Uncooked noodles, crunched up, added to shredded cabbage and a bottled Asian dressing - maybe some sesame seeds, etc... Instant Asian salad. Yum.

Along the same lines as Aimra's question, are the noodles really that high in sodium???

I always thought that it was more the seasoning packets that came with them?



TIA,

Michelle

I have found these interesting passages from websites in a recent Google search:



'If you want to eat ramens in a healthy way, there are two tips.



1. You can find 'un fried ramen' in a Korean grocery market. It is called "An-Tui-Kin Myun" which literally mean 'not deep-fried'.



2. If you can't find 'An-Tui-Kin Myun', prepare two pots with boiling water on stove. Put noodle in one pot wihle put a seasoning packet into another pot. When noodle is half cooked, drain the water (you can see the water is now oily) and put the half cooked noodle into the another pot. Boil for a couple of minutes more and it is ready to eat.'



and



'A typical packet of instant ramenInstant ramen has often been criticized for its potential health risks. Some of these claims are justified, while others could be made against any diet that contains too much of a particular food.



A single serving of instant ramen is high in carbohydrates and low in fiber, vitamins and minerals. Instant ramen is typically fried, which makes it high in saturated fat and/or trans fat. A popular college urban legend states that a student gave himself scurvy by living on nothing but ramen for an entire year.



Ramen broth, especially that of instant ramen, contains monosodium glutamate (MSG) and a high amount of sodium, usually in excess of 60% of the U.S. Recommended Dietary Allowance. The noodles themselves contain little sodium, so one can avoid drinking the soup or use less of the seasoning package if a low-sodium diet is recommended for health reasons'.

I always cook the noodles and then add a little can of tomato sauce. The ones that are like $.20. Add italian seasoning, garlic powder, chilli powder (it gives some heat), or whatever you have on hand. So good!

Thanks for the info. about the sodium content, Lord Hillyer!!



I was pretty sure that the sodium actually came from the actual packet, but since being vegan I choose to eat them other ways with adding different seasonings myself, I was hoping that I hadn't been misinformed! I try not to make a habit out of eating them on a regular basis anyhow, but occasionally I will use them for a quick & easy lunch.



Thank-you again for posting the info., maybe it will come in handy for someone else as well!!!



Michelle

Just remember that without actual (and reliable) sources quoted, it's an opinion, NOT an actual fact and shouldn't be used as such.

You could try freeze dried veggies if you can't keep fresh on hand in your dorm. They're available in bulk, but also in containers marked "JUST VEGGIES" and toss 'em in hot water and they rehydrate pretty much instantly.

Ooo I like!

Actually TVP is pretty good if you are willing to wait a few minutes for it to rehydrate. You have to use seasoned broth however.

Thanks for your concern TNS, I absolutely understand where your coming from! I'm a very skeptical person by nature, but for this type of question, I really was just asking for people's opinions on the salt content, I didn't really need any hard proof.



I would love your input as well. Do you think that the noodles themselves contain alot of salt, or am I right in thinking it's more contained just in the seasoning packet? I know my kids love those things & I try to limit them as much as possible because of all the preservatives & salt added, and usually only end up letting them use 1/2 of the packet anyhow, but still it concerns me!



Thanks again for your advice!



Michelle

it's the seasoning packet, Michelle. but a lot of the fat content is in the noodles. HFS Koyo brand vegan ramen is way, way healthier.



Koyo brand Miso ramen:



200 cals

1 g fat

748 mg sodium

40 g carb

7 g protein



Top Ramen Oriental:



380 cals

14 g fat

1600mg sodium !!!!!!!

56 g carb

10 gram protein

I can't wait for this thread to die. I hardly ever eat Ramen after reading the stats on the back but recently ate some because I've been ill and wanted easy to make soup. Everytime I see the thread title I want more!!

Is there such a thing as ramen noodles without trans fats?



I used to love them.

Me too!! It really isn't fair....

Ok, theres no meat in Ramen Noodles, so whats wrong with them? I personally love the orientle and shrimp flavored ones.

Most of them have animal based broth if you are concerned about that as a vegetarian. They also have a surprising amount of calories and salt. I still eat them as a treat now and then but am sad to find out the oriental and shrimp flavors that used to have no animal broth now do.

They're highly processed, usually have trans fat, usually have animal based broth (the shrimp ones for sure), very high in sodium and pretty high in calories, no fiber, no vitimins, no nutrients to speak of....



That's not to say some of us don't eat (the veg. ones) them from time to time...

Most mainstream ramen noodles are full of fat, but a lot of them have gotten rid of their trans fat these days.



And yes, I'd say the majority of the sodium is in the packet, but at least for the kinds of ramen I have around the house, they all have salt as an ingredient in the noodles too.



Instead of ramen, I prefer instant rice noodle soups. Same convenienve, but much less fat, and I think less sodium too (but I don't have a packet to confirm)!

I bought a Thai peanut sauce dressing that is wonderful when mixed with noodles of any kind! Certainly not boring.

i'm eating the Oriental flavor ones from Top Ramen right now. i have kickboxing tonight so i'll burn off the callories anyway.

Top Ramen brand Oriental and Spicy Vegetable are both vegan the last I checked. None of the Maruchan brand flavors of ramen are veg*n friendly.



There are also several brands of other types of noodles that have veg*n flavors. Annie Chun's and Thai Kitchen are a couple. Asian markets also have several brands that offer veg*n friendly noodle soup flavors.



I know living in a dorm and being a college student limits what you can eat some, but try not to live entirely off of noodle soups. They are tasty, convenient, and cheap, but they are high in sodium and fat and low in fiber, protein, vitamins, and minerals. Try to keep some frozen veggies and tvp or dried tofu on hand to add to them.



Also, see if you are allowed to have other small kitchen appliances in your dorm room. If you can, here are some suggestions that will expand your cooking possibilities greatly: a dorm-size refrigerator (with a freezer section if you can find one), a hot plate, a rice cooker (I highly recommend--you can cook rice and steam veggies and tofu in it), a slow cooker, a blender, a toaster oven, and/or a grilled sandwich maker.

Hmm. Well, we use taco seasoning with Bacos (1/8 cup bacos, 1/8 cup of taco seasoning, 1/4 cup water) sometimes. I've also used tobasco and microwaved frozen vegetables as a flavoring. Bryanna Clark Grogan's "chicken" flavored broth is a good choice, if you mix it appopriately with water. We've used soy sauce/vinegar/brown sugar mixes (approximately 2 tsps each) and tossed in pan-fried tofu, too. Or margarine and salt. Or tomato paste and spices. Chocolate chips are good melted on the non-cooked noodles.

I don't like the Oriental Top Ramen. There was one I liked but can't find anymore. I believe it was Original flavor, the brand was Ty Ling. It was black with green edges. I'd make the noodles, then drain most of the water, put it in a bowl, put the seasoning on, and add lots of red pepper flakes. It reminds me of the chicken picante one I used to love. Guess it was just the spice I liked.

That sound Yummy...I am gonna try that....Thanx for sharing it.

I eat my noodles plain with a little bit of salt added. Yumm!



They have non-fried ramen noodles around somewhere. I know they have a couple brands that aren't impossible to find in a health store. Sorry i can't help anymore than that ,but a google search might help you find them.