5 better, healthier bowls of ramen to make tonight

[yuiyoshida]

By Margaret O'Malley
Ramen is quickly becoming one of America's favorite comfort foods, and probably even one of yours. But before you give yourself a healthy pat on the back for trading in your economy-sized box of instant ramen noodles for the real deal, consider this: Those steaming, delicious bowls of fresh noodles, soft boiled eggs and exotic veggies at your local ramen joint may look healthyish, but the sodium, fat and calorie content lurking beneath the surface is anything but.

Bonnie Taub-Dix, RD, nutritionist and BETTER contributor warns us not to be "fooled by the seemingly healthy broth because some varieties contain 10 to 15 grams of fat, which is equivalent to the calories in two to three pats of butter." And the nutritional hits don't stop there: A single restaurant serving of ramen can contain half of your recommended sodium limit for the day — yikes!

HACK YOUR RAMEN

So, what's a ramen lover to do? The answer's simple: Make it at home. You control the salt, protein and vegetable content, but keep that signature umami taste we all know and love. “Since the restaurant versions don’t come with food labels, it makes sense to go the do-it-yourself route with a base of low-sodium chicken broth, lots of veggies, whole wheat or vegetable noodles and then make it a meal by adding chicken, fish, seafood, egg or lean meat," says Taub-Dix. Here, are five of our favorite blogger recipes to inspire you, plus easy tips on how to make each bowl of ramen even better:

Spiralized Vegan Ramen

Calling all low-carb, Paleo and plant-based fans! If you're eschewing wheat or meat, this is perfect soup to sip on a cold, blustery day. Swapping out ramen noodles for zucchini ribbons, or zoodles, is a great way to up your veggie intake and slash calories in one easy-to-eat meal. To keep sodium levels in check, replace the miso paste with a low-sodium broth vegetable broth and limit the soy sauce to one teaspoon.

more...
https://www.nbcnews.com/better/pop-culture/5-better-healthier-bowls-ramen-make-tonight-ncna734866

[msongs]

1. skip the salt would be a big improvement IMO nt

[yuiyoshida]

3. putting salt on your Ramen is insane

There are already far more sodium in the little silver packet than anyone needs.

[still_one]

2. I love Ramen. Simple, filling, and satisfying

[safeinOhio]

4. Don't forget cheap

[still_one]

5. True

[mitch96]

6. Salt, fat and sugar are the evil ones..

Drop one and the other two go up.. I was thinking home made broth made from green onion/scallion, celery and peppers. Make a bunch in the pressure cooker or instapot.
Umami it up with some miso or Gochujang but not too much as it has lots of sodium. Soba noodles? Veg of your choice and BAM! I'm set...
m

[JuJuYoshida]

7. That actually sounds delightful!