Breaking
FoodNerdy Recipes Management System
Tag

konjac

Browsing
Food

Konjac Flour: Properties of Low-carb Flour

In addition to being an additive in the food industry, konjac flour is also known as a weight-loss agent. We’ll show you what the powder is all about and how it performs in terms of sustainability.

What is konjac flour?

The basis for konjac flour is the so-called konjac root. This is the tuber of devil’s tongue, a plant native to East Asia. To obtain the flour, manufacturers first dry the tuber and then grind it into a fine powder.

In Southeast Asia, konjac flour is a traditional food and is mainly used for gelling and thickening. Because when it comes into contact with a liquid, the powder swells up and can bind large amounts of water.

The active ingredient that produces this effect is also known as glucomannan. The effect is somewhat comparable to that of psyllium husks. Konjac or glucomannan flour is also registered as an additive in Germany under number E425.

Konjac flour to lose weight?

In the fitness industry, konjac flour is now considered an effective weight loss aid. This is mainly because it is very low in calories: 100 grams contain only about 80 kilocalories. Konkjak flour is fat-free and consists of about 87 percent carbohydrates. These are mostly indigestible carbohydrates, i.e. soluble fiber.

Konjac flour is very satiating due to the high fiber content. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) confirms that overweight people can lose weight with the help of glucomannan powder.

According to the EFSA, adults should consume at least one gram of konjac powder three times a day with one or two glasses of water before meals. The saturation effect should lead to the fact that you then eat less. However, effects only occur if the person generally pays attention to a certain calorie deficit.

Note: If you want to lose weight, you should always do so as part of a healthy and balanced diet. Crash diets and uncontrolled fasting are neither healthy nor do they provide a long-term effect. Therefore, when losing weight, pay attention to the signals of your individual body instead of being guided by social body ideals.

Konjac flour: tips on buying and sustainability

You can buy konjac flour in the form of capsules or as a powder. When buying, pay attention to organic quality to avoid pesticides that are harmful to the environment and health. Also read the list of ingredients carefully and make sure that the product does not contain any additives.

You can mix the powder with a liquid of your choice or mix it with yoghurt, muesli and smoothies. In general, always make sure that you take konjac flour with sufficient liquid. Other typical konjac products are low-carb noodles and rice made from the tuber. You can find out more about this in this article: Konjac Noodles: What’s in the Konjac Root?

However, from an ecological perspective, konjac flour and products containing it are questionable. This is mainly due to the poor ecological balance: devil’s tongues only grow in East Asia and therefore have to travel long distances to Germany. So only use konjac in moderation or it is best to use regional alternatives.

Konjac Flour: Sustainable Alternatives

You don’t have to resort to products from other continents for filling low-carb flours. Examples of low-carbohydrate flours from regional foods are:

Flaxseed meal: Flaxseeds also have a high proportion of dietary fiber and therefore a high swelling capacity. In addition to their filling properties, they are also rich in omega-3 fatty acids and can not only help with weight loss, but also with gastrointestinal problems.
Walnut flour: Walnuts can also be grown in Germany without any problems. Like flaxseed flour, walnut flour is rich in unsaturated fatty acids and vegetable protein. However, it swells less. Due to its intense aroma, you can use it particularly well for baking.
Pumpkin seed flour: Pumpkin seed flour is a particularly good source of protein and has a spicy, nutty taste. This flour is ideal for savory dishes.
Sunflower flour: You can also get flour from sunflower seeds grown in Germany. Similar to pumpkin seed flour, it is particularly suitable for savory dough. You can also use it in small amounts for sweet dishes.

Keep Reading
By
Food

Konjac Noodles – Hardly Any Carbs or Calories

Pasta that has almost no calories? Yes, there really should be. We are talking about so-called konjac noodles. These are extremely low in carbohydrates and calories. EAT SMARTER will tell you whether it’s worth trying the low-carb noodles from Asia!

A low-carbohydrate diet, also known as low carb, is all the rage. Bread, rice, or pasta are removed from the menu. For many “forbidden” foods, however, there are now low-carb alternatives, such as protein bread. Now fans of this diet have discovered an extremely low-carbohydrate type of pasta for themselves: the konjac noodle.

What are konjac noodles?

Konjac noodles are made from water, calcium hydroxide (a harmless stabilizer), and konjac root flour. This plant has been cultivated and consumed in Asia for centuries. The low-carb pasta is also known there as “shirataki noodles”. They resemble glass noodles in color and consistency: they are also transparent and slightly gel-like. Since konjac noodles are not made from grain, they are also suitable for a gluten-free diet.

The pasta alternative is popular mainly because of its ingredients: Konjac noodles contain only around 10 kcal per 100 grams. In addition, they are free of fat and the only carbohydrates that are in the low-carb pasta are valuable dietary fibers, the so-called glucomannan. These are said to have many health-promoting effects, but only a few of them have been scientifically proven. It is well established that glucomannan improves blood lipid levels (by lowering “bad” LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels) and can help with weight loss (1). So far, these effects only apply to Konjac powder. It is still unclear whether these also apply to the pasta.

How to use konjac noodles?

