Ramen noodles are a popular solution for those seeking a tasty, warm meal. Of course, the typical package contains an exorbitant amount of sodium and little to no amount of anything good. It’s generally a package of empty calories and a large spike of sodium, a typical fast food.
My mother likes to shop at Asian supermarkets, and she recently picked up a few ramen packets which were under the brand name GreeNoodle. She told me they were a healthy type of ramen noodle. Yeah, right, I thought. Healthy ramen noodles don’t exist. Or do they?
Inspecting the nutrition facts, I noted that while the noodles share one of the bad qualities of a typical package of ramen (the high sodium content), it actually boasts a number of significant improvements. The particular package I was looking at (Miso flavor) contains 270 calories, and only 20 from fat. Of the 55 grams of carbohydrates in the package, 9 are dietary fibers. Nine grams of dietary fibers is over a third of the way toward reaching the recommended amount for a 2,000-calorie diet. There are eight grams of protein; the package has a pretty good balance of macronutrients. It is a good source of Vitamin A (%20 DV) and a source of iron (%10 DV). Not bad for a package of ramen, right?
The package also touts containing fifteen moroheiya leaves. Moroheiya is also known as Egyptian spinach, because it was once prized by the Egyptians for its health and beauty. The package says that it is “more nutritious than spinach, carrots, or broccoli.” I don’t doubt that moroheiya is a nutritious vegetable, but I have my doubts about its veracity when applied to the form of moroheiya in GreeNoodle products. I find that statement to be more of a gimmick, but I don’t really blame them for trying.
GreeNoodle is a vegetarian friendly brand. On other ramen packets vegetarians must search through the ingredients for meat, fish, or poultry products. If they are not labeled as vegetarian on the front (as they are on the GreeNoodle packets), they generally aren’t vegetarian, even if the variety name (i.e. “vegetable”) implies otherwise.
So how does the taste compare? Miso GreeNoodle are by no means my favorite brand of ramen. I might even call it an acquired taste. It tastes like, well, green noodles; however, GreeNoodle offers several other flavors that I have yet to try, so I can’t make any final decisions.
Due to the high sodium content (a common problem for most instant or canned soups), I wouldn’t call this ultimate solution for those looking for an absolutely healthy ramen, but it’s certainly a step in the right direction.
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