A lot of folks are snapping up Japanese miracle noodles online to lose inches. Others say they look too weird to eat.
Trina: "Don't they look yummy?"
"No they don't. They don't look yummy. It looks like a little white worm to be honest with you," says Ana Garcia, not a noodle fan.
But nutritionists at Cleveland Clinic say the weight loss benefits these noodles pack can do wonders for your waistline.
The color and feel resembles a jellyfish. So what the heck are they? "I found out they really aren't noodles at all, but an Asian root or tuber that dates back more than 2-thousand years.
"A tuber called Koon Yook. And it's actually a tuber that is almost all soluble fiber, and what's wonderful about this product is that it has no calories, no protein, it's very hypoallergenic," says Lillian Craggs, nutritionist.
The miracle noodle is also gluten and soy free. "We're going to put a bit of oil and then we're gonna kind of sautã© up some ginger and carrots."
Whole Foods Market sells a different kind of so-called "slimming noodle." Their shiratake noodle has tofu and a less bizarre texture. Brian Collardo of Whole Foods says shirataki noodles can taste really good if you get creative when cooking them. He's preparing a pan fried dish. The recipe also contained snow peas, spring onions, seasoning, ponzu sauce...which has a sweet citrus taste, and sesame seeds.
In a flash it's ready to eat because the noodles come pre-cooked. "It's a great noodle that's pretty much almost flavorless, so whatever you're gonna cook with it is gonna absorb all that flavor," says Collardo.
Brian then whipped up a soup with the shirataki noodles. He says the noodles are great for people trying to cut certain things out of their diet. "The cool thing, right on the package there is no cholesterol, no sugar, gluten free, and vegan."
We had customers taste test Brian's dishes. First...the pan fry. "It's very light, very easy, tastes just like pasta but without all the additives. It's wonderful."
Now the soup. "They're very good."
But are they healthy? And why do they aid in the fight against fat? "Soluble fiber is very healthy for us, not just for our digestive health, but also to help lower blood sugar. It helps to lower cholesterol, and it also helps make you feel full," says Craggs.
