Miracle Noodles - zero calories
So, I saw these flash on this website and bought them. They are like pasta noodles without any flavor, but, I ate them with tons of veggies on them and olive oil -- and garlic and they were alright. I can see these noodles making a good chicken soup. You can't beat the fact that they have zero calories. I am going to try them with more recipes as they seem to soak up the flavor. Great discovery. 
I thought Miracle noodles were low calorie, not zero calorie? What worries me is, what the hell are you eating if it has no calories?
If Miracle noodles are a brand of shirataki noodles, then I think they're revolting... those things smell bad and are slimy!
Had to look it up because.. zero calories? What is in them?!... Apparently just water, glucomannan and calcium additives.
Sounds tempting but bit too good to be true to me.
Does something with zero calories and zero nutrition actually qualify as 'food'? Or is it just edible wadding.....? Tissue paper in noodle form? Strands of filler? Every time I hear about this product I think it sounds at best pointless, if not slightly dodgy. And paying out hard cash for something that is just 'chewy nothingness' sounds frankly daft. An ounce of regular noodles is only 100 cals..... you could even try spaghetti squash, and at least it would be a real food that would give you some energy and nutrition.
I wonder how many calories a piece of paper has, and if it contains any fiber. 
In some versions of disordered eating sufferers actually eat tissue paper and cotton wool to fill up their stomachs for no calories..... Horrible, stupid thing to do and these noodles just remind me of that.
I think it's kind of sad how they try to brand shirataki noodles as "miracle diet food". It's a Japanese food that has been around forever.
I can't remember exactly what they're made from off the top of my head, but it's a type of root. Because our bodies can't digest the fibre in it they are extremely low calorie (it was usually 2kcal per package in Japan).
They are quite yummy in cooking, but you need to make sure that you rinse them thoroughly and then boil them on their own for a few minutes before you add them to whatever dish you are making. Also, don't try to go on a diet based around them...there have been a few famous cases of Japanese actresses that went on a shirataki diet and died of malnutrition.
Original Post by gi-jane:
In some versions of disordered eating sufferers actually eat tissue paper and cotton wool to fill up their stomachs for no calories..... Horrible, stupid thing to do and these noodles just remind me of that.
That's like.. not even digestible. I can only imagine what wool looks like when it's strung together in a log of poo. lol
If you are referring to shirataki noodles, then they are not calorie free. They have 40 Calories per package. Care needs to be taken in their preparation, i.e. rinsed/drained well. I like to use them in soups, as they absorb the flavor of the broth. I add other stuff like sausages to them, so the end dish is not exactly low Cal. I just use them so there is something to chew on, and not just broth with pieces of meat floating in it. lol
UD
Exactly. I think these can be pretty good in a soup for the exact reasons you mention. If they do, indeed, advertise falsely to have zero calories (and actually have 40) --that's alright with me. I can afford the 40. For those that want to continue to say that everyone on the planet has an eating disorder. If that makes you feel better about yourself, go for it.
Original Post by mogochud:
I think it's kind of sad how they try to brand shirataki noodles as "miracle diet food". It's a Japanese food that has been around forever.
I can't remember exactly what they're made from off the top of my head, but it's a type of root. Because our bodies can't digest the fibre in it they are extremely low calorie (it was usually 2kcal per package in Japan).
They are quite yummy in cooking, but you need to make sure that you rinse them thoroughly and then boil them on their own for a few minutes before you add them to whatever dish you are making. Also, don't try to go on a diet based around them...there have been a few famous cases of Japanese actresses that went on a shirataki diet and died of malnutrition.
They come from the Konjac root, which is the source of gluccomanan, bascially a starch. They are very low calorie, but definately NOT calorie free.
http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/products/p/s hiratakinoodle.htm
. I dont' mind them, but I'm not really crazy about them. They have a very unusual texture that takes getting used to
Yeah hey if they're low cal and they're actually edible, why not. Loads of low cal recipes with flavour that you can add them to... tissue paper isn't edible but noodles are. And just cause it's tasteless doesn't mean there can't be room in it to make your recipes interesting... so go for it. :D
Well, I just bought some online and I'm going to try them!! What have I got to lose but a few bucks and maybe a few pounds! lol!
