I'm curious. I know it's not the most health effective choice, but unfortunately that's all I can afford.
Is it really that bad?
I'm curious. I know it's not the most health effective choice, but unfortunately that's all I can afford.
Is it really that bad?




MSG isn't too great for you, the noodles are greasy because they're fried, and the flavor packets are loaded with sodium.
Some tips for making ramen healthier:
-After boiling the noodles, strain them and rinse them well like regular spaghetti to rinse off some of the fat. Heat up some broth water, add the flavoring, and add noodles.
-Reduce the amount of flavor powder used to reduce sodium.
-Add veggies and meat to the ramen.
-For an equally cheap substitute, go to the local Asian markets. You can get huge bags of dried noodles (go with the dark brown buckwheat ones, called zaru soba, for the best nutritional value, but the wide white ones will suffice) for dirt cheap, as well as concentrated soup broth base which can be diluted to taste. I make that all the time with veggies, meat, a poached egg, and I mix a teensy bit of wasabi mixed into the broth. Yummy!
I used to eat ramen all the time. I loved the local Maruchan and Top Ramen (Lime Shrimp used to be my fave until I got sick of it!), and I also ate different brands sold at the Chinatown supermarket. However, I NEVER eat it if I'm going to see my BF, as it makes my pee and pussy juices smell weird. For me, eating Ramen is like eating asparagus.



Like mentioned above, the worst thing about instant ramen is the sodium. Also, it is not a balanced diet. Take the noodles, add some veggies, use the smallest amount of the flavor powder, and it would be a healthier meal.





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Raman is yummy, but not healthy. You'd be better off getting some pasta or rice, cheap veggies and tuna or chicken. You could make a weeks worth of meals for about $30. Add in seasonings and they'd all taste differant. And youd get vitamins, carbs and protein. You dont really get any of that with Ramen.




Yeah, Rice a Roni makes a lot of stuff like red beans and rice, spenish rice, etc made with whole grains that aren't too bad for you. They have lots of fiber and are fortified, and sometimes sell for $1 a box. I add veggies to them when I cook.





it's bad for you, but so are a lot of things. as long as you don't eat it in excess it's no big deal IMO. i probably eat ramen 2-3 times a month.
I just think noodles are empty calories. Lots of processed carbs but not a whole lot of nutrients.
Do you like oatmeal? Oatmeal is cheap too, but a lot better for you. And you can put lots of stuff in it like milk, honey, brown sugar, walnuts, raisins...
Otherwise what about brown rice? Maybe mixed with frozen vegetables? You could by it in bulk and make a little bit at a time or make enough for a few days at a time and then have pre-cooked meals...
Edit: Oops- I see Hatshepsut already suggested the rice thing. See? It's a good idea!![]()
Cheap good alternative:
Buy a package of spaghetti noodles. You can get these for .50 cents
A carton of eggs $2
Parm cheese $4
Bacon $5 (optional)
Random spices you have at home.
Cook bacon,drain off excess grease. cook spaghetti, drain, add to bacon skillet. Turn off heat. Mix in olive oil until pasta is coated. Crack an egg over top, no heat needed, the pasta and skillet is aklready hot enough to cook egg, if the heat is on, you'll end up with scrambled eggs. Mix egg in, add parm cheese and any spices, mix together. This is a cheap, good tasting carbonara pasta dish. Throw in some veggies if you have any. Spices that are good are definatly some garlic, maybe onion, oregano, some red pepper flakes if you like heat, maybe some parsley.
Total price: $11.50...and enough supplies to make this for a week, if nesessary. Plus,. you have eggs to make scrambled eggs, or even Italian scrambled eggs with the cheese and spices. Buy a jar of spaghetti sauce( cheap sauce for .50 cents) and now you have another meal.
Shop at a food for less, you can feed 2 people for a month on $100, less if your a bargain shopper.




How about a whole wheat bagel with some "Simply Fruit" on it? Have a glass of skim milk with it and you get good calories at little cost.




