Ramen noodles, common in Asian cuisines, are made from wheat flour. The nutritional value is moderate -- while these noodles provide a reasonably low number of calories and aren't high in fat, you do not get a great deal of fiber. Ramen noodles can be part of a healthy diet for most people, although the high sodium content makes them unsuitable for a low-sodium diet.
Calories and Calorie Breakdown
One serving of ramen noodles -- a half block of dried noodles -- contains 190 calories, which may work as a quick snack, but is not enough to satisfy your nutritional needs as a meal. Consider adding vegetables and chicken to boost calories into the correct levels for a healthy meal: 300 to 500 calories for women and 400 to 600 calories for men. Most of the calories in these noodles derive from carbohydrates, followed by 33.7 percent fat and 10.7 percent protein.
Fat
A serving of ramen noodles adds 7 g of fat to your meal plan. Fat should make up 20 to 35 percent of your daily calories; if you plan your diet around the lower end of this spectrum -- approximately 44 g of fat if you follow a 2,000-calorie meal plan -- the fat in ramen noodles accounts for 15.9 percent of your daily fat. Just under half the fat in these noodles -- 3.5 g -- is saturated.
Carbohydrates
Ramen noodles have 26 g of carbohydrates. This is only a small portion of the 225 to 325 g of carbs your body depends on for energy and to keep your muscles and nervous system working optimally. Ramen noodles are considered a starchy carbohydrate, which turn to sugar in your body. If you are diabetic, it is critical to balance the types of carbs you consume, so carefully weigh your dietary options when it comes to eating ramen noodles.
Fiber
Consume a serving of ramen noodles, and you take in 1 g of fiber. You need 25 to 38 g of fiber each day for bowel health, so consider boosting the fiber content of ramen noodles by serving them with a slice of whole-grain bread or adding high-fiber vegetables, such as artichokes, lima beans, tomatoes, peas, parsnips and garbanzo beans.
Sodium
One serving of ramen noodles contains 790 mg of sodium. This accounts for more than half the 1,500 mg suggested as the limit for the majority of Americans by the American Heart Association. Routinely eating too much sodium can put a strain in your heart, so it is especially important to abide by these guidelines if you have a cardiovascular problem.
References
- LIVESTRONG.COM MyPlate; Ramen Noodles Plain (Maruchan); April 2011
- The Diet Channel; Calories: What's an Ideal Daily Intake?; Michele Turcotte
- MayoClinic.com; Healthy Diet: End the Guesswork With These Nutrition Guidelines; February 2011
- McKinley Health Center; Macronutrients: The Importance of Carbohydrate, Protein, and Fat; March 2008
- University of Maryland Medical Center; Starchy Foods; May 2009
- HelpGuide.org; Eating to Prevent and Control Diabetes; Maya Paul, et al.; December 2009
