Shirataki noodles have been quite the rage since a while (even in India) among many people with all types of diabetes, celiac disease as well as health enthusiasts & vegetarians. Any product calling itself keto friendly, low-carb, fat free, gluten free, ultra low calorie, Miracle Noodles already has our attention! The Japanese word shirataki (白滝) translates to 'white waterfall' which is what the almost glass-like, translucent noodles look like.

Traditional noodles are typically made from flour which is made from grains, while shirataki noodles are grain free & made from the root of the konjac plant, found in many parts of South East Asia. The images below offer a clear, visual comparison between the macros of both types of noodles.

Taste and experience

Do not expect shirataki noodles to taste like maida (refined wheat) noodles, if you go in with that expectation you'll be disappointed. Shirataki noodles have a chewy texture (thanks to the 97% water & 3% glucomannan fibre) and little to no taste by itself - it takes on the flavour of the ingredients you mix it with, so that makes it very versatile & you can use it as noodles, in ramen, in soups, with any sauces, spices and flavourings & add veggies, meats, eggs, cheese etc.

Click this link to read a recipe I'd used over a year ago on our Facebook community, Diabetes Support Network India.

Want to know how to bolus for protein? See our workshop here.

Packaging

The packaging comes with an outer pouch that has the nutritional information mentioned at the back (also shared above) and an inner transparent protective pouch that contains the noodles and the liquid. Both packets are fairly easy to open and have a ridge to tear them off. Some brands of shirataki noodles I've tried abroad have had a fishy taste but Urban Platter shirataki noodles do not have any fishy taste at all. It is important to note, the fishy taste is not due to any presence of fish but is actually the raw konjac root that has this odour. Rinsing the noodles under water, then dry roasting fixes this issue.

Blood sugar impact

I ate this for breakfast/brunch as my first meal of the day. My first meal is usually eggs but today in addition to the eggs and vegetables, were also the noodles. My blood sugar level was 101 mg/dl before eating & 82 mg/dl two hours after eating 200 gms of noodles with 3 scrambled eggs & a lot of vegetables. The screen shot you see below is from the Blue Circle Diabetes mobile app which is synced with my CGM (Continuous Glucose Monitor, a wearable device on my arm that tells me my blood glucose levels). Click here to learn more about the app made by and for people living with diabetes & download it on Android and iOS too!

Safe to say, I ate a lot for the sake of this experiment and to report my findings back to you 😃 As a type 1 diabetic, I needed less than 2 units of insulin for this massive meal & had great post meal numbers!

Want to dive into more workshops on low carb? See our #BlueCircleWorkshops low carb playlist on YouTube. Also, see our blogs on low carb.

Availability & affordability

Until about 2 years ago, I don't recollect any low carb/keto noodles being available in the Indian market. Now, Urban Platter Shirataki Noodles seem to be a relatively popular brand for shirataki noodles & are widely available on most online platforms including their own website, Amazon India, online grocery stores like Blinkit, Swiggy Instamart & JioMart. A 200 gm packet costs about Rs 200, which makes it relatively expensive. One can hope that it becomes more affordable soon.

Overall thoughts

I enjoy eating shirataki noodles occasionally and would recommend them to anyone open to trying a healthy, blood sugar friendly twist (see what I did there?!) to noodles. Because they have very minimal protein, I ensure I meet my protein macros by adding whole, protein foods into the noodles. The cost, however, can be a deterrent for regular use. Urban Platter also has shirataki rice, which can be used to make a blood sugar friendly version of sabudana khichadi, see the recipe here.

Have you tried differed brands of shirataki noodles, available in India? We would be excited to hear your feedback on our Facebook community, Diabetes Support Network India.