kanten

Agar (also known as agar-agar and kanten depending on the source) is a type of gelatin made from seaweed. It's whitish in color, and comes in either sticks, flakes, granules or powder-usually in a little packet. It's healthier than regular gelatin which is made from animal products.

This past summer, the kanten diet took off! Every store was sold out. The makers of kanten were frazzled because it apparently takes some time to make and everyone wanted some. The reason kanten was so popular was that its gel like properties helps cut down on snacking. Also, the way the body absorbs foods is different--it's good for diabetics.

Since the wave seems to have died down a bit, I recently started to add kanten to our diet. You may only know of kanten in the form of a sweet gelatin with fruits, but there are recipes in which you add it to tomato juice, sauces, and soups. I've even added it to our rice before cooking (the calories are the same, but absorption is better). By adding it to meals, you can cut back on the portion of meat--you'll be filled up with the kanten, while taking in less calories.

Our breakfast this morning was ham sandwich with a slice of tomato kanten. And orange juice kanten with mandarin oranges.

We'll see how long we can keep this up and if we can lose some weight. :)