Indeed, soy sauce and other condiments rich in salt are often used for preparation of ramen. High sodium intake contributes to adverse effects like high blood pressure. Our Centre's study revealed that sodium content of ramen ranged from around 2000- 4000mg per bowl. About half of the sodium content came from the soup.
Saltiness isn't its distinguishing feature, since all ramen is quite salty. Rather, a shio ramen is one in which the main contributor of salinity to the flavor base is salt—not miso or soy sauce. Beyond that, almost anything goes.
Ramen is not typically considered a "healthy cuisine" in Japanese restaurants for several reasons, including the quantity of white flour-based noodles it includes per serving, making it extremely starchy and detrimental to blood sugar control.
But plain Japanese somen noodles carry 280 mg sodium per cup, without the salted broth they're usually served in. Even worse: seasoned ramen noodles, at 1,434 mg per package. Switch to soba noodles, at only 68 mg per serving.
Typically, a shio broth is made with chicken or pork base. You can identify this broth both by it's extremely salty flavor, as well as it's clear yellow coloring. Often, shio ramen contains quite a lot of seaweed. If you have issues with sodium, this would be the ramen to avoid.
Tonkotsu ramen has the least amount of sodium
Tonkotsu ramen has 5.4 grams of sodium in total. Tonkotsu ramen soup has 3.6 grams of sodium. And the noodles have 1.8 grams of sodium. So it will be 2.7 grams of sodium when you eat the ramen noodles and drink one quarter of the tonkotsu soup.
Furthermore, what makes ramen noodles so calorific is their sugar content. For every 100 grams of boiled noodles there's roughly 27 grams of carbs. This translates to 9 cubes of sugar (each 3 grams) for every 100 grams of noodles.
Korean instant noodles are no different to most processed food items. Nutritionists and experts alike viewed them generally unhealthy. But it doesn't mean you shouldn't deprive yourself of a delicious cup of Korean instant noodles. A serving or two every 2 weeks in fine.
The post-war period brought on significant food shortages, and street food vendors were outlawed in order to conserve rations—a policy that began during the war. The only way to get ramen, which was something people bought from food stalls rather than made at home, was to find it on the black market.
“It would be better to eat food that isn't processed, no matter what you're choosing,” Gulati said. She said ramen should be eaten once a week at most — and that even if a student does eat it, they should eat it in smaller portions and balance out their meals with other nutritional options.
It was convenient, affordable, hot, and delicious. The dish was made relatively quickly and consumed even quicker. Additionally, compared to traditional Japanese soba noodles that were made without meat, the meat in ramen made it hearty and filling.
Throughout the years, Japan has invented several types of ramen and the only significant difference is their broths—varying from shio (salt), to tonkotsu (pork broth). The noodles, however, are always made out of kansui—a local type of alkaline water and the secret to their firm texture and yellow colouring.
Many ramen shops offer a bowl of rice along with ramen with their lunch or dinner sets which might sound like carb overload with rice and noodles but is a popular choice among Japanese people.
These instant ramen noodles also will not help with weight loss. They are low in fiber and protein—two important factors in losing weight—and are calorie-dense considering the package is small; even if you eat the whole package (2 servings), you're probably going to be hungry again in a short time.
Ramen Noodles Are High In Fat
Saturated fats can contribute to increased LDL (“bad”) cholesterol levels which in turn increase the risk for heart disease (13). So if you're trying to lose weight and improve your health, it's best to avoid foods that are high in saturated fat like ramen noodles.
Ramen stresses your digestive tract.
Even after two hours, your stomach cannot break down highly processed noodles, interrupting normal digestion.
While instant ramen is not bad for you, it isn't recommended as a single food daily or multiple times per day on its own due to its high-sodium flavoring packet or broth. Adding additional toppings, such as protein and vegetables, to the wheat noodle and broth base can increase its nutrition profile.
Rice contained a lower sugar content which means that the after eating the fried rice the blood sugar will not spike as quickly as the noodles (fatsecret). Based on these findings, I would say the noodles and rice have their own minor advantages and disadvantages, but neither is an outright healthier choice.
The only similarity between instant noodles and ramen is that they're both noodle soups. Ramen is made fresh while instant noodles include a vast variety of manufactured noodles. The next time you call something ramen, think about it first.
A lot of major brands add extra salt to their recipes to provide added flavor. This allows them to keep prices down, since using more salt is cheaper than investing in a quality blend of spices and great broth. The end result is a bowl of ramen with way too much sodium.
Miso ramen is rich in umami flavors but also comes with a heightened creaminess. The miso paste brings salty-sweet and deep layers to the dish and the springy noodles, crunchy toppings, and tender meat, veggies, or tofu all add to a tantalizing texture.
Lotus Foods brings you Organic Millet & Brown Rice Ramen, traditional Japanese-style noodles made from our specialty rice instead of wheat!