Instant noodles are the best mid-afternoon pick-me-up or quick & easy meal,there are plenty of ways you can ‘healthify’ your instant noodles as well as new ranges of options available on the market to enjoy a healthier more nutritious instant noodles.
Sadly, instant noodles have earned a reputation for being a non-healthy snack option. But the truth is, there are many ways you can enjoy instant noodles in a healthier way. Whether it’s by adding vegetables or protein or choosing a low-fat or baked noodle; you can make instant noodles healthy and guilt-free! Ready for instant noodles that are delicious and nutritious? Up your ramen game and try these healthy instant noodle recipes today!
CREATIVE WAYS TO ENJOY INSTANT NOODLES IN A HEALTHIER WAY
It doesn’t matter which range you favour, you can make your KOKA instant noodles even healthier with some more creative delicious add-ons to boost their nutritional value. Here are the best ways to healthify your instant noodles so that you can enjoy your favourite snack and help to meet all your daily nutritional needs:
1. EAT ‘RAINBOW’ FOR EXTRA VITAMINS
To increase your vitamin intake and to be sure you’re getting your recommended daily vegetable intake, think about adding colourful add-ons to your instant noodles. Vegetables are a great partner for instant noodles, and when it comes to which vegetable you choose, it’s entirely up to your imagination! A good place to start is by aiming for a ‘rainbow’ bowl. Choose a vegetable representing each colour of the rainbow to add to your noodles for a powerful boost of vitamin and nutritional value.
Think of iron-rich greens like spinach or kale. Green vegetables contain a range of phytochemicals that contain anti-cancer properties. Red cherry tomatoes or red capsicum providepowerful antioxidantsto help keep your heart healthy, while purple vegetables like eggplant and red cabbage contain the plant pigment anthocyanin – a compound that protects cells from damage, reduces cancer risk and improves heart and lung health. Did you knowKOKA Purple Wheat Noodlescontain anthocyanin and delivers 3 times more antioxidants than red grapes?!
2. ADD EXTRA TEXTURES, INSTEAD OF EXTRA SODIUM
Most types of instant noodles come with toppings and flavour sachets already within the packet which gives a great boost of flavour. If you find yourself wanting to add more flavour to your noodles with seasoning in addition to the flavour sachets, add different textures for intrigue instead. Since noodles are silky and smooth, look at adding crunchy or crispy textures to throw on top. These can include braised pork belly or pork crackle, Thai-style crispy rice noodles, cashew nuts or even honey-glazed raw julienned carrots. You may also want to try adding a boiled egg and broth to turn your instant noodles into a delicious ramen-inspired meal.
3. CHOP OR SPIRALISE VEGGIES FOR ADDED SWEETNES WITHOUT ADDITIONAL SWEET SAUCES
A lot of popular sauces to pair with noodles (fish sauce, sweet chilli sauce, soy sauce, miso paste etc.) containadded sugars and are high in sodium. For an instant healthy switch, add sweet vegetables for a tasty topping rather than these less healthy sauce options. Sweeten your instant noodles up naturally with sliced snow peas (they’re perfect for added texture too!). You can also stir in thinly sliced cabbage and spiralized zucchini or butternut squash for extra sweetness with added nutritional benefits.
If you do strongly prefer a sauce or paste, try to choose fresh herbs and spices as a substitute and mix together your own special concoction. Chopped chilli can add heat and flavour intensity, along with sesame oil, ginger, garlic and shrimp paste. Herbs like coriander leaves, mint and basil also provide extra freshness and sweetness. Finish with a squeeze of lime and you’ll never go back to that bottle of fish sauce again!
4. INCORPORATED MORE PARTS OF THE FOOD PYRAMID
Instant noodles are a blank canvas for a variety of healthy foods – but they sure are a tasty one! If you do want to healthify your instant noodles the best way to do it is by incorporating ingredients (protein, veggies, dairy) in multiple portions of thehealthy food pyramid! Try to add something from each part of the pyramid. For example, up your protein intake by adding a sliced boiled egg to your noodles or a can of tuna. Get your daily dose of calcium by sprinkling sesame seeds, grated cheese or evenbeans and lentilsover your noodles. Another great noodle add-on with the nutritional benefits of protein, magnesium, copper, zinc and vitamin B1 istofu! Addingbaked tofuto your instant noodles will also give you some texture and taste variation for a truly satisfying noodle dish.
5. ADD STEAMED VEGGIES INSTEAD OF STIR-FRIED, RAW OR BOILED
Instant noodles paired with flavoursome vegetables are a match made in heaven. But instead of stir-frying your vegetables, try steaming them. Steaming your vegetables helps to maintain theirnutrient contentalong with the colour and flavour. What does this mean for your instant noodles? A more tasty, healthy meal! You can steam so many vegetables but our favourites to pair with noodles include bok choy, broccoli, asparagus, carrots and artichokes. Not only are they super yummy and nutritious, but these vegetables are also sturdier and won’t mush easily; which is crucial in a noodle dish!
6. ADD A HIGH-FIBRE TOPPING
Instant noodles are usually quite low in fibre, which is why you should try to add fibre to your daily noodles, especially if you’re wanting to lose weight. Fibre benefits us in many ways, particularly our digestive system. Fibre keeps your gut bacteria healthy, which reduces bloating and constipation as well aspromotes fat lossby helping you to keep feeling fuller for longer. You can add fibre to your instant noodles withfoods that are high in fibreor bychoosing a wholegrain noodlelike theKOKA Delightrange.
7. CHOOSE A BAKED OPTION FOR A LOW-FAT DIET
Fried noodles typically have more fat, containing approximately20g of fatper serve compared to non-fried noodles. In contrast, KOKA’slow-fat noodlesare 100% steamed and baked, not fried – so they contain very little fat and are springier in texture making them delicious and guilt-free!
8. LOOK FOR THE HEALTHIER CHOICE SYMBOL
When buying your next snack, check to see if the instant noodles contain aHealthier Choice symbolon the packaging panel. Foods marked with the Healthier Choice symbol contain less sodium, saturated fat and sugar. KOKA first got its Healthier Choice symbolback in 2004!
CHOOSE A BETTER INSTANT NOODLE
With a few healthy changes you can enjoy your favourite instant noodles in a healthier way, no matter the range you choose! Yet, as noodle lovers and consumers continue to demand healthier food options. That’s why we delight in our KOKA Delight range and harness the nutritionalpower of purplewith our Purple Wheat range of instant noodles. OurKOKA Delightrange is made from wholesome wholegrains with <2g fat per 100g of noodles and ourKOKA Purple Wheatnoodles contain anthocyanins, a powerful antioxidant found in purple grains. The healthy noodle options don’t stop there though! Keep posted on our new ‘baked multigrain cup’ using purple corn. Visit ourhomepagefor more updates!
