I loved instant ramen noodles – then I found out what they are doing to my body
I can put a comforting bowl of noodle soup on the table in less than 15 minutes, and I’ve been using the same recipe for five years. Just boil water, add the packet of noodles, peanut butter, flavouring sachet, and miso. I try to make it nutritious. Chop some spring onions and radishes; fry up pak choi and pork mince in soy sauce and chilli. Throw it all together. I promise it’s delicious.
On any given week, I have at least four packets of instant ramen noodles in my cupboard ready for after work. It felt like the perfect life hack. At 90p per pack, I’d hit the sacred triad for mid-week meals: cheap, healthy, quick.
I know I’m not the only one to depend on these noodles. Korean brands such as Nong-Shim have become increasingly trendy. Last year, sales for quick-serve noodles rose by 50 per cent on Ocado’s website, while searches for ramen noodles have jumped by 35 per cent.
They have become gourmet meals in their own right, with countless Michelin-starred chefs taking to TikTok to describe how they upgrade theirs, including with parmesan or basil (sacrilege). Last year, Ocado searches for ramen toppings were also up. Chilli oil searches on Ocado increased by 48 per cent, while seaweed was up by 20 per cent in comparison with 2023.
For years, I had assumed my instant noodles and pork mince was a reasonably healthy meal; low-calorie and nutrient-dense. I’m not piling cheese onto my pasta or eating stacks of fatty carbs like chips. It’s a balanced dinner with vegetables and protein. I even include fermented miso, for God’s sake!
But deep down, I probably knew this delicious soup wasn’t as hearty as I had first thought. Twenty minutes after eating, I would glug water like I had been shipwrecked for 72 hours. I know soy sauce is salty, but surely no saltier than adding a pinch of salt to a pasta sauce?
Bini Suresh, a registered dietitian at the British Dietetic Association, confirms it isn’t just the soy sauce that is making me feel so dehydrated. “A single pack of instant noodles can contain 1500–1800mg of sodium, which is over two-thirds of an adult’s daily recommended maximum of 6g salt.” Given that we often add toppings such as soy sauce to noodles, it’s likely that my dinner contains over a teaspoon of salt.
Instant noodles contain more salt than ordinary noodles to help improve texture, shelf life, and reduce cooking time. There are also high levels of salt in the seasoning packets provided.
“Brands like Shin Ramyun (Nongshim) and Nissin Demae Ramen are among the less healthy options on the UK high street,” says Suresh. Gulp. Both brands are currently lurking in my cupboard.
It gets worse. “The seasoning oils and flavour sachets often rely on palm oil, which is high in saturated fat and multiple additives,” she continues. These include MSG, flavour enhancers, and stabilisers. “These factors place instant ramen squarely in the ultra-processed food (UPF) category under the NOVA classification. Regular consumption of UPFs has been associated with higher risks of obesity, cardiovascular disease and overall mortality.”
The incriminating instant noodle meal regularly enjoyed by Eleanor Peake
They’re also made with refined white flour noodles, which are low in fibre. “This causes rapid rises in blood glucose. Diets high in refined carbs and low in fibre are linked to poorer glycaemic control and a higher risk of Type 2 diabetes,” she says.
I’m surprised to learn that this low-calorie meal, averaging around 450 calories per pack, isn’t as filling as I had first thought. “It’s not going to keep you full for very long,” says Sophie Medlin, a registered dietician at City Dieticians. “You’re going to want to be eating more and more throughout the evening. So in terms of appetite regulation, there’s a real issue with those kinds of instant noodles.”
But not all quick-serve noodles are bad. “As long as you’re adding some protein, you’re adding vegetables and things like that, I think that they can form part of a balanced diet and a balanced meal. Just avoid the ultra-processed type with lots of additional ingredients in them,” Medlin advises.
There are countless instant noodles on the market, all with different ingredients. Here, Suresh and Medlin rank them from least healthy to most.
Nong-Shim Instant Shin Ramyun Noodle Soup
1/ 5
“This has got palm oil in, with acidity regulators, lots of E numbers, emulsifiers, and that’s just in the flavouring sachet,” says Medlin.
Without the flavourings, the noodles alone are just as bad. “They have sugar enhancers. There are some vegetable proteins: carrot, red chilli, and onion, but not very much. The salts are really high in these noodles: 3.8 grams per 100 grams.” This makes them the saltiest of all the noodles we compared.
“These have a little bit more protein thanks to the dried vegetables, but not enough to make it a balanced meal by any stretch. It’s going to be very pro-inflammatory. This means that it activates our immune system. Our body doesn’t recognise these ingredients as food, so it’s constantly trying to attack an infection that isn’t there. Being constantly in a pro-inflammatory state leads to things like heart disease and type 2 diabetes, as well as some cancers.” It can also make you less focused after eating, making it harder to concentrate.
Nissin Demae Ramen
2/5
(Photo: Ocado)
The volume of salt is less, at 1.4g, but still high. “This has silicone dioxide [an anti-sticking agent] in it,” says Medlin. “Not something I think people would want to put in their bodies. There are a lot of ingredients here that we wouldn’t recognise as food.
“The noodles have got stabilisers in them. They also have regulators and potassium. They would still be a UPF, even without the salty sachet.”
Vite Ramen Garlic Pork Tonkotsu
2.5/5
These noodles have artificially added vitamins and nutrients. “This means they have two grams of fibre,” says Medlin. “That’s good. But the problem is when manufacturers start adding lots of stuff like that, it definitely pushes them into that ultra-processed category.
“It still has fortified the natural flavour, and silicon dioxide. It’s definitely an ultra-processed food. To balance that, they have added vitamins and minerals, so that means there’s more dietary benefit from these in many ways. They’ve also added protein. They’re in a better place than the other noodles, but they are still something we want to handle with caution and use occasionally.”
Itsu restaurant’s flat ramen with noodles
3/5
Medlin eats these at home with her family. “They are still a UPF, but there’s not really very much salt in there. These are ready in five minutes, and are still something that you can turn into a healthy, balanced meal, as long as you’re getting lots of vegetables in them, adding protein and all that good stuff.”
Itsu Satay or Chilli Miso Noodle Cups
3.5/5
(Photo: Sainsburys)
Unlike the Itsu noodles above, these noodles come with a broth but have slightly fewer UPF ingredients. “These are lower in fat (under 5g per serving), with less sodium than mainstream brands and some protein/miso added for balance,” says Suresh.
“These noodles align more closely with Public Health England’s recommendations to reduce salt and saturated fat, while offering slightly better nutrient density. But it’s important to stress that they remain ultra-processed foods and should be seen as occasional, not staple, meals.”
The healthiest option:
Ocean’s Halo Organic Ramen Noodles
5/5
(Photo: Ocado)
“These are a bit more expensive (£6+) but they’re otherwise perfect. There’s barely any processing of those. They would fall into the same category as pasta,” says Medlin. These noodles don’t come with a flavouring sachet. Instead, pair with a fresh bone broth or low-salt vegetable stock with miso.
