Konjac Noodles

This topic contains 14 replies, has 5 voices, and was last updated by Big_Bill 6 years, 6 months ago.

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Big_Bill

5:19 am
3 Oct 17
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I bought a “low calorie meal replacement” today at a Chinese grocer. It claims to contain only 48 calories. The brand is “Noodle Zero” and the flavour is “Seafood”.

It’s a big packet of noodles and flavouring. Price was A$5.

I wanted to give it a try. If I’d read the label I wouldn’t have bought it, as it’s made in China. Most Chinese people I know don’t trust food that is made in Mainland China, so I hope that I’m not being too racist.

I’ll have a fasting day tomorrow and give it a try, and report back on how good or bad it is.

Anyone have any experience with using konjac noodles as a low-calorie meal?

thinatlast

6:51 am
3 Oct 17
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Hello Big Bill,

I started using konyaku noodles about three years ago in the form of the commercial brand ‘Slendier’. Then someone on our thread mentioned that konjac (Japanese root crop) is available in Asian grocers for a fraction of the price. It comes in blocks or neatly tied ribbons and is the same product as used in Slendier but lasts in the fridge for weeks.

I posted some fast day recipes containing konjac noodles on this thread: https://thefastdiet.co.uk/forums/topic/southern-hemispherites-fd-recipes/
The recipes say ‘Slendier’ noodles but you can buy the block and slice it accordingly. I still use Slendier Angel Hair for my Spanish Fideos as I find I’m not able to slice the konjac block thinly enough to replicate these. Slendier noodles contain 8-10 calories per serve.

Recently on the Southern Hemispherites thread, someone mentioned Changs brand noodles which have the advantage of being packaged in a single serve, vs. Slendier which come in packs of two serves. I’ve yet to try them. And that does sound Chinese, so perhaps not what you’re looking for.

Big_Bill

1:11 am
4 Oct 17
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Thanks ThinAtLast

The konjac noodles I bought yesterday are still sitting on my desk saying “eat me”.

I’ll take a look for the Konjac noodles in the Chinese grocer today (I have to go and buy sticky rice anyway). If I can get hold of those I can look up recipes on the internet. At least then I can control a lot of the flavourings and additives.

thinatlast

1:58 am
4 Oct 17
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You may have to ask the staff and make sure they don’t sell you tofu because a lot of them don’t know what it is. It looks like a block of tofu and can be found in the same section. Slendier.com offers recipes. Or you can just add them to your own soups and stews to bulk them up a bit.

I read that you were in Thailand recently while I was there. We didn’t make it to the food hall you suggested in Bangkok but we found a lot of excellent street food right behind our hotel (Centre Point SiLom).

CalifDreamer

2:24 am
4 Oct 17
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Amazon sells several varieties of them in the UK and US. Just do a search to see all the options.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Organic-Slendier-Shirataki-Tasting-Box/dp/B00P27PUNS/ref=sr_1_2_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1507079785&sr=8-2&keywords=Slendier+noodles

https://www.amazon.com/Slendier-Calorie-Certified-Shirataki-Spaghetti/dp/B01JZABAM2/ref=sr_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1507079546&sr=8-1&keywords=slendier

There are a few different brands if you do a search for ‘konjac noodles’.

LJoyce

2:39 am
4 Oct 17
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I am very grateful that I found konjac noodles. They turn my regular FD sirfry into a much more interesting meal.

One of the reasons they are very low calorie is that they are almost entirely plant fibre. They add a considerable amount of fibre to a meal, so don’t skimp on your water intake when you eat them.

Big_Bill

3:14 am
4 Oct 17
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Thanks @califdreamer, that’s a good option if I can’t find them.

I’m actually eating the instant version now. Not bad at all.

@ljoyce, that sounds like a good idea. I love stir fries.

@thinatlast, it’s good to hear that Silom is still good for street food. The area is full of office workers so it always used to be best for street food early in the mornings (before 9 am) and at lunch time. Soi Convent used to be great for street food at night. We lived near Silom for a few months in 2009. I headed outside the tourist areas a bit on my recent trip, a few stations on the skytrain or the metro (subway), and found some great traditional Thai food.

I’m actually going to start a thread on Thai food. While I was there I learned to cook a couple of dishes that I’ve always loved.

