Pasta for weight loss? It’s true – there is an excellent alternative to wheat, corn, rice, and bean pastas – and it contains even fewer calories than zucchini noodles or spaghetti squash. These noodles can fit into any eating plan – and if you’re considering a ketogenic or low carb diet, they can be real life savers.
The Problem with Pasta
Who doesn’t love a good dish of pasta now and then? Most of us enjoy spaghetti, fettucine, and manicotti, but we often avoid it because of all those carbs.
Just like bread, cake, pie, and other baked goods, pasta is chock full of processed carbohydrates that cause blood sugar to spike and lead to even more carb cravings. The more pasta you eat, the more pasta you want. Of course, it’s possible to eat sprouted whole grain pasta and watch your portion sizes, but neither of these tactics is particularly diet-friendly.
The good news is that there is another alternative: Pasta that contains almost no calories and next to no net carbs, and that can actually block your body from absorbing some of the other carbs you eat. It is gluten-free, so anyone can enjoy it without worrying about uncomfortable symptoms.
All about Shirataki Noodles
Don’t let the funny sounding name put you off! Shirataki noodles have been part of traditional Asian cuisine for centuries, and once they’ve been properly cooked and mixed in with your favorite toppings, they are absolutely fantastic.
What makes these noodles so helpful – and so popular – is that they contain barely any calories or carbohydrates. This might seem like magic, but in truth, it’s the glucomannan fiber that makes them stand out from the crowd. This fiber is sourced from konjac yams (also known as elephant yams or devil’s tongue) native to Japan, and it blends with water to create a gelatinous noodle product that firms up beautifully once it has been prepared.
Per serving, shirataki noodles (also known as miracle noodles) contain the following:
- about 4 calories
- less than one gram net carbohydrates
Like rice noodles, Shirataki noodles are completely tasteless, so don’t be afraid to try them with all kinds of cuisines. They excel at soaking up all the delicious flavors from the herbs, spices, and sauces that you like best!
Benefits of Eating Miracle Noodles
Besides helping with weight loss, what can these miraculous noodles do for you? Here are five reasons to try them.
- Glucomannan is soluble fiber, which helps keep blood vessels clean.
- Thanks to the high fiber and negligible carbohydrate content, shirataki noodles offer excellent satiety despite having almost no calories. This means they help you feel full longer, so you’re less inclined to “cheat” on your healthy eating plan.
- Glucomannan fiber helps inhibit carbohydrate absorption, so your blood sugar and insulin do not spike after eating.
- Glucomannan fiber can reduce protein and fat absorption, so overindulging in other foods alongside the shirataki noodles won’t be quite so worrisome.
It’s never a good idea to overeat anything – even things that are great for you can cause problems. If you eat more than the recommended serving size on the package, you might put yourself at risk for some uncomfortable gas and bloating, along with a mild case of diarrhea.
Because glucomannan fiber can prevent some substances from being absorbed, you should not take any medicines or supplements alongside meals that include miracle noodles or miracle rice. There’s a risk that the medicines and/or supplements might not be properly absorbed, which in turn means that you will not benefit from them. Experts recommend taking medications and supplements either an hour before or four hours after eating meals that include products that contain glucomannan fiber.
Shirataki Noodles and Weight Loss
Because these noodles fill you up despite having negligible calorie content, and because the glucomannan fiber they contain fan carry some of your calories away before they have a chance to be absorbed, they can be an effective tool in the fight against fat.
In one study focusing on the connection between glucomannan fiber and obesity, individuals who were dosed with just two to four grams of glucomannan fiber per day enjoyed significant weight loss compared to those who did not ingest the fiber.
Additional studies have backed up those initial findings. For example, another study published in Nutrition proved that glucomannan contributed to a significant reduction in body weight in obese adults who added the fiber to their daily intake compared with members of a control group that took a placebo.
While it is possible to supplement with glucomannan, some supplements come with side effects including choking that happens when the glucomannan fiber starts its absorptive activity before it enters the digestive tract. Shirataki noodles and similar products such as Miracle Rice prevent this from happening, since the fiber is bound up in water.
Tips for Cooking Success
When you first open a package of shirataki noodles, miracle rice, or a similar product, you’ll notice an interesting smell that some people find unpleasant. This goes away once the noodles have been properly prepared.
Some people try shirataki noodles and hate them. The reason for this is that you’ve got to prepare them using a different method than with standard pasta. Without rinsing and proper cooking, you’ll find that they have a smell that has been described as unpleasant, and a texture that seems rubbery instead of pleasantly chewy.
Shirataki noodles are three percent fiber and 97 percent water, with minuscule traces of calcium, fat, and protein. The key to success is to use a cooking method that removes as much excess water as possible.
- Start by draining the liquid from the package. Empty the shirataki noodles out into a strainer, and then rinse them under running water. Be sure to rinse them thoroughly!
- Transfer the noodles to a pot of boiling water and allow them to cook for about three minutes. Do not skip this step, as it removes the noodles’ odor.
- Drain the noodles well. Transfer them to a pan with no liquid or fat and start to dry fry them over medium-high heat. This process causes the excess moisture to evaporate.
- During the dry frying process, use a pair of tongs to flip and move the pasta around so that it doesn’t become excessively dry and shrink up. The experts at Miracle Noodle recommend listening for a squeaky noise that indicates the shirataki noodles are ready to eat.
- When finished, top with your favorite sauces, stir fries, and other toppings. Mix everything together so that the noodles absorb the delicious flavors of the other foods.
It’s true that shirataki noodles do cost a little more per serving than regular pasta, but it’s also true that this product is at its best when it is mixed with plenty of other toppings and enjoyed in small quantities. It really fills you up and it can help keep you from bingeing on high-carbohydrate items. These noodles can help you change your eating habits over time, and as part of your regular diet, they can help you lose weight.
Like all other supplements and healthy foods, shirataki noodles are part of the overall “big picture.” Yes, replacing regular pasta and rice is going to make a difference, but you’ll notice that you lose weight fastest when you follow other recommendations such as increasing the amount of plant-based food that you eat, increasing the amount of exercise you get each week, and decreasing your net carbohydrate intake.
OMG! Is it true? Can’t wait to try all the recipes with this “miracle” noodles