You will agree with me that nothing hurts the body like a high calorie, low fiber carbohydrate-rich diet. These such diets take longer to digest and add unnecessary weight to the body mass.
The good news is, with the shirataki noodles, your worries about the choice of food with high fiber content, and zero carbs are over. The shirataki noodle is not just a delight to taste, it is also come with a lot of nutritional and health benefits and is quite easy and fast to cook
A healthy diet usually contains a low quantity of bad fats and high good fat content. This is where the Japanese shirataki noodles and other foods like leafy green vegetables, fish, and fruits come in.
This article contains everything you need to know about the shirataki noodles and how to cook this delicacy. The health benefits of the shirataki noodles are not left out. Let’s get at it.
What are shirataki noodles?
The shirataki noodles, also known as ‘konjac noodles,’ are just like regular pasta. They are white, long noodles and are made from a highly healthy fiber called glucomannan. The glucomannan can be obtained from the roots of the konjac plant, which is mostly cultivated in Japan.
The shirataki noodles are made exclusively of glucomannan flour mixed with water (95%) and an added amount of lime water to hold the noodles in place.
Why should you eat shirataki noodles?
High fiber diet
Shirataki noodles are packed full of fiber, viscous fiber, to be exact. Glucomannan, a composite part of the shirataki noodle, is a soluble fiber that forms a gel when it comes in contact with water. Substantially, one part of glucomannan can absorb up to 50 times its weight in water.
Due to the high-water absorption of shirataki noodles, it helps reduce gastric emptying time. This means that the food moves slower through your digestive tract, thus, keeping you full for much longer.
Low-calorie diet
Shirataki noodles, unlike pasta, contain just one calorie per gram. So, one serving of shirataki noodles contains merely 4-ounces of energy. This translates to only 3 grams of glucomannan, making the Japanese shirataki a calorie-free meal.
Prebiotic function
Prebiotics are compounds in food that induce the growth or activity of beneficial microorganisms. The viscous fiber found in Shirataki noodles acts as a prebiotic by helping the body to nourish the microbiome found in the colon.
The healthy bacteria biome ferments the viscous fiber into short-chain fatty acids, which help in battling inflammation, boosting immune function and a host of other health benefits
Weight loss potential
In a study involving 50 obese people and a control group, it was discovered that obese people who were on a glucomannan diet lost about 5.5 pounds compared to the control group without any significant lifestyle change.
Shirataki noodles can aid weight loss because it contains constituent viscous fiber that helps you stay fuller and longer by delaying the stomach emptying time after a meal, so you end up eating less.
This is because the intake of glucomannan before a high carb meal helps reduce the secretion of ghrelin, a hunger hormone, and helps to stimulate the release of certain other anti-hunger hormones.
Insulin and blood sugar reduction
The viscous fiber present in glucomannan shortens stomach emptying time. It also slows the nutrient absorption process when food is being digested to avoid the surging of sugar levels in the blood.
This reduction ensures that blood sugar and insulin gradually rise after a meal to prevent hyperglycemia attack.
Cholesterol-lowering effect.
Shirataki noodles have a cholesterol-lowering effect. A review of 13 scientific papers showed a strong relationship between glucomannan intake and reduced bad cholesterol ‘LDL’ by an average of 16 mg/DL and fatty triglycerides by an average of 11 mg/dL
Shirataki noodles taste great
Shirataki noodles are an excellent example of resistant starch. With its high viscous fiber content, they are easy to cook, and many people enjoy the taste chiefly because it does not stick together like regular pasta. Shirataki noodles have a fishy smell that disappears after cooking.
Top 5 shirataki noodles
- Tofu Shirataki Noodles Spaghetti Shape
This shirataki noodle variant is healthy, easy to cook, gluten-free and contains low carbs and calories
- Skinny Noodles Shirataki Spaghetti
This particular shirataki noodle is kosher certified, high in fiber, gluten-free, preservative-free, soy-free, and made from the best natural ingredients.
- Skinny pasta – Rice
It helps with weight loss, odor-free, very good for a vegetarian-based diet, and provides just nine calories per serving.
- Skinny Noodles Low Carb – Gluten-Free Shirataki Rice
One serving contains 3 grams of health-friendly glucomannan fiber. It is also gluten and soy-free. This shirataki noodle rice variant is low in calories and is exceptionally friendly for diabetic, keto, weight loss diet.
- Organic Well Lean Variety Pack – Premium Shirataki
This particular variant of Shirataki noodles is completely odor-free, contains 2 grams of konjac fiber per gram, low calorie, and can be prepared ready to eat.
How to make shirataki noodles
Shirataki noodles are regarded as convenience food because they require little time to be prepared. The noodles are easy to cook and can be eaten cold or hot.
To eat the shirataki noodles cold:
- drain and rinse to remove the mild fishy konjac root smell after which you can enjoy with any dressing of your choice.
To serve the shirataki noodles hot:
- Firstly, drain the noodles then rinse with hot hater multiple times
- Using a paper towel, a cloth, or even a kitchen towel, dry the noodles as much as possible.
- Using a greaseless non-stick pan or skillet, fry (without oil) for about 5-7 minutes till it is firm to touch.
- During drying, separate the noodles so that they can dry evenly.
- Mix with any dressing of your choice and serve to your taste.
The methods are quite straightforward. You should also check recipes online to help you get the best taste and culinary experience from Shirataki noodles.
Shirataki noodles are high in fiber, low in carbs, delicious, easy to prepare, and can be made into a variety of dishes. They are especially tasty in Asian recipes.
They are a good substitute for pasta and traditional noodles. While being packed with a range of health benefits. Shirataki noodles are a dietary addition you can’t afford to miss.
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