Cabbage soup. Grapefruit. Eggs and bacon. Vodka. (Or was that just us?)

Just when you thought another miracle make-you-skinny food might make you lose your appetite, another one comes along. The next key player (ta-da!): a flavorless cooking ingredient called kanten (also known as agar agar). A seaweed-based thickener that’s all the rage in Japan, it’s rich in fiber, which makes you feel full faster so you (hopefully) eat less.

Used in a variety of Japanese foods and desserts, kanten is available in powder, noodle, bar, and flake forms (don’t get too excited, now) and can be mixed with anything from salads to chocolate pastries. With no calories or taste, it may even get you back to eating foods you actually like.

At least until the next diet craze comes along.

And, oh. It will.

Available online at edenfoods.com.