I’ve tried a few types of ‘no-cal’ noodles on here so I wasn’t that excited when I heard that Slendier, ANOTHER brand was launching here – but then friends in Australia, where the brand originated, started raving about them and so I figured I’d best give them a try. And I’m really glad I did. Here’s why…
What Are Slendier Made From?
Before we get started on the Slendier review though, let’s talk a bit about Slendier noodles – and what they actually are.
Slendier are made from an ingredient called konjac (you might also see them called shirataki noodles and we’ve written a much longer post on what that means).
Konjac is a root vegetable commonly grown in Asia and it’s pretty unique stuff because your body can’t digest most of it.
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You see konjac is very high in a fibre called glucomannon – and that’s a form of fibre that your body can’t digest. What that means is that when you eat foods made from konjac it will fill you up and leave you satisfied, but most of it will pass out of your system.
This means that konjac noodles are incredibly low in calories – 10 per 125g serving kind of low in calories. They are also super low-carb. Real pasta and noodles are around 100 calories per 25g of dry pasta. This makes it a fantastic food for slimmers.
Slendier – The Pasta Review
As I said, before, there are a lot of noodles, rice, pasta and other foods made from konjac now and I’ve tried a lot of them….but Slendier turned out to be the best so far.
I wasn’t sure this was going to be the case when I opened the parcel that they sent me and noticed they’d given me Fettuccini and Spaghetti varieties to try.
From my past experience with the konjac noodles, I’d decided they worked well with Asian-style dishes, but I really wasn’t sure about using them to replace pasta.
They were just a bit too soft and slimy – pasta is supposed to be dry and chewy.
Still, trying the 5:2 diet will make you do all sorts of odd things in attempts to save calories so I was willing to give things a go.
I bought a pot of tomato and bacon pasta sauce (90 calories per half pot), threw in a handful of kale and 50g of ham (60 calories) and left that lot to simmer while tackling the noodles.
They suggest a serving size of half a pack. As they come in a bag of water and are tightly wound together, trying to work out how to divide them and store them was more than my fast addled brain could cope with, so I ate the lot.
Hey, it was 10 extra calories, I figured I’d cope!
To cook them, you rinse them in cool water then put them in a bowl of hot water for a minute. I did this, but they seemed a bit lukewarm and I like my food piping hot, so, I drained them and threw them in the pan with the pasta sauce.
A lot of vigorous stirring (which probably burned more calories than the things contain) later all the noodles were suitably sauce coated and it was time to eat. Sadly, I was so hungry I forgot to photograph it. Just imagine, a bowl of transparent spaghetti in red sauce – how they got the stuff in the picture to look beige is beyond me!.
The noodles are definitely firmer than the other brands I’d tried – depending on how you want to look at it, it could be like you’re eating a chewy mushroom or that you’re munching on an elastic band, and while they’re not pasta, they aren’t bad.
I slightly preferred the Fettuccini to the Spaghetti.
The only thing you do need to watch out for is that they release a lot of water back into the bowl which can make whatever sauce you’re consuming them with a bit watery.
The whole meal added up to 170 calories – while other brands I’ve tried claim to have no calories, Slendier fess up to 8 calories per 100 grams – and did keep me more full than the soup I’d normally been having on fast days.
Konjac and Bloating
I also, kind of, escaped some of the problems I’d had with other konjac noodles and bloating in the past.
As I said, the reason Slendier noodles can contain so few calories is that they’re made of an indigestible fibre called konjac which simply passes through your system after you eat it.
When I’d tried the noodles in the past I’d suffered some serious stomach size enhancing bloating about 3-4 hours later. Which sucked. I’m eating these things to make my stomach smaller for heaven sake.
With these, I didn’t get the stomach swelling, although I admit, there was, erm, increased gas-based evidence of fermentation, the next day. But being female of course I don’t have such bodily functions so let’s pretend I never told you that. Move along. Nothing to see here.
So, what about your other common questions? Here’s what’s you’ve asked…
Is Konjac Healthy?
A food made of a strange substance you don’t absorb, it might not sound like it should be, but it’s actually a natural product and, very high in fibre which is something we should increase our diets.
While that fibre might cause bloating in some people, generally it’s good for us and konjac has been shown to help reduce the incidence of constipation and increase levels of good bacteria in the bowels.
It’s also been linked to lower cholesterol and low blood sugar.
Are Slendier Gluten-Free?
Yes. They might be shaped like noodle and pasta, but no wheat was harmed in the making of this product
They are also suitable for vegans, vegetarians and those on a dairy-free diet.
Where to Buy Slendier
If you want to try them, in the UK they are selling via amazon, that’s right you don’t even need to leave the house to have them delivered.
Aussie and NZ readers who haven’t found them yet, they’re in the main supermarkets like Coles, Woolworths, New World and PakNSave, but check the website here to find exact details. Both websites also include heaps of recipes to try.
Unfortunately, Slendier don’t seem to sell in the US right now – but you guys can choose Miracle Noodles which are also pretty good.
If you’re already a fan of knojac noodles, you might also want to investigate kelp noodles which are another very low calorie noodle made from seaweed.
If you’re not so worried about calories, and more interested in just staying superful, have a look at our review on black bean pasta as well.
We’ve also got a post on 33 other ways to cut down on your carbs using fruit and vegetables that you might want to see.
Who is The Wellness Nerd?
My name is Helen Foster and I’m a health journalist and wellness author. Publications I’ve written for include Women’s Health, Reader’s Digest, Body and Soul, Good Health at the Daily Mail and more. I have also written 16 books on health and nutrition.