Mom’s Money

Ramen Noodles - Back And Bigger Than Ever

Perhaps you remember a time in your life when you relied on ramen noodles as your only source of cheap food.  Popularized during the 1970’s in the USA, packages of ramen noodles fed a whole generation of college students.  Well, guess what?  Ramen noodles are back and bigger than ever!  Can you guess why?

You got it!  This economy has thrown a monkey-wrench into our family budgets.  We’re all looking for ways to feed our family as inexpensively as we can.  And, if there’s one thing that’s cheap and filling, it’s ramen noodles. 

Kids absolutely love ramen noodles.  I’m pretty fond of them myself, but I have a concern.  The ramen noodles that are familiar to most of us are the little cellophane wrapped square with the flavoring packet included.  Yes, they are delicious and filling.  But, nutritious… not so much.

That’s why I came up with a few very simple ways to boost the nutritional value of your child’s ramen noodle meal without changing the dish itself too much.  Here’s an example of some things I’ve done to add food value to my child’s ramen noodles.

1) Stir in some peanut butter.  This is a quick take on Thai food.  For one packet of ramen noodles, start the water boiling, add the flavor packet and about 1 teaspoon of peanut butter to the water until the peanut butter disolves.  Then add noodles and finish cooking as directed on the package.  You may even want to sprinkle some chopped peanuts on the top when served.  You just added some protein.

2) Stir in some frozen green peas.  When the ramen noodles are cooked, just toss in a handful of frozen peas, mix them in, and you have just added a tremendous amount of vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber.

3) Stir in some black beans and diced tomatoes.  After the ramen noodles are done cooking, add a tablespoon of black beans and about a tablespoon of diced tomatoes.  Now you’ve really upped the nutritional value of your inexpensive bowl of noodles.

Serving inexpensive meals doesn’t necessarily preclude empty calories.  Mix together some of your child’s favorite foods with ramen noodles and see what you can come up with for new and exciting nutritious meals.