I actually saw a bag of these "Miracle Noodles" at the store for the first time, right next to the tofu shirataki. I examined the package and the nutrition label, and it says 0 calories per 1 oz. Each bag contained about 4 oz. with "<1g carb" per serving. So just round that to 4 calories per serving, companies can technically mark it as zero. But if there are 4 servings in a bag, that's 16 calories per 4 oz. Not a big deal, just pointing out that it's not as *calorie free* as one might think. 
Tried them, threw the entire package away after the first two bites, and decided to take my chances and remain a pasta snob.
But if you like them, more power, and noodles, to ya.
I've noticed in the 3 times that I have tried them now. They taste better in something that has a lot of flavor and if you let them soak awhile so they get soft. Yesterday, I had them in ciappino and they tasted pretty good. Since ciappino can have a ton of calories when you add pasta to it, it was a good alternative for now. I tried them another day with veggies and cheese and olive oil and they were again, pretty decent. My only complaint is the texture is a bit rubbery, but, they soften up if you let them sit --as in a soup, like ciappino! It's worth it to me given that I can not run or jog or take any aerobics yet due to my fractured foot. I discovered that it even hurts my foot to ride the exercise bike which, truly, sucks. When I am running, I will go back to occasional whole grain pasta; but, for now, I can't eat like I used to and that's the way it is.
Patience. Patience. Patience. It's hard for this former marathon runner.
The miracle noodles ARE 0 calories. (or 16 like somebody pointed) It's made of konjac (yam?) which is a plant product. It has a very fishy smell by itself.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Konjac
Tofu shirataki version is a version with tofu in it (because by itself it tastes sorta horrible/not pasta like) which adds 40 calories for the entire thing.
It's nice to have every now and then because I sorta gave up on pasta before this. haha. I can have fattening sauces every now and then as well with this pasta (I need more fat in my diet surprisingly) so instead of real pasta I have this and then add some butter haha. I don't eat any fat otherwise which has been detrimental....
Original Post by gi-jane:
In some versions of disordered eating sufferers actually eat tissue paper and cotton wool to fill up their stomachs for no calories..... Horrible, stupid thing to do and these noodles just remind me of that.
The difference between tissue paper and spaghetti is like the difference between your left hand and right hand in that the composition is the same but structure is different. I like my fiber from oatmeal.
I thought they spelled like fish and the texture was so far off from pasta it made me gag. I gave them all away. The texture just is so gross....
I thought the same thing, but, then when I rinsed them the full 3 minutes and then boiled them and let them marinate in whatever sauce I was using, they softened up quite a lot and lost the fish taste. Then they reminded me more of ramen noodles but yes, still a bit rubbery.
They're a decent snack as a soup addition filler --akin to adding water chestnuts to a salad, or cabbage to a soup --a no calorie filler.
I love sushi and Japanese food, which probably makes me more accepting of the texture.
Ok, the problem is this. STOP USING IT TO SUBSTITUTE PASTA AND THEN EXPECTING IT TO TASTE LIKE IT.
It wasn't made from the same material and wasn't really made for that purpose.
To me, konjac noodles are REALLY similar to asian glass noodles (korean japchae for example) and I find these noodles to be a GREAT replacement in asian dishes! Try it in a asian vegetable stir fry! It tasted great with all the sauces and vegetables. I can't imagine eating it with alfredo/marinara, it would be gross....
I actually like the miracle noodles alot better after I tried both. Tofu shirataki's just a fake pasta wanna be but to me it doesn't really fit that purpose and thus taste sorta gross in an italian dish. I like to use miracle noodles in like asian dishes like I've said
