Cup Noodles -- a product by Nissin Foods, a Japanese company -- is a convenience food sold in a foam cup. The dry ramen noodles, dehydrated vegetables and flavorings inside reconstitute with the addition of boiling water, making it a quick snack or meal. This food does offer some nutritional benefits.
Serving Size
One foam container of Cup Noodles contains 64 g of noodle soup.
Calories
Each container of Cup Noodles contains 296.3 calories. Based on a 2,000-calorie diet, this comprises 14.8 percent of the calories you may consume in your daily meal plan. An ideal meal target in terms of calories is 300 to 600. To boost calories in your Cup Noodles meal, consider adding additional fresh vegetables or cooked meat to your noodle soup.
Calorie Breakdown
The calories in 64 g of Cup Noodles come primarily from carbohydrates and fat. Each serving's calories break down to approximately 49.6 percent carbohydrates, 42.7 percent fat and 7.5 percent protein.
Fat
A 64 g container of Cup Noodles contains 14.1 g of fat. MayoClinic.com recommends consuming no more than 20 to 35 percent of your daily calories from fat, or 44 to 78 g. It is particularly high in saturated fat, the type that may increase the level of your blood cholesterol as well as raise your risk of coronary artery disease. A container has 6.3 g of saturated fat, 42 percent of the 15 g recommended by MayoClinic.com for daily consumption.
Vitamins and Minerals
One serving of Cup Noodles provides you with 400 IU of vitamin A and 2.2 mg of iron. The Institute of Medicine notes that you should consume 833 to 1,667 IU of vitamin A and 8 to 18 mg of iron each day for optimal health.
Considerations
Cup Noodles is high in sodium -- 1,433.6 mg per serving. This accounts for almost all the sodium you should consume in a day. The American Heart Association recommends limiting salt intake to 1,500 mg per day, particularly if you have a health problem like high blood pressure that can be exacerbated by consuming too much salt.
References
- CalorieLab: Soup, Nissin, Cup Noodles, Ramen Noodle, Chicken Flavor, Dry Mix
- The Diet Channel: Calories: What's an ideal daily intake?
- MayoClinic.com: Healthy Diet: End the Guesswork with These Nutrition Guidelines
- Institute of Medicine: Dietary Reference Intakes
- National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements: Vitamin A and Carotenoids
- American Heart Association: Sodium (Salt or Sodium Chloride)
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