Konjac noodles are prepared very quickly because they are sold pre-cooked. Very important: Rinse the noodles thoroughly under running water before putting them in the saucepan. Otherwise, the pasta could have a slightly fishy smell (but not taste). Then konjac noodles should be heated in boiling salted water for about two minutes.

Since konjac noodles have no taste of their own, it is advisable to refine them with sauces, herbs, and spices. The pasta absorbs the foreign aroma very easily. Therefore, the following applies: Always let the pasta soak in the sauce for two to three minutes before you eat it.

The noodles are also good as a soup ingredient or for Asian noodle pans.

But not only low-carb fans have discovered konjac noodles for themselves, but also many people who want to lose weight. The low-calorie yet filling pasta is a convenient food when looking to shed those extra pounds. However, if you are not on a diet, you should make sure that you eat energy- and nutrient-rich side dishes with the very low-calorie pasta. Otherwise, there is a risk of malnutrition.

Where can you find konjac noodles?

Konjac noodles are mainly available in Asian shops. Recently, however, many manufacturers (e.g. Slendier or Kajnok) have also been offering their products in well-stocked supermarkets – but at steep prices. Of course, fine noodles can also be ordered online, such as the ATG Konjak Noodles Shirataki “Thin Noodles” made from konjac flour.

Keep Reading
By
Food

Konjac Noodles: What’s in the Konjac Root?

Noodles made from the konjac root are advertised as an unrepentant indulgence. Unfortunately, they are not sustainable. Find out here what exactly the konjac root and konjac noodles are all about.

What is Konjac Root?

The konjac root is the tuber of the devil’s tongue, a plant species from the genus Titan Arum that grows in Asia. The konjac root is used there as a thickening agent in confectionery or for the preparation of a tofu-like mass or noodles. It has become known to us primarily for its appetite-suppressing and satiating properties.

On the one hand, the root has hardly any calories, but on the other hand it has an enormous swelling capacity. This is because it consists of about 40 percent so-called glucomannans. Glucomannans are soluble dietary fibers that can bind a lot of water, but have no nutritional value themselves. In the intestine, they absorb liquids and swell up as a result. They fill the stomach considerably and thus promote a long-lasting feeling of satiety and intestinal activity without increasing the energy content of the food, the calories.

That is why konjac noodles are popular

Konjac noodles, konjac rice, konjac lasagne sheets – all these products have very little to do with classic pasta or ordinary rice, because they are not made of grain. Instead, they are made from water, konjac root flour and a stabilizer such as calcium hydroxide, which the manufacturer claims is harmless.

As a result, foods made from the konjac root are…
Low in calories: 100 grams of konjac noodles contain just about eight to 14 kilocalories. Normal pasta, on the other hand, has about 138 calories.
carbohydrate-free: Konjac noodles have no carbohydrates. 100 grams of ordinary cooked pasta has about 25 grams of carbohydrates.
Low-fat: Konjac noodles only have 0.2 grams of fat per 100 grams. But normal pasta is also healthy with 0.9 percent fat in terms of fat content.
very rich in fibre: the konjac flour used has a large portion of glucomannan, which fills you up quickly but pleasantly and stimulates digestion. Glucomannan is also said to be able to improve blood lipid levels (study), but whether this property also applies to konjac noodles has not been confirmed.
Gluten-free: Most types of pasta are made from grains containing gluten, such as wheat or spelt, and are therefore not suitable for people with celiac disease. Konjac noodles, on the other hand, can also be enjoyed by people with gluten allergies without any problems.
Vegan: There are no eggs in the konjac noodles. But ordinary durum wheat pasta is also egg-free.
quick and easy to prepare: the konjac noodles come pre-cooked from the pack. All you have to do is wash them off and warm them up. Because they are quite tasteless, you can process them in many ways and create a wide variety of pasta dishes from them.
These properties make konjac noodles very interesting as a pasta alternative for many. Figure-conscious people appreciate the feeling of fullness that sets in quickly, athletes are happy about the low fat content, people with celiac disease are happy about the lack of gluten, and people who are stressed out about the time are happy about the quick preparation method.

Konjac noodles: why they are not a sustainable alternative

Enjoying as much pasta as you want without worrying about calories – that sounds like the dream of many connoisseurs. But when it comes to sustainability, the konjac pasta leaves a lot to be desired.

The devil’s tongue, from which the flour for the pasta alternative is made, is native to East Asia, Japan, western and central China. So the raw material travels a very long way before we find konjac noodles on the local supermarket shelves. With their high consumption of energy and resources, such food transports are a major burden on the environment. On the other hand, wheat and spelled grow for conventional pasta in Germany and Europe.

Pasta made from local grain also has another decisive advantage over konjac noodles: it consists of more than indigestible fiber. Although whole grain pasta has calories and carbohydrates, it also offers vegetable proteins, vitamins B and E, minerals such as iron, magnesium, zinc, selenium and potassium, phytochemicals and fiber. Even conventional pasta fills you up and can be part of a calorie-conscious, healthy diet if you enjoy lots of vegetables and light sauces with it.

Another environmentally friendly alternative to konjac noodles, which is also low in calories and low-carb, are vegetable spaghetti, which you can make yourself from vegetables using a vegetable peeler or spiralizer. Because they are also rather tasteless, you can season them with a wide variety of delicious sauces, herbs and spices.

Keep Reading
By