i was wondering if it was possible to use soba and udon noodles when on the diet to fill out some soups or meals , I wondered how different IF ANY they are from what we cannot have on it such as pasta and rice, without sounding racist you don’t see many large Japenese people

They’re typically over 70% carb so if you’re looking to go low carb (under 50g per day) I personally wouldn’t.

Interestingly the incidence of diabetes is rising in Japan and there is some research (available on the internet) that there may be a link to the consumption white rice.

but if I am not looking to use too often and not looking to go to low a carb level are they then ok say to add to miso soup just to give it more substance

If you’re not doing low carb, then you’re not doing the BSD. Go with kelp noodles instead. They have little taste of their own so they’re best in dishes with strong flavors, but you can cook them literally for hours and they’ll still have a little bite to them which makes them ideal for long simmers in soup. Nutritionally speaking they’re paradise: the entire 12 oz bag has 24 calories and 3 grams of fiber, zero net carbs.

To prepare them, rinse them thoroughly in a colander, pulling apart the strands, then soak them in water with the juice of one lemon for an hour. That softens them nicely (otherwise they’re crunchy like chow mein noodles). Strain them again and add to whatever you’re making. I’ve used them as pasta with arugula or spinach pesto or mushroom cream sauce, in a Chinese chicken salad dressed with sesame oil, ginger, green onions, garlic and vinegar, in a spicy Thai-style chicken and asparagus noodle dish and an assortment of soups.

http://www.kelpnoodles.com/

Or even, go for just using seaweed, I bought some wakame dried seaweed from a Chinese/Oriental supermarket. It gives a bit of crunch and texture to miso and isn’t too carby.

Ive never heard of kelp noodles. Thanks a mill. Hopefully i can get them in ireland.

Soba noodles are often though not always made from a mix of buckwheat flour and wheat flour. Traditionally I believe they were made from buckwheat flour only. Buckwheat doesn’t contain gluten, whereas wheat does. I think buckwheat in very small amounts might be okay with other ingredients that altogether keep the glycaemic index of the meal low (wheat contains two forms of carbohydrate, one of which, amylopectin-A, is digested quickly and has a higher glycaemic index than table sugar). I read this in a book that’s available at WH Smith, Wheat Belly by Dr William Davis (who also recommends a low-carb diet).

Seaviewjoy – you will probably find that kelp noodles are available on Amazon, as are konjac noodles. They are equally low calorie and low carb, but can be a bit rubbery. I find the thin ones and the transparent ones are more palatable than the others, and they are very filling. Unfortunately most of the yummy oriental noodles tend to be very high carb, as well as highly processed and the carbs tend to convert immediately into high blood sugar levels. My worst realisation was that sushi rice sends your blood sugar spiking as quickly as sugar, so now I settle for the salmon sashimi and kaiso salad.

i found what look like some good recipies a couple of soba noodle soups so will try and post if good

Before you proceed with this plan, you need to be mindful of what exactly you’re going to be eating. Have you checked the nutritional information on the package? How many carbs per serving size? Are they made from 100% buckwheat flour or a mixture with wheat flour? Do you have blood sugar issues (insulin resistance, pre-diabetes, diabetes)? Because even the pure buckwheat noodles have a high glycemic load.

Buckwheat noodles generally have about 20g of carbs per 100g. It is unfortunate but noodles are almost all made of refined carbs. My favourite is Singapore noodles and I find I am glad when it’s time for the takeaway to close so I cannot order a huge portion. But I console myself with the thought, as Kate Moss said, nothing tastes as good as skinny feels. I want that feeling back please

Hi, I’ve just watched a Horizon programme on the BBC I – Player regarding so-called ‘clean eating’ that suggests that problems with gluten in wheat and other grains containing gluten are likely only scientifically proven for people who are diagnosed coeliacs. So my suggestion that you might read Dr William Davis’ Wheat Belly book now comes with a warning: perhaps we shouldn’t get too obsessed with it.

I enjoyed reading it, and it is persuasive, but after seeing the programme I’m now happy to eat a bit of nice bread again – perhaps it is better to limit the amount, and perhaps it is better to limit pastries and pies, but a very small amount now and again might be okay (except on the 800-kcal a day fast diet). And it seems scientists agree that trans-fats in many baked goods aren’t good so it’s worthwhile avoiding those.

Also, the Horizon programme focused on fears about gluten and did not discuss modification of wheat, or anything about wheat’s glycaemic index even though these topics featured strongly in the book.

As I’m not doing the 800kcal a day fast diet, and am not a coeliac, I think I’ll re-include a bit of wheat (and my husband will be happy). So I’m still aiming for the Mediterranean type Diet with quite small portions of usually wholegrain carbs, not excessive healthy fats, not excessive animal proteins, regular oily fish, plus vegetables, fruit, and nuts.

Oh, plus a little cheese and a small amount of other dairy produce ☺

Hi Michaelmas Daisy. I think the answer is to eat bread only very occasionally, and eat only the most delicious bread you can find. There cannot be a diet on earth that doesn’t restrict bread, so we should maybe learn something from that. My personal favourite is the ciabatta they sell in fenwicks in Newcastle – not for a few weeks though. I think I remember reading somewhere that we should try to eat only the most delicious food possible and to waste your carbs/calories on a loaf of sliced white …..