Yeah, I know it’s a stretch, but bear with me and keep reading…
Now, while I realize that pasta may not be the best thing in the world for you to eat and ramen is probably in the “caked on, stuck on” the bottom of the barrel of choices of pasta, or food in general…
… I ALSO realize that, hey, times are really tough for a lot of people and more and more people are resorting to cheaper (crappier quality) foods in order to save money and simply… SURVIVE during rough economic times.
I get it.
And I ain’t gonna lie, ramen noodles have definitely graced our pantry at one time or another during rough times and even not-so-rough times!
But, since ramen noodles are probably one of THE most bought items by people being strained financially, and because I’m all about meeting people where they are…
If you are feeling “forced” to eat them, OR if you eat them just because you freakin’ LIKE to eat them… then let’s try to make it at least a little healthier for you!
Cool?
Okay again, the noodles aren’t the best things in the world to eat BUT…
I’d have to say that the FLAVOR PACKETS are probably the main thing making this already not-so-good food item even worse!
Why? Because of a little something called MSG, among other things such as being extremely high in sodium.
Now I’m not going to go into why MSG is bad for you, you can just Google it.
But trust me, the best thing to do if you’re gonna eat ramen, is to toss out those flavor packets and flavor them yourself with better ingredients.
A few examples of ways you can make ramen noodles healthy:
Oriental Ramen
Cook the noodles as usual, drain off most or all of the water (most if you like a little broth in yours and all if you don’t need the broth) and to them add:
soy sauce, tamari or miso (even better) – and just a side note, FERMENTED soy is actually good for you! These include soy sauces, tamari (wheat-free soy sauce) nama shoyu (raw, unpasteurized soy sauce), miso, tempeh and FERMENTED tofu and soymilk.
1/4 tsp. of ginger, onion powder, garlic powder
a pinch of cayenne pepper
chopped green onions
lightly stir-fried veggies & chicken or other meat of choice (optional)
Stir well and enjoy – feel free to adjust the seasonings to your tastes!
TIP: If you like chow mein noodles, another way you make your ramen is to boil the noodles just until al dente (not too soggy… leave them slightly firm with a little “bite” to them) and drain off all the water.
Heat up a pan with a little butter or oil, mix up the aforementioned ingredients (soy sauce, ginger, onion powder, etc), add the noodles to the pan and toss around with tongs or a fork and then add the sauce mixture.
Toss around to coat and remove from heat. If you want you can add in shredded cabbage, carrots, onions, chicken, etc.
Chicken or Beef Ramen
Prepare noodles as usual. Add to them and the water organic bouillon in the flavor of your choice and any other spices you’d like. You can also make your own, homemade broth from your meat of choice, which is even better. If using salt, please use Real Salt Sea Salt or Celtic Sea Salt!
Cappellini Pomodoro Ramen
This is a sauce that friend shared with me many years ago and back then, I was into raw food so we served it on spiralized, “angel hair” zucchini “pasta” – which is actually an option for you to try if you’re dead set against using the actual, wheat-based ramen noodles for any of the recipes- just boil them rather them leave them raw OR if you want, try it raw!
Prepare noodles as usual and drain completely.
Chop by hand or pulse-chop in a food processor the following:
1/2 olive oil
2 t fresh minced or ground garlic
sweet onion diced (to taste)
¼ – ½ tsp. each of oregano, basil, thyme & rosemary (or 1-2 tsp. of Italian Seasoning)
Celtic Sea Salt to taste
Fresh basil is SUPER yummy in this. Let the sauce sit at room temperature 3-5 hours (so make this AHEAD of time). Serve over your ramen noodles.
And for a really easy, simple way to enjoy your ramen, just add a little butter, garlic powder and a few dashes of sea salt!
If you want to make them heartier as well as healthier, add in or serve noodles over the top of chopped veggies (potatoes, cabbage, carrots, spinach, broccoli, etc.) or meat such as marinated & sautéed chicken, beef, turkey or shrimp!
So there you have it… ways to make your ramen at least a little bit healthier and WAY more delicious!
Here are a few additional articles you may find interesting & helpful:
Tips On How To Make Coffee Healthy
Clean Up Your Pantry: Changing Out Refined White Products
Does Eating Healthy Have to Be Expensive? The Truth Behind The Myth
