Calorie free, carb free, fat free, cholesterol free noodles and pasta. Is this too good to be true?

Some of the popular daytime television doctors have been recommending shirataki noodles to help with everything from weight loss, to cholesterol reduction, diabetes control and intestinal regulation. They can be purchased on-line, at health and Asian food stores as well as some grocery stores.  My sister-in-law bought several bags of these noodles and recently shared them with me.  I’m not sure if she gave them to me because she knew I’d write about them…or she just wanted to get rid of them.

Described as the ultimate guilt-free, miracle noodle, this pasta-like product is made from the konjac plant (a relative of the yam). It’s mostly composed of a soluble fiber called glucomannan. The 8.8 ounce package (they consider this one serving) contained 9 grams of fiber. Her cost was about $3 + shipping.

OK. I was a little leery. The angel hair “noodles”  came in a bag surrounded by water, looking very much like white or almost translucent pasta. The instructions say to drain and rinse well. I read a newspaper article about this product and it said to drain the “funky, earthy, fishy” smelling water—I got thinking—why would I want to eat something that smelled “funky”. I’m told this is the natural smell of the plant and it goes away with rinsing or heating—and it did. They are ready-to-eat once rinsed or can be heated.

My family joked— calling them “gummy” noodles  (this was “gummy”  like gummi bears–not gummy like over-cooked oatmeal).  They had lots of texture and little flavor. The “pasta” tends to pick up the flavor of the sauces or other foods added to them.

The supplement glucomannan is promoted as an appetite suppressant. The supplement and the “noodle” product tends to absorb water as it hangs out in your intestinal track— thus making you feel full. While some promoters of the noodles say they don’t cause bloating or gas, other web sites warn people to eat a small amount initially—to see if you have intestinal distress.

So what did I think? They were OK. It is fiber and it gives you something to chew (and chew and chew). Not awful—but just OK. I do think this is another one of those fads or gimmicks. It’s always fun to try different foods. I’m back to the moderation thing, I certainly won’t want to eat lots of these on a regular basis. They may be good for a person on a gluten-free diet…but there are other pasta products available, too. I, personally, would rather have a smaller portion of regular pasta or a flavorful dish of spaghetti squash. Don’t know what to do with spaghetti squash?  Try our recipe for Spaghetti Squash Parmasan.

Cheryle Jones Syracuse, MS

Professor Emeritus, The Ohio State University