Instant noodles are convenient, quick, and comforting for many people, but they often come with concerns about their nutritional value. The good news is that you can make instant noodles healthier by making a few simple tweaks to your preparation method. In this blog, JOJOSE FOODS, the best Instant Noodles Manufacturer shares six tips to help you enjoy your favorite instant noodles while prioritizing your health.
- Add Vegetables
People love to pair instant noodles with sauces such as fish sauce, sweet chili sauce, soy sauce, miso paste, sambal, and so on. However, these popular sauces contain added sugars and are often high in sodium. The best instant switch to make noodles healthy without compromising the taste is adding fresh vegetables.
Sweeten your instant noodles naturally with sliced snow peas, which perfectly add texture too. Also, you can stir in thinly sliced cabbage and spiralized zucchini or butternut squash for extra sweetness with added nutritional benefits.
If you cannot go without sauce or paste, then try choosing fresh herbs and spices as a substitute and mixing them together with your own special concoction. Chopped chili is best to add heat and flavor intensity along with sesame oil, ginger, garlic, and shrimp paste. Herbs like coriander leaves, mint, and basil provide extra freshness and sweetness. Finish it with a squeeze of lime to give it a ping of taste.
- Add probiotic-friendly kimchi and tofu.
Kimchi is a traditional Korean dish whose components can vary and typically include a combination of ingredients and vegetables. It includes garlic, ginger, chili peppers, salt, and fish sauce, along with vegetables such as cabbage, radish, carrot, or cucumber. Kimchi is pickled and fermented, with the idea of storing it in the winter.
You can try any different types of Indonesian noodles, like Chinese egg noodles, soba, udon, or ramen by top Instant Noodles Supplier with kimchi. Loaded with vegetables like cabbage, it contains immune-boosting vitamin C and carotene. It’s best to make your noodles healthy and a comfort food for sick days.
To make probiotic-friendly noodles, add probiotic-friendly kimchi and small cubes of chopped tofu; and stir the soup. Pour some kimchi juice into the ramen for extra tang. Serve the hot noodles after stirring the kimchi or with kimchi juice. Enjoy the noodles with the goodness of probiotics.
- Add Rainbow
You must have heard about the rainbow diet, a healthier inspired trend, which is an amazing way to eat colorful vegetables, which are red, orange, yellow, green, and purple colored vegetables.
Adding colorful add-ons to your instant noodles is an amazing way to meet your recommended daily vegetable intake.
To create a rainbow bowl, choose a vegetable representing each color of your rainbow to add to your instant noodles for a powerful boost of vitamins and nutritional value. For greens, you can add iron-rich greens like spinach or kale. Green vegetables contain a range of phytochemicals with anti-cancer properties.
Add red cherry tomatoes or red capsicum, which provide powerful antioxidants to keep the heart healthy, while purple vegetables like eggplant contain antioxidants that prevent and repair cellular damage and improve heart and lung health. For adding yellow vegetables, you can add yellow onions. For organs, add carrots.
- Soft-boiled eggs with delicious broccoli
A combination that can never go wrong with a delicious bowl of your favorite noodles is adding eggs to it. Cook the egg fresh or marinate it in tamari for a more seasoned add-in. Eggs are a great way to add flavor and protein to your noodles. It’s up to you whether you like it to boil, poach, or simmer it directly in the ramen.
While broccoli not only adds flavor but is best known for its health benefits, It aids in boosting immune health, improving skin health, and reducing the risk of diabetes.
To prepare soft-boiled eggs for noodles, you need to boil the eggs for about 5 minutes (2 eggs) and simply add them to your favorite bowl of noodles. For broccoli, you need to add it before cooking noodles. Warm the water in a medium saucepan, add the broccoli, and cook for 2 minutes. Then add noodles and a seasoning packet to it.
- Adding Chashu pork
Make your heaven-delicious bowl by adding Chashu pork. Chashu pork Chashu pork, also spelled “char siu” pork, is a popular and flavorful Chinese dish that consists of seasoned and braised or roasted pork. It is a staple in Cantonese cuisine but is also enjoyed in various other Chinese regional cuisines and has made its way into other Asian cuisines, including Japanese and Hawaiian.
To prepare Chashu pork, typically thin slices of pork belly or pork loin are marinated in a sweet and savory mixture containing ingredients like soy sauce, hoisin sauce, honey, Chinese five-spice powder, garlic, and sometimes red food coloring (for a reddish appearance). After marinating, the pork is roasted or braised until it becomes tender and develops a glossy, caramelized exterior.
Simply add Chashu pork to the bowl of noodle slices on top of the simply cooked noodles and pour the hot broth over them to enjoy.
- Iron-rich wakame and spinach
Wakame is an essential source of iron, as it has 2.18 mg of iron per 100mg. It is best to have if you want an iron-rich diet, as wakame can aid in increasing red blood cells. While spinach is a green leafy vegetable, it is immensely beneficial for skin, hair, and bone health. It is also a rich source of iron.
If you’re using dried wakame seaweed, soak it in warm water for about 10–15 minutes until it softens. Drain and rinse it. When your noodles are almost cooked and just a minute or so away from being done, toss the wakame pieces into the boiling water to briefly blanch them. Along with it, add 2 tablespoons of spinach. You can add cashew for creaminess.
Drain the noodles, wakame, and spinach and use them as a base for your dish. Whether it’s ramen, udon, or soba, from JOJOSE FOODS, the best Potato Chip Maker and instant noodle manufacturer, wakame will add a subtle oceanic flavor and a pleasant texture.
Wash your fresh spinach leaves thoroughly and remove any tough stems. Bring a pot of water to a boil and prepare an ice bath (a bowl of ice water) nearby. Plunge the spinach into the boiling water for about 30 seconds, or until it wilts. Immediately transfer the blanched spinach to the ice bath to stop the cooking process. This will help retain the vibrant green color.
Conclusion
In conclusion, making healthier instant noodles is not only possible but also delicious with these creative tips. By adding colorful vegetables, probiotic-friendly kimchi and tofu, nutritious eggs and broccoli, flavorful chashu pork, and iron-rich wakame and spinach, you can elevate your instant noodles into a nutritious and satisfying meal without compromising on taste. Enjoy your noodles with a burst of flavor and a boost of health!
