Obviously they shouldn’t be the only thing you eat, but as a snack from time to time isn’t bad right?
They’re fine. But there are ways you can make them more nutritious.
Cut back on the flavoring packet. There’s a lot of sodium in there.
Add some veggies. I like to throw shelled edamame into mine but you can try anything in there really.
Add some protein. I like tofu or egg.
Follow all of that and you have a more balanced and filling meal. That being said, every once in awhile I just want plain, cheap, salty noodles – no veggies or protein added.
they just lack nutrients. so if you consume them too much it can 1.) be empty calories and 2.) cause malnutrition.
I still eat them but make sure to add plenty of meat and regular vegetables into the meal. Stirfried ramen with cabbage and eggs was one of my go to in college for a healthier but still cheap version.
Yeah, instant noodles aren’t the greatest, they have quite a bit of sodium and saturated fat, and thus shouldn’t be part of the regular rotation of food, but having them once in a while won’t kill you.
The seasoning packet is high in sodium, but you don’t have to use the whole pack. The noodles don’t have much nutritional value. Like all things, fine in moderation, but probably not good to have them for every meal if you have a choice.
Fun fact about instant ramen noodles, they are actually a health risk if eaten more than 2x week.
And eating it only once stresses your digestive tract due to the inclusion of TBHQ.
Article from USC Keck Medicine here:
https://www.keckmedicine.org/blog/is-your-ramen-ruining-your-health/
Ughhh, it depends on what ramen noodles you are referring to. If you are talking about the ramen from instant noodles package, then that’s probably not the healthiest. But the actually problem is the soup/sauce packets in those instant noodles packages which often contain chemicals and a lot a lot of salt. Other than that, if you are eating real ramen from Japanese restaurants, you should be fine (unless are eating it for every single meals, then you would need to be careful for your sodium intake and lack of vegetables in the diet).
I use them as a base for stirfrys instead of rice. I boil them in water with the packets just for a bit of flavour but most of that high sodium stuff gets strained out and then you can add your veggies and protein for a more nutrient dense meal. In these cases I just try and make the topping to noddle ratio like 3:1 so I’m not just filling up on noodles.
I think it depends on the context of your day. They aren’t the most nutritious but if you just want a snack I wouldn’t add anything unless you aren’t eating the whole packet because they can be calorie dense
I went on SO many crash diets where there’s no way in heck I would have even looked at ramen. White carbs!?!? Are you insane??
But then I finally learned to lose weight sustainably and that part of that is not cutting out any food entirely. For the first time in decades I started eating ramen on the occasion. Think 1-2 times a month. I usually add fried egg and veggies (I freaking love stir frying cabbage and adding it) but today I had em plain because I’ve had some sort of weird virus thing and everything else makes me want to upchuck. It actually made me realize that some hyper palatable foods have a magic quality of being edible during illness when calories are just helpful and it’s something right?
So maybe alone they don’t offer much in the way of nutrition, sure. But it’s more like blank calories. Some of that is fine as long as you’re being thoughtful about getting your nutrition in with most of what you eat. And I’d say they can be INCREDIBLE for mental health and a sustainable diet. If they’re your thing that is. I only have a rule that I have to really truly like the hyper palatable foods I have now and then. I don’t want to waste that indulgence on something I don’t really care for but is just there you know? I got so much healthier just learning I don’t actually want stake break room cake. And deep fried foods make me actually ill. Maybe a bite is ok but why would I do that to myself?
Plus, ramen’s got a little protein. It’s an ok base and there’s definitely worse choices.
Ramen Noodles have a reputation for being unhealthy due to their high sodium content, preservatives, and MSG. A typical package of instant ramen noodles can contain as much as 1,800 mg of sodium, which is more than the daily recommended intake of 1,500 mg. Furthermore, the high sodium content can increase the risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke.
Additionally, instant ramen noodles are often made with refined flour, which means they have little to no fiber, vitamins, or minerals.
Instant ramen noodles aren’t really good for you, but in the way that it doesn’t really add anything nutrition wise. Fresh ramen is better since it doesn’t have any of the preservatives but still not a “healthy” choice really.
Also I saw somewhere once that most instant ramen noodles don’t breakdown very well and it’s hard for the body to digest. But I add this as a side note since it was one place I saw it, and it was on the internet, so who knows how true it really is. So while I don’t really doubt it, I can’t say it’s true, ya know?
E: and if we add the broth into the picture it gets worse for you…like instant ramen is super high in sodium, and restaurant ramen is high in sodium and typically has lots of fat n such in it. So that makes it not so great for you
If you don’t have gluten related issues then go for it. Instead of the spice packs use your own fresh protein to pimp it up. Also know that some allergies are caused by regular exposure and not in a single day.
When I get it I usually toss the dry broth packets and make my own broth (less sodium and I can control the fat %). Toss some veggies and an egg and that’s it!Restaurant made ramen is higher in fats but that’s usually a once in a while treat so I don’t worry that much about it. I balance my meals well enough to afford a treat like that.There’s definitely worse meals (nutrition wise)
The only foods I try to never eat are chips(because self control doesn’t exist for me) and pine nuts(because it will kill me), everything else no matter how nutritionally empty can fit in my diet at some point.
There’s healthier instant noodles but the only thing that makes them unhealthy is the 1800mg of sodium .. that’s more than someone should actually have over a few days .. plus the packets got bigger over the last couple years…
Sorry I’m toooo lazy to pull the source, but I had this same question a few years back and swear I saw an article about some carcinogen/cancer relation to the instant noodles..I was devastated..but I keep eating it
Everything in moderation my friend. With that being said most people think having a bowl of ramen, a bar of chocolate and then McDonald’s is moderation lol which it obviously isn’t, it’s just eating different junk/non nutritious foods.
Nothing wrong with having ramen from time to time. But I’d highly recommend removing the flavour packaging, adding your own natural flavourings, add a protein source and some veggies :)
Maltodextrin is the reason I would say instant ramen is actively bad for you. The sodium content isn’t much of a concern if your diet is not particularly high in processed, high sodium foods. I would still consider it something you can enjoy just as much as any other sugary/high carb thing can be incorporated into a healthy diet.
Fresh ramen really doesn’t have any particularly unhealthy ingredients, unless you are using things loaded with preservatives or stabilizers, or you are using broth bases with more maltodextrin in them. It also often includes a lot more nutritious, vitamin packed foods like vegetables, whole grains, and proteins.
The main issue with ramen is that your stomach has a hard time breaking it down. Theyve taken footage inside the body as someone digests instant ramen and it takes longer and stresses the system. From time to time, sure no worries bit often would not be good for you.
Personally I like to boil the noodles, use coconut milk and spices to boil the veggies for a while, and then just add the noodles in. Gives you the flavour and texture of ramen noodles with much less sodium
Skip the flavour packet and get some Tsuyu sauce - instant flavour but more natural (the dried veggies are fine if there’s no added salt).
Adding a good quality brand of kimchi is also a way to add nutrients to ramen, whilst keeping the effort just as low.