WTF Are Kelp Noodles & Should You Be Eating Them?

Holy fuck you guys need to know about kelp noodles, ASAP!

This skinny hack is brought to you by my friend Dr. Mona Vand. That’s right, KELP freaking NOODLES.

We were on the phone the other day and I was telling her how I still want to lose about 20 lbs, and since she’s like the health & wellness QUEEN, she told me I had to try kelp noodles ( along with 2 other recipes which we’ll get to ).

So Mona told me that these kelp noodles were basically like Miracle Noodles, but better ( you’ve read about Miracle Noodles here ). Miracle Noodles are kinda like air, but kelp noodles actually have benefits- specifically they’re full of iodine. If you’ve listened to the latest The Skinny Confidential HIM & HER podcast with Dr. Gundry, you know that he is big on people getting their iodine, which Americans are really lacking in their diet.

Benefits of Kelp Noodles:

♡ gluten free

♡ low sodium

♡ low fat

♡ contain calcium, iron & Vitamin K

♡ fab source of iodine

Iodine helps with thyroid function and is especially important for people with low thyroid function, which I actually just found out I have. I went and had my hormones tested and that’s what I found out, but that’s a whole other post.

They also have 0.1 grams of fat, 1.3 grams of carbs, 0.2 grams of fiber and 0.2 grams of protein. And did I mention that one bag of kelp noodles is only 19 calories? Yes PLZ. They’re made of water, kelp, & sodium alginate which is a seaweed derivative used for texture. It’s important to mention that kelp noodles are pretty low in calories and fiber and contain basically no protein. So be sure to up your protein and fiber when you’re eating them.

How To Use Kelp Noodles:

Dr. Mona Vand told me that she buys Sea Tangle brand kelp noodles from Whole Foods. She said the key is to do this: you put the noodles in a strainer, rinse, then add about 1 tbsp of baking soda, the juice of one lemon, then massage them until their soft ( about 60 seconds ). Once they’re soft, rinse them again, then they’re ready to use. You don’t have to cook them.

You can hear the noodles fizz as they break down. If you don’t do what she says above then they’ll be crunchy and just so not good. Some recipes online say to soak them in lemon juice but it just doesn’t work as well as what she recommends. Anyway, here are Mona’s favorite ways to prepare them:

1) Spaghetti: she’ll add Rao’s Arrabbiata sauce on top of the noodles with lemon, chili flakes and basil. You’ll have yourself a super healthy, low carb spaghetti dish.  

2) Takeout Ramen: Dr. Mona orders a spicy ramen from Postmates and throws out the ramen noodles it comes with, but throws in the kelp noodles.

3) Ramen At Home: she’ll take the seasoning out of a package of Top Ramen and use it on her kelp noodles. OBSESSED with this one. Top with some lemon and you’re golden. I mean… so good.

Other ideas for using kelp noodles: cacio e pepe, alfredo, curry, pho, marinara- or if you’re just not a kelp fan be sure to check out zoodles and spaghetti squash. Those are both really good healthy options too.

Obviously I couldn’t not share this tip with you guys. I’m so obsessed with kelp noodles. I’ve been having them for lunch with salmon, or I’ll have them at night with chicken or an egg. They taste so much like pasta, I really can’t tell the difference. Oh, and you should know that Erewhon Market has these amazing pesto kelp noodles that are made with lemon and kale. They’re seriously divine, and you can Postmate them.

Speaking of pesto, if you want a great vegan pesto recipe that you can make at home, you have to check out Dr. Mona’s YouTube where you can learn how to make it.

And if Dr. Mona wasn’t already so amazing, she also shared two other healthy recipes with me. As I mentioned above, I was telling her about my weight loss journey and she gave me two more amazing recipes because she is a total gem.

Zucchini noodles: Sauté mushrooms in a pan ( you have to check out the best pan ever ) with a little oil and spices. Add zucchini noodles, tomato sauce and top with avocado.

Baked eggplant: Peel the eggplant and slice super thin, add a little cheese ( can be vegan or any kind ) and bake in a dish with tomato sauce. Bake it for about 25-40 minutes until the eggplant is gooey and soft. She says the key here is to slice it super thin so it feels like lasagna.

Be sure to follow Dr. Mona on Instagram @monavand. She gives so many good healthy tips. You don’t want to miss them, trust me. We’ve actually collaborated on our channels before, so if you missed them check out our morning routines & nighttime routines.

love lauryn, x

+ if you want to hear more from Mona Vand, check out her podcast episode.

++ another skinny hack for ya- low-carb, high fiber tortillas.

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