Are miracle noodles really calorie free?

If you have heard of them you are probably wondering are miracle noodles really calorie free?

The simple answer is, YES… miracle noodles are EFFECTIVELY calorie free! Because the calories they contain are unusable calories! You may never have heard of unusable calories. In this case the term refers to calories that can not be converted to energy.

Miracle noodles are Japanese shirataki noodles which are made from the root of the konjac plant. This substance is 100% soluble fiber and dietary fiber (both soluble and insoluble) are unusable calories because the human body is incapable of converting them to energy and they simply pass through the digestive system without being absorbed.

That said, dietary fiber is classed as a carbohydrate and carbohydrates contain approximately four calories per gram so strictly speaking, fiber contains calories but they are calories that can’t be used.

Unfortunately, the nutritional data contained on food packaging may not always reflect this. Sometimes they count calories based on total carbohydrate content so a food that is high in fiber can indicate a higher calorie content than is strictly accurate.

In any case, when it comes to Japanese shirataki noodles you may see conflicting figures stating that a serve contains 10 calories. This is because a serve contains 2.5 grams of dietary fiber which is multiplied by four calories per gram to give a figure of 10 calories. But, as mentioned previously, these are unusable calories because the body is incapable of converting them to energy.

So effectively, miracle noodles really ARE calorie free.

It should be noted that you can also purchase tofu shirataki which contains 20 calories per serve because the konjac fiber has been mixed with tofu to create a noodle with a less rubbery texture… obviously, with the addition of tofu they are no longer calorie free but they still provide an excellent alternative to regular pasta and noodles which contain an average of 210 calories per cup sized serving.

To view our miracle noodle review visit Foods with no calories – Miracle noodle review. If you would like some recipes for these noodles visit Shirataki noodle recipes.