Maruchan Noodles Nutrition

A type of pasta invented in Japan in 1958, Ramen noodles are the main ingredient in certain soup products. Their signature characteristics include distinctive flavor, easy preparation and -- in the United States -- a very affordable retail price. The food manufacturer Maruchan opened its first plant in the United States in 1978, and its prepackaged Ramen noodles became the country's most widely purchased dry soup just 16 years later in 1994.

Features

Maruchan manufactures three types of Ramen noodle products with two styles of Ramen noodles. The first and earliest two products are original Maruchan Noodle Soup wrapped in a cellophane package and Instant Lunch soups packaged in styrofoam cups. Both include plain dry Ramen noodles made of enriched wheat flour and vegetable oil. Maruchan Yakisoba -- the third and most recent product, which is sold in a ready-to-use microwaveable container -- also consists primarily of ramen noodles, but they are pan fried before packaging. All three Maruchan noodle products come with a separate seasoning package inside, as well, to add flavor to the prepared dish.

Calories

A standard serving of Maruchan Noodle Soup and Maruchan Yakisoba consists of half a package, and a standard serving of Maruchan Instant Lunch is the entire container. Since the original and Instant Lunch products contain the same type of Ramen, they supply a comparable number of calories for equivalent portions when prepared the same way with hot water and without the enclosed seasoning package added. A half package of Maruchan Noodle Soup is approximately 1.5 oz., which has 190 calories. In comparison, a half package of Maruchan Yakisoba is roughly 2 oz., which has 260 calories.

Fat

Besides more calories, Maruchan Yakisoba also has more fat per serving than Maruchan Noodle Soup and Instant Lunch. While the second two products contain 7 g of total fat and 3.5 g of saturated fat in each serving, Maruchan's Yakisoba-style noodle soup supplies 11 g of total fat and 5 g of saturated fat per serving. Consequently, the products with plain Ramen noodles get 37 percent of their calories from fat, and the Yakisoba dishes get a slightly higher 39 percent of their calories from fat. None of the products contain unhealthy trans fat, however.

Other Nutrients

Maruchan noodle products do not supply many minerals or vitamins. The two products with regular noodles contain 8 percent of the recommended daily amount of iron, in addition to 1 g of dietary fiber, 5 g of protein, 26 g of carbohydrates and 780 mg of salt. Yakisoba noodles, on the other hand, provide 10 percent of the recommended daily amount of iron and 2 percent of the recommended daily amount of calcium. The product has slightly more, 2 g, dietary fiber, 6 g of protein and 36 g of carbohydrates, yet only 660 mg of salt. All three products are cholesterol-free, as well.

Low-Sodium Alternatives

Consumers concerned about the amount of sodium in their diet can purchase the company's reduced-sodium Ramen products. The products contain 35 percent less sodium than regular Maruchan Noodle Soup, which translates to just 440 mg of sodium per serving. Otherwise, the lower-sodium noodles have a comparable level of calories, fat and nutrients.