shirataki noodles anyone?
 

i have just read about a pasta alternative called shirataki noodles which are made from the root of a japanese vegetable. the roots are dried and ground into a flour and then made into noodles. they have 0 calories and 0 carbs, and are supposedly very filling and versatile. they are also hard to find. i've read reviews and a lot of people like the jfc brand. problem is, i can't find where to buy them other than from amazon.com. has anyone else tried them? where did you find them? they also make a shirataki noodle blended with some tofu, which adds calories, carbs, and protein. anyone tried those?

You might be able to find them at Ranch 99 or Zion Market or another Asian grocery in your area. They're made from Japanese yams.

I'm pretty sure I've seen the prepared stew you describe at ramen or sushi shops.

I've tried the angel hair ones and the fettuccine ones and I have to say that the angel hair are MUCH better. I haven't tried any mixed with tofu, but I found them right next to the tofu in my regular store (Albertsons and Safeway). They are a little tough which is why I like the angel hair much better. I also don't think they carry tomato sauce well in flavor, but taste great in asian dishes or some olive oil and veggies. They have a unique texture that you should be aware of and a smell that rinses off....but can be very filling and tasty if prepared correctly. Hope this helps!

I've tried them and they taste just fine. I particularly liked added sauteed carrots and green onion and tossing it all with a home-made peanut butter sauce. That being said, in principle, I"m just not that big of a fan. Sure, they have zero carbs and zero calories... but they also have zero nutritional value. It's the nutritional equivalent of munching on styrofoam. Even the ones made with tofu that I've seen tend to have very little protein per serving--maybe 2 grams or so, and not much else, nutrient-wise.

If you're looking for a good, low-calorie, low-carb substitute to pasta, I'd recommend spaghetti squash every time. For a half-cup serving, Fitday lists it as being only 38 calories.

omg i just made the most fabulous meal using the shirataki noodles! first of all, i went to super walmart, fry's, safeway and albertson's and could not find them. i finally went to the sunflower market (a healthy food store) and there they were. they are not the plain shirataki noodles. they are the ones that are part tofu, so 4 oz carries 20 calories and 3 carbs...still amazing compared to pasta.

anyways, i chopped up 1 clove of garlic and put it in a bit of canola oil and got the pan hot. i added finely sliced green bell peppers (1 oz) and broccoli florets (2.5oz) along with 1.5c shredded cabbage and carrots in a pre-cut salad bag. i stir-fried that until it was relatively well cooked. i put in 2 Tbsp kikkoman garlic & green onion teriyaki sauce. last i added in 2 oz cut up cooked chicken and 2 oz cut up (washed and patted dry) shirataki noodles. it made a very filling bowl of asian stir fry that was absolutely packed with flavor and texture, and the noodles were just as good as any pasta. i couldn't even tell the difference. all in all the count for the meal was 287 calories, 26.5 carbs, and 23g of protein. i think it made an awesome meal, and i can't wait to make it again for the whole family next time. i definitely recommend trying it.

I tried miracle noodles and I really didn't like them at first but I am used to them now. I think they're a great way to fill up without filling out.

The fact they have no nutritional value is pretty much the whole point of having them. They don't give you any calories whatsoever and could be considered a filling substance. When I was really heavy I used to wish and pray there was something I could eat that would make the hunger go away that wasn't food so I wouldn't gain any weight from it and yet I could still feel comfortable. I knew that eating paper or something else that wasn't food wasn't a real option as it could cause intestinal blockages and would be just plain unhealthy all around, both mentally and physically. This is the closest thing possible to fulfilling that wish to have something that you can eat that doesn't do you any harm either calorie wise or health wise.

What I do is take them and wash them thoroughly, this is important to wash off all the liquid they were kept in as much as possible. I cut them into smaller pieces. This causes them to soak up the flavor more and stops them from clumping together into one big clump (the fettucine has a really bad habit of doing this). Then put them in a frying pan without any oil and cook them until they're fairly dry, moving them around. You'll know they're ready because they squeak when you move them around and there's not a lot of liquid left.

Now they can be flavored however you want or added to whatever you want.

I add a can of diced tomatoes to them and let that simmer for a while to try to soak the flavor into them. After that I might add them to a vegetable soup. They give the soup some bulk without extra calories.

Make sure that if you eat these you do eat other things that do meet your nutritional needs (like the vegetables in the vegetable soup) because otherwise you can get malnutrition if miracle noodles are the bulk of your diet.

I tried a great recipe with the tofu added angel hair sharitaki noodles. Sauteed onion, mushroom, red bell pepper, and broccoli in a bit of olive oil. Added the rinsed noodles to the veggies with some grilled chicken strips, and served with a bit of alfredo sauce from a jar (less sauce on mine than the rest of the family). It tasted great and the whole family liked it: My daughter's favorite food is fettuchini alfredo, so this was a great compromise. It was also very quick.

Found the noodles at my regular grocery store, in the refrigerated organic food section. They are definitely a legitimate substitute for pasta.