Near-Zero-Calorie Stomach Fillers

An almost calorie-free "meat" substitute? Well, yeah ... kind of ;-) This stuff, by itself, has no protein or other nutritious goodies. But if you add it to an already-CRONed meal, you may be able to slash calories from your diet.

Above: To make near-zero-calorie taco "meat"... (1) Prepare some of Warren's Konjac Rice, as shown in the jar on the upper left (contact Warren off-list about Konjac powder, if you can't find it on your own; this link shows cost of Konjac powder GM for 1/2 and 1 lbs. sizes). (2) Microwave the Konjac Rice on High for about 5:00 min using a microwave-safe glass/ceramic container (the Konjac will be very hot and steamy when done, so be careful when handling). (3) Drain all excess water from the Konjac container. Use a stainless steel spoon to break up the chunks of Konjac into "burger". (4) Add seasonings and hot sauce, as desired (see image above: I like garlic, onion and turmeric powders, Bernard Jensen spice, and a drop or two of Tabasco sauce). You can add the burger meat to any meal, or make a Romaine-lettuce taco, or just enjoy it by itself.

Above: Konjac seasoned taco "meat" after spices are added. The red hue comes from turmeric.

Above: A very-low-calorie "taco", using Romaine lettuce leaves as shells.

This recipe is very quick & easy-to-make and the end-result smoothie has outstanding mouth-feel texture and flavor. In fact, I call it a "smoothie nectar" and am not ashamed to compare it to the full-calorie products one orders at popular smoothie bars.


Above: Ingredients: Industrial-grade cellulose gum¹, Tropicana Sugar-Free Fruit Punch².Tools: blender, tablespoon.

Above: (1) Pour about 1L of Tropicana into the blender and blend on high for about 15sec. This will aerate the punch, making it frothy (as visible in the image).

Above: (2) Now, you add the cellulose gum -- about 3/4 T for 1L of liquid. I find this step to be most effective if one adds the cellulose live (i.e., into the spinning blender). The Braun model, shown above, has a nice access port that will allow you to do this (hence you won't need to stop the blender from step (1)). Otherwise, stop the blender after step (1), add the cellulose, and re-start the blender. Blend on high for about 20sec. You will notice that the pitch (speed) of the blender will change -- i.e., it will slow down and become duller as the smoothie thickens. When the pitch stabilizes, stop the blender.

Above: Using either more cellulose or less liquid, the viscosity (thickness) of the slurry can be increased to change the final product to a "spread". I actually prefer a Tropicana spread to WF fruit spreads as the latter taste too "chemically." The Tropicana spread is a lot cheaper, too.

Above: Ahh...the nectar at last! (Not really "at last" though -- the whole recipe takes less than 40sec)

If you don't drink it within 10 min or so, its foamy/frothy mouth-feel will change to a more-syrupy texture. Simply re-blend to re-froth (see note 3 below).

Above: A closeup of the nectar-like smoothie.

Above: A snarfer's view of the smoothie, fresh out of the blender, reveals a frothy texture. This stuff's mouth-feel is excellent, and the liquid-saturated cellulose will help suppress appetite.

Notes:

(1) Cellulose gum, as Warren has noted to me, is unlike guar gum or cellulose powder, in that it is very close to zero calories per serving size. Its hydrative properties and solubility are also unique. I haven't tried other gums or thickeners so I can't comment on how the texture and viscosity of a smoothie will change if they are used. Like guar and Sucralose, Warren may begin distributing this stuff if enough people express interest. My stash came from an industrial vendor's sample shipment.

(2) Tropicana's Sugar-Free (calorie-free) Fruit Punch is non-carbonated, sweetened with Aspartame, and comes in a 2-liter bottle. It's cheap: I can normally pick it up for $1.00/2-L bottle. Tropicana also has Sugar-Free Orangeade and Lemonade; both of these, I believe, pack about 5kcal/serving. The Fruit Punch is, IMO, the best-tasting and is calorie-free to boot.

(3) If you don't consume all of the smoothie, it will lose its frothiness in about 15 min. To re-froth, simply re-blend on high for a few seconds. The smoothie will keep for weeks in a refrigerator without any loss of flavor or texture.

(4) Using toothpicks or popsicle sticks, you can also turn the smoothie into a refreshing, frozen summer dessert.