Shirataki Noodles

Shirataki noodles are a traditional Japanese food and an absolute godsend if your goal is to lose weight. They’re made from a food called konjac yam, which is similar to sweet potato, or regular yams, and they’re basically made up of just water and glucommanan, which is a soluble fiber.

You can buy Shirataki noodles dry or packed in water, the ones I find in Asian supermarkets are usually the in-water variety. You can add them to soups, stir fry them, or roast them. Roasting basically means heating them in a non-stick pan on high for about a minute or until you hear a slight squeaking noise when you move them around. This takes away their bitterness and makes their consistency more like that of pasta.

So why are they so good for weight loss? Well, believe it or not, traditional Shirataki noodles have zero calories! Here’s a quick nutritional outline, given per 100g:

Calories: 0 kCal
Protein: 0.0g
Carbohydrates: 3.5g
Dietary Fiber: 3.5g (Soluble)
Fat: 0.0g

Because Shirataki noodles have next to no taste, a more popular variety is available called tofu Shirataki noodles. These have tofu added for taste, and therefore actually do contain some calories, although very few. Here’s a nutritional outline of tofu Shirataki noodles, given per 100g:

Calories: 18 kCal
Protein: 0.9g
Carbohydrates: 2.7g
Dietary Fiber: 1.8g
Fat: 0.4g
Calorie Breakdown: 59% Carbohydrates, 19% Protein, 22% Fat

Shirataki noodles would make an invaluable addition to your weight loss diet, you can fill up with them every day with no repercussions at all. They’re also a great way to add soluble fiber to your diet, especially if you’re not a big fan of psyllium husk or other soluble fiber supplements like Metamucil.

Why not give them a shot!!