless baked chicken and veggies) and the 190 calorie hit is a big one for me. My local grocery store has shirataki noodles - I'll be buying and trying them right away!
  • ungeneric
    ungeneric Posts: 60 Member
    And, sorry but I have to chime in on the whole carbs/rice/noodles debate. Please lay off the OP. She was just trying to share something new that she found and enjoyed. Someone else brought up that she should just eat rice (or whatever) and she responded to that that she didn't want to. This isn't a low carb thread or a hate on rice thread, so don't try to take it there......If you're not interested in the interesting new find that the OP started this thread to share with others, just move on to another thread.
    Amen to this. I personally am always interested in noodle replacements -- I'm very happy right now with black bean pasta (made from black bean paste instead of grains), because it's high-fiber and high-protein rather than just empty calories, but it's interesting to know that there is a zero-cal (or nearly zero-cal) noodle substitute.
  • ninavalentine
    ninavalentine Posts: 131 Member
    Yes, I knew about shirataki noodles (but from watching television? not so much, lol), but I just haven't had the nerve to try them. I'm sort of a picky eater (I try not to be but it seems like the older I get, the pickier I get) and I'm pretty sure the smell would turn me off from the get-go. But you make a good case for them and I'm always interested in hearing about new food discoveries. I may just give them a try sometime. Maybe I could bribe the Spouse to rinse them for me ...

    Glad you found something that works for you!
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,011 Member
    As a New Yorker with Italian grandparents on one side and German grandparents on the other, pasta and egg noodles are kind of a religion for me, and a comfort food. I tried this stuff once, and I couldn't get past the smell and texture. I personally would rather have a small portion of real pasta or noodles than fill up on these, but to each there own! I would guess if you just see noodles and rice as "something to put the sauce and other stuff I really like" on top of, these might do the job.

    I do zoodles sometimes, but that is to get more veggies in a meal, not to replace noodles. Zoodles with marinara is a great side dish to pump up your veggie intake. And I find the zoodling process amusing - I am easily entertained :)
  • levitateme
    levitateme Posts: 999 Member
    I tried them just to see what they are like. They stink horribly and you have to rinse them for a long time before you can do anything with them. I did them as a lo mein/mei fun type dish because I knew that this would never in a hundred million years be a passable substitute for pasta.

    The texture is rubbery and chewy and they have no flavor on their own. If you have them sitting in a sauce or liquid (like broth) for a while, they become less rubbery and take on the flavor of whatever you are marinating them in. i put them in lawry's teriyaki sauce before I sauteed them.

    They also have 10-20 calories a serving - not zero calories like the thread title suggests. Overall, they are a high volume/low calorie meal option, but you have to try really hard to make them enjoyable. They're also relatively cheap so if you want to try them it's kinda no harm, no foul. I found them in the produce section near the vegan mayo and seitan.
  • flamingblades
    flamingblades Posts: 311 Member
    I tried them last week (fettuccine) and it was great. However, you need to rinse very well, or soak a bit to remove the "earthy" smell. It's kind of like Tofu in that it takes up the flavor of what you cook with it. I did find that the fettuccine variety was rather tough, so I had to cut it up some so I could swallow it easily. I wouldn't recommend it for small children unless you cut it up very small. The package says it is precooked and ready to eat, but simmer a while and it may soften up a bit. I made Shrimp Scampi with these noodles and it was awesome.
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