Big_Bill

3:15 am
4 Oct 17
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BTW I finished my 48 calorie instant noodles and I am now officially stuffed.

Big_Bill

5:44 am
4 Oct 17
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Well I found noodles of every imaginable shape and colour made out of potatoes, rice, flour, egg. But no Konjac noodles. I may need to order them online as suggested by @califdreamer.

A half hour spent wandering around a huge Asian grocer is never wasted though. I bought some oyster mushrooms and black sesame paste. And found a huge variety of kim chi and miso soup for next time I’m looking for interesting low-calorie foods.

thinatlast

7:41 am
4 Oct 17
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We nearly took a Thai cooking class but didn’t quite get around to it. That Bangkok skytrain/metro combo is awesome. Here in Perth, we don’t have any public transport linking the airport to the city!

It took me some time to find the konjac at my local Asian grocer. The staff didn’t know what I was talking about but the owner overheard and made them all follow her down to the refrig. section so they’d know next time. It’s not labelled in English at all so, unless you read Japanese, you can’t find it without help. This is the same brand but in prepared noodle form whereas mine has red labelling and comes in a block. https://imgur.com/rxIH9BC

I’m having miso soup for for my fast dinner tonight.

Big_Bill

1:39 am
5 Oct 17
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I found them.

They are in the regular supermarkets in Australia rather than the Asian grocers.

The big 2 (Woolworths and Coles) supermarket chains both stock them. I found them in the health food section at Woolworths.

I didn’t mind the texture or taste. The price in AUD is $3.89.

@thinatlast one of my best friends from Australia lives in Thailand now, he is married to a Thai lady. She showed me how to cook a couple of my favourite Thai dishes in real traditional style. I’d love to do a Thai cooking course in Bangkok one day. It would actually be more useful to you, though, to do a Thai cooking course near where you live. Because if you did a Thai cooking course in Thailand it would be a bit annoying to get home and discover that you can’t find half the ingredients.

I’m going to try and put together a low-calorie version of Tom Kha Gai using Slendier noodles, and if that goes as well as I expect then I will kick off a Thai cooking thread. Most Thai dishes don’t need nearly as much high-calorie coconut milk as most people add – to keep the calories down I tend to add it right at the end (after I’ve turned off the heat) as a flavouring element rather than using it as a cooking medium.

Purple Vegie Eater

2:27 am
5 Oct 17
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Slendier noodles have been available in Coles and Woolies for years. They come in a variety of shapes…noodle, spaghetti, rice and lasagne. The latter 2 are not brilliant, but I use the first 2 regularly in winter to bulk up fast meals. Always rinse under flowing water and add last thing to simply warm through. They are great with strong flavours as they are not intrinsically flavoursome. One pack does 2 of us. PVE

CalifDreamer

3:43 am
5 Oct 17
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Bill, I’ve found the same thing, that most Thai dishes don’t require nearly the amount of coconut milk that is in the recipes. I get by with half or less. It sure adds a lot of flavor.

thinatlast

7:23 am
5 Oct 17
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Hi BigBill, sorry if the first para of my post 3 Oct 17 6:51 am above didn’t make a clear enough distinction between the commercial Slendier brand noodles sold at the major supermarkets (including IGA) and the generic looking block of konjac (konyaku) sold at Asian grocers. But you have had fun shopping!

I freeze coconut milk in ice cube trays and, rather than using a whole can, I just add as many cubes as needed. Yes, you’re right about the ingredients not always being available. Or not knowing where to find them anyway. Let us know if you get that low-cal Thai recipe thread happening.

Big_Bill

7:46 am
5 Oct 17
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The low-cal Thai cooking thread will happen. I have one recipe that I’ve already road tested, it’s just a matter now of using the konjac noodles to keep the calories down.

@thinatlast, yes I understood what you were saying about the konjac noodles in a block. I couldn’t find them at the Asian grocer near my office that I go to (it is a huge store). They mainly cater to the Chinese community in the area, which would be around 50% of the population.

I will take a look when I get the chance to take a look in other large Asian grocers.

I’ve started buying 200 ml cartons of coconut milk. Coconut milk in cartons tends to taste better and keep better anyway. We go through it very quickly – I cook Thai curries using commercial pastes pretty regularly, and we often have beef rendang. And now it’s heading into summer and the kids are always asking for mango and sticky rice.