There’s a surprising new find making some big ripples in the health and diet conscious community. Actually tofu shirataki noodles are not new at all and have been around for 2000 years, used mainly in Asian dishes but like the old saying “What’s old is new again” and this certainly applies to the shirataki noodle.

Shirataki (pronounced shee-rah-TAH-kee) which means "white waterfall", because of their color and length, are made of tofu and yam flour, from the yam-like konjac plant grown in China and Japan. High in fiber, and very low in calories, these versatile noodles are basically a form of "pasta" without the carbohydrates or calories and just like pasta, you can use tofu Shirataki noodles in soups, salads, or where ever you'd normally use noodles..

Cooking with Tofu Shirataki Noodle

Like any tofu product these thin, translucent noodles do not have a taste of their own but absorb the flavors of anything you add to them. You can use tofu shirataki noodles in any recipe that calls for pasta but they really are at their best in the more traditional Asian dishes such as a veggie stir fry with peanut sauce or spicy pork curry.

Be sure to refrigerate your shirataki noodles until ready to use them. Before cooking, drain and rinse the noodles thoroughly and drop in boiling water for about three minutes. Then just add sauce or other toppings and serve.

The Tofu Shirataki Noodle Diet

The Japanese pasta-like tofu shirataki noodles are rapid becoming a hit with the health conscious and those looking to shed a few pounds. A two ounce serving of regular wheat based pasta packs over 200 calories and an enormous 42 grams of carbohydrates while a big four ounce serving of tofu shirataki noodles has only 20 calories and three tiny grams of carbohydrates. One of the interesting things about this little wonder noodle is that it contains water-soluble dietary fiber from the yam-like konjac plant grown in China and Japan. This fiber called glucomannan, is the very same fiber sold as a weight loss product Soluble fiber helps make us feel full longer, slows digestion as well as stabilizes blood sugar and increases energy.

Regardless of whether you need to some lose some weight or not; try tofu shirataki noodles and include them as a part of your healthy low calorie and low carbohydrate lifestyle.