Make your noodles super!

If you love an instant noodle but get scared by the list of a hundred ingredients on the back of the packet, then have no fear. These are a staple in our house and the kids love them.

One of the reasons instant noodles taste so great (apart from the chemical flavour concoction) is the amount of fat they contain, very often with the second listed ingredient being palm oil. This differs from plain noodles or similar things such as pasta where there is no fat added to the actual dough, but just flour, water and salt. Fat transforms food and make it taste really good, so if you're making something from scratch, try to add a healthy fat to make it taste great. These types of fats are incredibly good for you too. Monounsaturated fats such as extra virgin olive oil have a myriad of health benefits such as improving cardiovascular health (1) and reducing inflammation (2). Healthy fats are also crucial to maintaining brain health and may even prevent the onset of Alzheimer's disease (3).

So, let's get super! Now, it needs to be noted that everything should be enjoyed in moderation. Where these noodles are a much better option, they contain refined wheat that for some will cause a spike in their blood sugar; the same as bread, pasta or other refined carbohydrates might. It's not about having these everyday for the rest of your life, but enjoy them as a better option for an indulgent and incredibly satisfying meal or snack.

Method

Take a round of plain wholewheat noodles (Sainsbury's sell these- medium wholewheat noodles with 3 ingredients: wholewheat flour, water and salt). Cook them off (I like mine a little bit underdone and chewy). Once cooked, add a good drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a glug or two of soy sauce. I recommend Kikkoman as it only has 4 ingredients- soybeans, wheat, salt and water. If you look at the label of many other brands they contain a cocktail of added things, so for me, Kikkoman is a far better option.

Wholewheat noodles are a slightly better choice than white flour noodles due to the extra preserved nutrition from the wheat; extra fibre, protein, vitamins and minerals. However, they are still refined compared to wholegrains such as brown rice, buckwheat or quinoa which can all be prepared and enjoyed in this way. I'd recommend the "meatier"grains such as brown rice or buckwheat for a chewier texture.

Then, the sky's the limit, or you can just eat them as they are. I often like to stir in an egg, or some chopped tofu for protein. Then it's whatever veg I can find in the fridge or freezer for fibre, vitamin and minerals; often some type of shredded cabbage or kale, shredded carrot or courgette (Zucchini), or frozen peas or sweetcorn for ease.

I don't think there are any ultra processed foods that can't be recreated. It's just about choosing better versions of ingredients and added them at the right time to get the best of what they have to give.

Enjoy!

1: https://www.health.harvard.edu/nutrition/is-extra-virgin-olive-oil-extra-healthy#:~:text=In%20fact%2C%20observational%20studies%20have,who%20use%20little%20or%20none.

2: https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/olive-oil-can-it-lower-your-risk-of-dying-early-202203012695#:~:text=Extra%20virgin%20olive%20oil%20can,%2C%20an%20anti%2Dinflammatory%20drug.

3: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31521394/