Back when I was lackadaisically trying the Atkins diet for a few months, Matt used to call my shirataki noodles "flesh-eating noodles." That's because I told him that with only zero to 60 calories per package, they basically took more calories to chew than you took in. Plus they're made from konnyaku yam flour, which both fills you up and cleans you out. I started reading Hungry Girl around that same time, but quickly grew tired of her processed food, low fat-cheese approach to dieting. But as this NY Times story, Tofu Noodles Get a Lift, recounts, because of her endorsement, shirataki noodles have become wildly popular, and they've even redesigned the package to make it easier for calorie-starved folks to comprehend and put her logo on it. I don't recommend trying her scary-sounding faux alfredo, but the slightly slimy wide noodles are pretty good in Asian dishes like low-cal/low-carb drunken noodles, for example. See, bloggers can really make a difference, at least when it comes to noodles.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Hungry Girl boosts shirataki noodles
Back when I was lackadaisically trying the Atkins diet for a few months, Matt used to call my shirataki noodles "flesh-eating noodles." That's because I told him that with only zero to 60 calories per package, they basically took more calories to chew than you took in. Plus they're made from konnyaku yam flour, which both fills you up and cleans you out. I started reading Hungry Girl around that same time, but quickly grew tired of her processed food, low fat-cheese approach to dieting. But as this NY Times story, Tofu Noodles Get a Lift, recounts, because of her endorsement, shirataki noodles have become wildly popular, and they've even redesigned the package to make it easier for calorie-starved folks to comprehend and put her logo on it. I don't recommend trying her scary-sounding faux alfredo, but the slightly slimy wide noodles are pretty good in Asian dishes like low-cal/low-carb drunken noodles, for example. See, bloggers can really make a difference, at least when it comes to noodles.
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3 comments:
I've tried to like the shirataki noodles but there's a slight flavor and aftertaste that I just can't get past. Maybe I just haven't prepared them well. I have however fallen in love with kelp noodles... have you tried them? They've got no flavor at all and are super low in calories, carbs, low everything. I also find them easier to prepare and cook with as the shirataki seem kind of flimsy. Here's one of my attempts at a kelp noodle stir-fry and here's an awesome kelp noodle salad that they've got on the menu at Hugo's.
Kelp is a good source of calcium and other good stuff too, so it's like a vegan superfood :)
Foodeater, to get rid of that "off" flavor, blanch the noodles briefly in boiling water before you add them to whatever you're using. Same with konnyaku.
The faux alfredo sounds scary to me too, but I love shirataki in soups. It makes a great addition to nabe, which -- if you use all veggies -- is a healthy, low-calorie, low-fat meal with no weird diet dairy products involved.
Anjali, thanks for the tip. I did actually do the boiling thing as instructed on the package but the flavor still lingered for me. Same with konnyaku!
I guess I just need to find someone who's a better cook than I am to prepare this stuff for me the right way... though I hope that if they do, it won't involve anything like alfredo ;)
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