Few foods are known to be as filling, delicious, and, most importantly, cheap as instant ramen. Even in today’s economy, colorful squares of dry noodles can still cost 30 cents each – a bargain when you consider that for most people, a package of which is considered whole food.
While that price point may not seem like a lot of money, Maruchan, the company that makes the bulk of those small packages in the US, says on its website that it produces parts 3.6 billion soups each year.
It’s impressive in itself, but Maruchan is one of more than a dozen major instant ramen manufacturers, and there are many shops and restaurants that offer a wide variety of traditional ramen as well. .
What is ramen?
Ramen is a Japanese noodle dish that comes in four main varieties: miso ramen, tonkotsu ramen, shoyu ramen and shio ramen. When eaten in certain kitchens at home or in restaurants, wheat noodles are often made from scratch, served in a sweet, savory broth, and often topped with hard-boiled or soft-boiled eggs, corn, bamboo shoots, seaweed, legumes. , and proteins such as beef, pork, shrimp or chicken.
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But most people living in the US don’t think of Japanese delicacies when they hear “ramen.” Instead, we’re thinking about its immediate versatility — “the transformation of a prepackaged dish into a convenient meal for people with busy schedules, including college students,” at says LeeAnn Weintraub, a dietitian and nutrition consultant based in Los Angeles.
Instant ramen was created in 1958 by the founder of Nissin Foods – a man named Momofuku Ando. Ando discovered that by frying the noodles in oil, he could take them out of the water for easy storage before putting them back in the boiled water to turn them into fresh noodles again.
Instant ramen still has the same noodles as its traditional counterparts – and each color package also contains a packet of flour with flavors such as beef, pork, shrimp and chicken. Some types of instant ramen come with dehydrated vegetables like peas, carrots and corn – and some people also add their own flavors to ramen at home.
Is ramen healthy?
Instant ramen has good nutritional value, mainly because the food provides a lot of energy quickly, which is provided by refined carbohydrates. In addition, “the sodium in it also helps maintain electrolyte balance, water retention, and muscle function – improving hydration and performance,” says Jen Messer, nutrition consultant at right and registered dietitian at Jen Messer Nutrition. “By adding a protein source, you can have a quick and easy meal before your workout.”
Ramen is also filling and therefore can help prevent hunger. “And, depending on the ingredients and broth added, ramen can contain small amounts of protein and micronutrients such as iron,” says Lisa Young, nutritionist, author of “Finally Full, Finally Slim ,” and associate professor of nutrition at New. University of York.
Messer adds that many types of instant ramen also provide micronutrients such as thiamine and riboflavin, which can be beneficial for physical health, digestive health, and overall health. skin beauty.
Can you eat ramen every day?
Despite such benefits, these three experts agree that it would be foolish to immediately consider ramen a “healthy” food. “It is important to avoid eating too much ramen as it can lead to an unbalanced diet as it is high in calories but lacking in important nutrients such as fiber, vitamins and minerals,” says Weintraub.
Messer adds that both traditional and instant ramen “are also high in sodium — an important consideration for anyone watching their sodium intake, including people who who have high blood pressure or who are trying to avoid high blood pressure.”
“And ramen is usually high in fat and may contain ingredients such as monosodium glutamate (MSG) or preservatives that should not be used regularly,” adds Young.
At the same time, from time to time Eating a bowl of ramen is “absolutely right,” and even a good opportunity “to consider raising its nutritional value by adding a protein source like eggs, tofu, or chicken and delicious vegetables like spinach, mushrooms and carrots to make a balanced, economical and satisfying meal,” says Messer. “It’s all about balance.”
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