FOOD OF THE DAY: SHIRATAKI NOODLES

I LOVE pasta. It’s an easy to make and can be either a side or main dish. What I don’t love is the blood sugar spike it gives me. Over the years I have tried several brands of lower carb options but, finally I found a NO CARB option in Shirataki Noodles. I’ve seen different brands of these in the supermarket: House Foods, Miracle Noodles, etc. They come in a wide variety of sizes as well: Angel hair, Spaghetti, Fettucinne, etc. So what IS a Shirataki Noodle you ask?

Shirataki Noodle are a thin, translucent, and gelatinous noodle from Japan. They are made out of yam and sometimes yam w/tofu. The Yam only variety has no calories, but the tofu varieties are low cal. The noodles can be found both in dry and soft “wet” forms in Asian markets and some supermarkets. When wet, they are purchased pre-packaged in liquid. They normally last up to one year. Some brands require you to parboil the noodles. The type I purchased by house foods needs to be dry roasted which I prefer because they have the most noodle like consistency. Dry roasting is done by placing noodles in a non-stick skillet on high for a minute or until you hear a slight squeaking noise when moving them around.

I purchased the Tofu Shirataki Angel Hair pasta yesterday at an international market near me for $1.10. They are Gluten Free, NonGMO,Vegan, and has no cholesterol.  The 8 oz package is only 20 calories, 3g carbs, and 2g of fiber. I drained the package and roasted the noodles in about three minutes. I added roasted chicken, green onions, garlic, ginger, and sesame seeds to it and Voila I had dinner in less than 10 minutes.