Ramen is a pantry staple loved by children, college students, and adults alike. Ramen noodles are great because they’re inexpensive, easy to make, and flavorful. However, ramen noodles are not always the healthiest choice.
The truth about ramen
It’s no surprise that ramen noodles might not be the healthiest choice.
- Did you know that ramen noodles contain more saturated fat than regular pasta? Half a ramen package (half the noodles and half the seasoning packet) meets about 20% of the recommended daily saturated fat limit. An entire ramen package will meet over a third of your saturated fat daily allowance. Regular pasta, on the other hand, does not contain any saturated fat. [1]
- Ramen is full of sodium, mostly from the seasoning packet. Sodium can negatively impact your blood pressure. The American Heart Association recommends no more than 2,300 milligrams (mg) a day and moving toward an ideal limit of no more than 1,500 mg per day for most adults. [2] The full ramen package provides more than 100% of the ideal daily limit! Discarding the seasoning packet and adding your own flavor to the noodles could save you a lot of sodium.
- Further, plain ramen doesn’t provide much nutrition.
Still, we recognize that ramen is incredibly affordable. It’s also easy to make, requires few ingredients, and doesn’t dirty up a lot of dishes. That’s tough to beat!
We wondered, how can we keep everything that’s helpful about ramen and make it even better? We wanted to keep the convenience and affordability factor of ramen while improving the nutrition. So the FoodTalk team got to work and came up with 4 healthful ramen recipes that taste great and still meet our nutritional guidelines.
1. Ramen pasta salad
This recipe is begging you to take it to a family picnic. Our ramen pasta salad is tangy and full of balanced soft and crunchy textures. Using oil and vinegar for a pasta salad instead of mayonnaise also reduces saturated fat while keeping all the flavor. Our ramen pasta salad is just four ingredients:
- Cold ramen noodles (without the seasoning packet)
- Premade coleslaw
- Olive oil
- Red wine vinegar
Find the full recipe here.
2. Easy ramen stir fry
Ramen noodles are a natural fit for a stir fry. This soy saucy, peanut-buttery, broccoli-filled stir fry is a simple dinner that takes no time at all. Top with red pepper flakes or lime juice for extra flavor! You’ll need:
- Ramen noodles (without the seasoning packet)
- Low sodium soy sauce
- Crunchy peanut butter
- Fresh or frozen broccoli
- Olive oil
- Pepper
Find the full recipe here.
3. Ramen with veggies
Let’s face it. The ramen seasoning packet tastes good. It’s also filled with sodium. In this recipe, we used about 1/3 of the seasoning packet (~1/4 tablespoon) to keep some of the flavor while limiting the sodium. Adding texture, color, and flavor with the vegetables and egg make this dish a great compromise! To make it, grab:
- Ramen noodles
- Frozen vegetable mix
- Boiled egg
- Water
Find the full recipe here.
4. Curly noodle supreme
Curly noodle supreme is an easy dish that’s full of lean protein and hearty veggies. It can also be made with tofu for a vegetarian choice. To make it, you’ll need:
- Ramen noodles (without the seasoning packet)
- Ground turkey (or your choice lean protein)
- Canned diced tomatoes
- Canned corn
- Italian seasoning
- Black pepper
Find the full recipe here. You can also watch how to make the recipe step-by-step.
How do you add more nutrition to your ramen noodles?
Written by Taylor Newman, Ph.D. Candidate | Edited by Laurel Sanville, MS, RDN, LD