Carbs are comfort food, plain and simple. Al dente pasta juicy with rich tomato sauce, mounds of savoury steaming rice and the satisfactory slurp of noodles as you spoon your favourite soup. BUT aren’t carbs potentially dangerous – not only the calories, but the fact that they go down so easily, it’s hard to stop??

What if there was rice, pasta sheets, spaghetti and wok noodles with less than 10 calories per serve? And what if they were low GI to keep your blood sugar steady, high fibre and therefore good for your bowel health, AND gluten free?? Would you call them “miracle noodles”?

These miracle noodles are otherwise known as “Shirataki noodles”.

They’re made from glucomannan, a type of fibre that comes from the root of the konjac plant which grows in Japan, China and Southeast Asia. Konjac has a texture like potato and can be ground into flour, boiled and shaped into a substitute for wheaten pasta or rice noodles. These noodles are about 97% water and 3% glucomannan fiber.

These noodles move through you digestive system very slowly, which helps you feel full. The fibre in the noodles nourishes the good bacteria living in your gut – and these good bacteria help boost your immune system and have other health benefits!

Research has shown that people who took glucomannan fibre and were on a low calorie diet lost more weight than those on a similar diet. This fibre also helps lower cholesterol levels, and prevent constipation.

Shirataki noodles can be used in place of pasta or rice in any dish. They are very convenient to use – just rinse and cook as you would any other noodle.

These noodles come as spaghetti, pasta sheets, rice or wok style noodles and can be used in pasta dishes, stir-fries, salads or soup. The noodles have little flavor but will absorb the flavors of sauces and seasonings very well.

Easy to cook with,part of a healthy lifestyle and incredibly versatile – here are a few healthy shirataki noodle recipes to try!

Lasagne

(serves 2)

250g Slendier or Lo-Cal lasagne sheets

150g Lean beef mince

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 Medium carrot finely chopped

2 Tbsp dry oregano

400g can Crushed tomato

1 Tbsp Tomato paste

1 small Onion finely chopped

1 Tbsp finely grated parmesan cheese

Olive oil spray

Salt and pepper if desired

One Clove crushed Garlic

Béchamel sauce

¾ Cup low fat milk

1 tsp butter or olive oil

1 Tbsp Gluten free Plain flour

Method

1. Prepare Slendier lasagne sheets as per instructions on pack and set aside
2. Preheat oven to 180°. Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium heat, add onion, garlic and cook and stir for 5 minutes. Add mince meat; stir with a wooden spoon to break up any lumps. Cook for 5-7 minutes or until the meat is cooked. Add chopped carrot, canned tomato, tomato paste, bring to the boil and add oregano. Reduce heat to low and allow sauce to simmer for 20 -30 minutes
3. Melt Margarine in a large saucepan over medium heat then add flour and milk; stirring for 1-2 minutes
4. Lightly spray a small rectangular ovenproof dish. Spread 1/3 of béchamel sauce over the prepared dish with olive oil spray. Arrange 1/3 of the lasagne sheet over the sauce. Top with 1/3 of meat mixture and 1/3 of béchamel sauce. Continue layering in a similar pattern with remaining lasagne sheets, mince mixture and béchamel sauce. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and bake for 40 minutes.

Pad Thai

(Serves 4)

250g (8oz) Slendier or Lo-Cal fettucine or wok style noodles

Juice of 1 lime

1tbsp fish sauce

1tbsp brown sugar

1tbsp tamarind paste

2tbsp peanut oil

6 boneless chicken thighs (skin on)

1 clove garlic, crushed

4 spring onions, sliced diagonally

2 small red chillis, deseeded and finely chopped

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 handful bean sprouts

45g (1 1/2oz) roasted unsalted peanuts, roughly chopped

4tbsp coriander leaves

Lime wedges, to serve

Cover the noodles with boiling water and stand until tender. Drain and set aside. Mix the lemon juice, fish sauce, sugar, tamarind and 1tbsp of water in a bowl. Whisk to combine.

Place a wok over a high heat and add half the oil. Place the chicken thighs in the wok, skin-side down, then cook for 3-4 mins on each side or until cooked through. Drain on kitchen paper, thinly slice, then set aside.

Heat the remaining oil in the wok and add the garlic, spring onions and chillies and stir-fry for 2 mins. Add the chicken, noodles and lime juice mixture. Toss to combine. Slowly pour over the eggs. Stir-fry over a high heat for 1 min. Add the bean sprouts, toss well, and sprinkle with the peanuts and coriander.

Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Salad

(Serves 6)

2 kaffir lime leaves

600 g skinless chicken breast fillets, halved lengthways

150 g Slendier or Lo-Cal wok style noodles

1 small red capsicum, seeded and thinly sliced

1 large carrot, cut into thin matchsticks

100 g snow peas, trimmed, thinly sliced

½ small Chinese cabbage, finely shredded

2 spring onions, thinly sliced

½ cupbean sprouts

½ cup mint leaves

½ cup coriander leaves

60 g roasted unsalted peanuts, coarsely chopped

80 ml (⅓ cup) sweet chilli sauce

2 tablespoons fish sauce

60 ml (¼ cup) lime juice

3 teaspoons sesame oil

1 large garlic clove, crushed

Put 1 litre water and the kaffir lime leaves in a medium saucepan over medium–high heat. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Add the chicken, cover and simmer for 8–10 minutes or until the chicken is just cooked through. Remove from the heat and leave the chicken in the poaching liquid for 10 minutes. Drain. Use two forks to coarsely shred the chicken.

Put the noodles in a heatproof bowl. Cover with boiling water and set aside for 2–3 minutes or until tender. Drain. Rinse under cold water, and drain.

To make the chilli dressing, put the sauces, lime juice, oil and garlic in a small bowl and whisk until well combined.

Combine the capsicum, carrot, snow peas, Chinese cabbage, spring onions, bean sprouts, half the herbs, the noodles and chicken in a large bowl. Drizzle with the dressing and toss to combine. Serve the salad sprinkled with the remaining herbs and the nuts.

Chicken Corn Noodle Soup

(Serves 4)

250g dried rice vermicelli noodles

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 brown onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2cm piece ginger, peeled, finely chopped

2 litres Campbell’s Real Stock Chicken

3 cobs sweet corn, kernels removed

2 small (about 300g) chicken breast fillets, trimmed, cut into 5mm-thick slices

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1/3 cup fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped

Place noodles in a bowl and cover with hot water. Stand for 10 minutes or until just tender. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and ginger. Cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until onion softens.

Add stock and bring to the boil. Add corn, chicken and soy sauce. Reduce heat to low. Simmer, uncovered, for 2 to 3 minutes or until chicken is just cooked through.

Add noodles. Simmer for 1 minute. Stir in coriander. Season with salt and pepper. Ladle soup into serving bowls. Serve.