Yeah, ramen is what I refer to a Styrofoam food. It's food, but not sustainment. It's in the same category as polished white rice and white bread.
There are lots of other ways to cut food costs besides eating ramen. Here are my time honored tips I follow when I dont feel like spending an arm and a leg on groceries-
~Buy the store brand. Usually just as good and much cheaper
~Do not buy premade meals-ie pre cooked meats, frozen dinners, etc. Buying it and making it yourself is much cheaper.
~plan! Go shopping once a week or every two weeks, but before you go plan out what you are going to eat and buy stuff that fits together as meals. Do this so you don't buy stuff and then not use it by the expiration date and also so you don't get home and realize you don't have stuff to make a complete meal, just snack foods.
~I second what everyone says about pasta and rice.
~shop around! Go to all the supermarkets in your area and find out which has the best deals. Sometimes there can be as much as a dollar difference in price, and that adds up.
~dont' buy beverages!! Period. You can drink water from the tap. Not exciting but it won't kill you. If money is really tight, that 3 dollars you might spend on soda or orange juice could be better used to buy a carton of eggs and generic bread that can be breakfast for a week and a half.
If I think of anymore tips I'll add them.
Last edited by Starfire; 09-03-2007 at 06:12 PM. Reason: add more tips
Isn't pasta fattening though??




Pasta itself is not fattening. Any type of calorie is fattening if you consume too much. Pasta is a simple carbohydrate and its consumption is best used for a purpose. For instance, it is a good source of energy before an extended exercise session. Complex carbs are better to consume at all other times.
Oh ok. What about pre made, boxed pastas like Rice a Roni and Pasta Roni?
Running. AZ heat.= dead.
But I see what you're saying.




^^ The minute I start getting back on track money wise, a gym membership IS in order!
I LOVE running outside.
I have to wake up and run around 7am, but it's worth it. The fresh morning smells so good.
I hear you...as soon as I have the spare $$, I really want to buy an elliptical and one of those machines that's basically every kind of weight machine in one. And a nice gymnastics mat to stretch on. Basement--->home gymI can't wait.
Until then, though...I'm trying to at least get in *some* kind of cardio (jogging outside), doing various kinds of crunches, and stretching and lifting at home with a flexibility band and handheld weights. Not ideal, but better than nothing.
Be creative and think of ways to get in some exercise without the gym in the meantime.![]()
dont use the flavoring packets that come with the ramen.
for cheap food go the the 99 cent store. they have everything from vegetables to spaghetti sauce to organic soup etc etc etc.
.....i wouldn't trust buying any perishable items like milk/meat/yogurt from them though





If you have access, a farmer's market is great. Lots of fresh veggies and they often give out samples. Another thing I do to save money/eat healthy is grow a garden. So far just tomatos and zuchini. The zuchini, I cook in a pot with just a little water. Once soft and warm, I put parmesean cheese on. Get the parmesean without the preservatives. It's a little more expensive but better for you and it lasts just as long.
Ramen has tons of sodium and fat; you'd be better off eating rice. That said, I ate pallets full of that stuff in undergrad and managed to make it to grad school without being a fat bastard. Whole grain rice and protein pasta are better, more satisfying choices, however.
Actually, pasta is a complex carbohydrate; simple carbs are things like broccoli, nectarines, green beans, et al., and should also be consumed in moderation as they're full of sugars.Pasta is a simple carbohydrate and its consumption is best used for a purpose. For instance, it is a good source of energy before an extended exercise session. Complex carbs are better to consume at all other times.
And prior to working out, carbs are probably the worst thing you can eat, given the amount of energy required to digest them--energy your body can't effectively use when working out. You'd be better off eating whey protein, which digests very rapidly and goes almost directly into the bloodstream, and if you care about burning body fat, you're best not eating at all prior to working out, but rather drinking 16 oz of water before and another 50 oz during the exercise.
Idealism is fine, but as it approaches reality, the costs become prohibitive.
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