Kelp Noodles: A Healthy Alternative to Pasta and Rice

I have problems with carbs. It is a fact that I have tried to ignore most of my life. I love the way they taste, smell, and look. I did not want to give them up! But the fact is they make my eczema flare up, I’m bloated when I eat them, they make me feel sluggish, the more carbs I eat the more I want to keep eating them, and they give me headaches. So I have gone off carbs as much as possible. It isn’t easy and sometimes I let myself cheat but it has been worth it. The big reason I have been able to stay off of carbs is because of the foods I’ve found to use as replacements. One of the products I love is kelp noodles!

Kelp noodles are exactly what they sound like, noodles made from kelp. They contain three ingredients: kelp, sodium alginate (salt from brown seaweed), and water.

Have you heard of negative calorie foods? Negative calorie foods are the foods that take more calories to digest than they contain. Some great examples are cabbage, celery, broccoli, turnip, watermelon, grapefruit, and (you guessed it) kelp noodles.

Not only are kelp noodles a negative calorie food they are low carb (1g per serving), gluten-free, fat-free, and contain only 6 calories per serving. To top that off they are filling and delicious. You can’t find a better pasta/rice substitute.

Kelp noodles come ready to use, no cooking required. All you have to do is rinse and add to any dish. Depending on what dish you are adding the noodles to, you may want to cut the noodles into smaller pieces.

I love using kelp noodles in soups and stir-fries but they are great in salads and as a spaghetti spubstitute!

When eaten plain, kelp noodles have little to no flavor. But when you add them to your dish they take on the flavor of what you are cooking with. The noodles aren’t soft like pasta. They have a crunch to them when cold and grow softer when heated. Don’t expect it to taste like pasta or have the same consistency. They are different but enjoyable nevertheless.

Kelp noodles can be found in some health food stores. I buy mine in bulk online from a company in San Diego called Sea Tangle Noodle Company. You can check out their products at www.kelpnoodles.com

If you want to try just one bag of the noodles they are also available on Amazon.

Here is the first dish I made with my kelp noodles. I hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:

• A third of a package of kelp noodles.
• 3 oz. thawed shrimp (chicken, beef, or pork can be used but must be cooked before added to the stir-fry. Note substituting any of these options this will change calories per serving. )
• 1/3 cup chopped onions
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced cabbage
• A handful of raw mushrooms
• 1/4 cup julienne sliced carrots
• 1tsp. sesame oil
• 1tsp. canola oil (or olive oil)
• 1/2 tbls. tamari sauce (or soy sauce)

Cook over medium heat. Add canola and sesame oil to a wok or frying pan. Sauté onions, carrots, mushrooms, and cabbage. Cook until vegetables are soft. Add kelp noodles. Make sure they have been rinsed and cut to desired length. Stir in shrimp and tamari sauce. Cook only until the shrimp it hot. Enjoy!

Makes 1 serving. About 250 calories.