What’s more, unlike whole, fresh foods, packaged foods like instant ramen noodles fall short in antioxidants and phytochemicals that positively impact health in many ways (3).
Many people all over the world love Ramen noodles, an instant noodle variety. Those that are pressed for time or on a tight budget tend to be drawn to instant ramen noodles.
While TBHQ is considered safe in very small doses, animal studies have shown that chronic exposure to TBHQ may lead to neurological damage, increase the risk of lymphoma and cause liver enlargement (9).
To save consumers’ cooking time, the noodles are pre-cooked, having first been steamed and then air dried or fried.
In addition, they are high in calories but low in a variety of nutrients compared to a more balanced meal that includes complex carbohydrates, protein, and vegetables.
Typically a pack of Indomie or Maggi is around 340-380kcal. A pack of Shin Ramyun is around 500kcal. It makes sense that Shin’s portion size is much larger than that of Maggi or Indomie. Because the portions are so tiny, I’m sure most of us have consumed two or three packs of Indomie in one sitting.
If you’re the kind to cook several packs at once but not all the seasoning packs, I’d advise you to save them so you can later enjoy the flavors of instant noodles when making plain pasta or noodles, which has fewer calories per serving than instant noodles.
One common misperception about instant noodles is that they are naturally high in fat. That eating it means you’re instantly gaining fat. That’s completely untrue. When it comes to foods that have a set number of calories, instant noodles are just like an apple or a banana. Regardless of gender, height, or weight, eating one pack of instant noodles and nothing else throughout the day has no chance of making you fat.
Long story short, enjoy your instant noodles. They can 100% be part of your regular diet. You can achieve the best of both worlds in terms of health and weight loss as long as you consume a diet high in nutrient-rich foods and maintain a consistent calorie deficit.
For example, a pack of Shin or Indomie would have 350–500 calories for the day, which is extremely manageable in terms of fat loss because it is, at most, 25%–35% of your daily caloric intake. There are still plenty of calories left before you reach your limit. When you break it down, the calories in instant noodles aren’t that scary. Like with all foods, you have to prepare ahead of time and watch your portion sizes.
