Ramen has become the go-to food for every college student. Since it’s cheap and can be easily made in a few minutes by just adding hot water to the prepackaged noodles and flavourings, it has become a staple for many students who are crunched for time and short on money. While many argue that instant ramen provides little nutritional benefits because of its high salt content and highly-processed ingredients, it is easy to customize and make healthier by adding chopped vegetables and a boiled egg on top for protein. If eaten in moderation, instant noodles make a great snack because they taste great and are super easy to prepare. Interested? Read on for my top 4 ramen brands that are packed with flavor and can be made in under 5 minutes.
1. Indomie
My all time favourite has to be Indomie’s Mi Goreng noodles. Indomie comes in 6 different flavors each that include variations of chickens and beef with varying spice levels for different taste buds. My personal favorite is the Onion-Chicken flavour and I would recommend it to anyone who prefers their noodles to be on the spicier side. If you’re looking for Indonesian flavors and don’t handle spice all that well, I would recommend the Satay Flavor.
2. Maggi
If you grew up in South Asia, chances are that you’ve heard of Maggi. Produced by consumer giant Nestle, Maggi has become a household name in India in Pakistan and its presence is so big that the very name “Maggi” has become synonymous with instant noodles. If you’re looking for that traditional Indian spiciness, Masala flavor is the way to go. If not, you might want to switch over to the Chicken flavor which is equally flavorful minus the spice.
3. Nongshim
Another great addition to the list is Nongshim Shin Ramyun. They are produced in South Korea and rank #1 as the most consumed ramen in the world, it is clear that Nongshim has become a staple for many. It has a flavorful kick with a combination of salty and spicy flavors accompanied with a beef broth. It also comes in a vegetarian flavor for those of you that don’t eat meat, and it tastes just as good as the beef one.
4. Koka
Made in Singapore, Koka noodles comes in many flavors such as Chicken, Tom Yum and even a vegetarian flavor. Tastewise, I’d say it’s pretty similar to Indomie and is equally spicy. If you’re not a huge fan of the spice, I’d recommend trying out the vegetarian version which is significantly less spicy. It’s also a tad bit on the saltier side, even for ramen, so keep that in mind if salt content is something you’re wary of.
While ramen can be made healthier by customizing it, you should keep in mind that because of its overly processed and extremely salty ingredients, it is something that should be eaten in moderation. While there’s no harm in eating ramen every now and then, you can still counter some of the negative effects of it by drinking extra water to balance out the salt content and adding vegetables or protein to the broth to enhance its nutritional benefit.
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