Miracle Noodle® – Truth in Advertising

I discovered this product, haphazardly, by surfing the infinite web and reading an article about the  Miracle Noodle® on NaturalNews.com.  A noodle with ZERO calories, ZERO fat and less than one gram of carbs per serving? Just rinse and eat? Are you kidding?

The too-good-to-be-true alarm went off for a second, but knowing the natural advocacy zeal that burdens NaturalNews, I was pretty sure there was no BS here. Indeed not.

Turns out that the “miracle noodle”, aka Shirataki, has been around in Asia for quite some time. What exactly are shirataki noodles? They are made from the tubers of an Asian plant called a konjac plant. The tubers are dried and ground to make flour which is then used to make noodles. In addition to having almost no calories or usable carbohydrates, shirataki noodles contain a type of soluble fiber called glucomannan. This fiber swells up and is believed to promote a sense of fullness and keep food in the stomach longer (good for blood sugar & thus diabetics).

I had even bought some other shirataki noodle brand at some time the past (at Whole Foods), most likely attracted by the Ready-to-eat/Tofu/Vegan/Gluten Free claims on the package. The Miracle Noodle brand has no added tofu, which the other brands add to give the noodle more opacity and pasta-like texture.

My interest in these noodles was on several fronts. 1) I try to avoid wheat and gluten whenever possible. Not because of allergies, just a realization that gluten is not my friend. And, 2) calorie cutting.  Oh, to indulge in my favorite pasta sauces with the bonus of not worrying about pasta carbs!

So, I went ahead and ordered a 20 pack of the angel hair Miracle Noodle. Don’t expect an exact pasta clone. It’s not. But (once rinsed!) the shirataki noodles play the stand-in role really well. They no taste to themselves and will absorb the taste of whatever they are mixed with. They are slightly rubbery but to me, that just adds to the fun of the texture. One 7 ozpackage  makes for a very filling portion, most likely because of the “swelling” factor described above. The noodles can be prepared a la Asian, Italian, sweet, as cold pasta salad… the possibilities are endless. There are other methods to prepare them too: dry-roasting, blanching and salt- rubbing as is done in Japan, but I have not tried that yet. For some reason to which I couldn’t find an answer, the noodles are packaged in a liquid that has a fishy odor. The odor is removed with 1 to 2 minutes of thorough rinsing. The odor is really the only drawback.

The Miracle Noodle Low Down
* made of naturally water soluble fiber with no fat, sugar, or starch.
* contain zero net carbohydrates and zero calories, no gluten -made of a healthy natural fiber called Glucomannan.
* wheat & gluten free and kosher.
* easily absorbs the flavors of any soup, dish, or sauce.
* are instant and come in a variety of styles
* have shown beneficial effects backed by medical studies for Type II Diabetes, Constipation, Obesity, and Cholesterol!

BTW, as you have certainly guessed, this is a perfect alternative for diabetics, which is why Miracle Noodle has chosen to donate a portion of purchases to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (as well as Kiva.com).

Best kept secret ever, I think.