{"id":74938,"date":"2025-08-18T07:24:22","date_gmt":"2025-08-18T07:24:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/74938\/"},"modified":"2025-08-18T07:24:22","modified_gmt":"2025-08-18T07:24:22","slug":"can-i-eat-instant-noodles-every-day-what-does-it-do-to-my-health-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/74938\/","title":{"rendered":"Can I eat instant noodles every day? What does it do to my\u00a0health?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\" <\/a>There\u2019s nothing wrong with leaning on a pack of noodles every now and then. But if you do it constantly, it can become a problem.<\/p>\n

Instant noodles are cheap, quick and comforting \u2013 often a go-to snack or meal for students, busy workers, families and anyone trying to stretch their grocery budget.<\/p>\n

The instant noodle market continues to grow<\/a>, as food costs<\/a> rise and the popularity of Asian cuisines<\/a> soars. But what happens if they become an everyday meal? Can you survive, and thrive, on a daily diet of instant noodles?<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s explore what\u2019s in an average pack, what that means for our health, and how to make noodles part of a more balanced meal.<\/p>\n

Affordable, versatile, and culturally important<\/p>\n

Instant noodles are incredibly accessible. A single serving is very cheap, can take just a few minutes to prepare and fill you up. They\u2019re easy to store, have a long shelf life, and are available in almost every supermarket or corner shop.<\/p>\n

Noodles also carry cultural significance<\/a> and are a comfort food for millions of people.<\/p>\n

For many international students and migrants in particular, they\u2019re a familiar taste in an unfamiliar place. A packet of Maggi mi goreng, a bowl of Shin Ramyun, or a serving of Indomie can instantly transport someone back to a childhood kitchen, a bustling night market, or a late-night supper with friends.<\/p>\n

These dishes aren\u2019t just quick meals \u2013 they hold memory<\/a>, identity, and belonging. In a new environment, they offer both a full belly and a sense of home. But their nutritional content isn\u2019t idea.<\/p>\n

\"\" Instant noodles are cheap, easy and accessible. Photo by Gera Cejas\/Pexels<\/a>.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s actually in a typical pack?<\/p>\n

While instant noodles offer comfort and familiarity, their nutritional profile has room for improvement.<\/p>\n

A standard packet of instant noodles is made from wheat flour noodles and a packet of flavour enhancers. Some fancier versions also include dried vegetables or crispy fried garlic.<\/p>\n

On average, though, most packets are very high in salt: a typical serving can contain 600<\/a>\u20131,500mg<\/a> of sodium, which is close to or even above your recommended daily intake (the World Health Organization recommends less than 2,000mg sodium\/day<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Over time, high sodium intake can strain<\/a> the heart and kidneys.<\/p>\n

Because they\u2019re usually made from refined wheat (not wholegrains), instant noodles typically do not contain much fibre. Dietary fibre is important to help keep your digestion regular and support a healthy gut.<\/p>\n

Instant noodles are also low in protein. You will feel full right after eating instant noodles because of the refined carbohydrates, but without added eggs, tofu or meat as a source of protein, that fullness will be short-lived. You will be hungry again soon after<\/a>.<\/p>\n

They are also low in nutrients such as vitamins and minerals. These matter because they help your body function properly<\/a> and stay healthy<\/a>.<\/p>\n

What are the health risks of daily instant noodles?<\/p>\n

Occasional instant noodles won\u2019t harm you. But if they become your main source of nutrition, research suggests some potential longer-term concerns.<\/p>\n

A study<\/a> of South Korean adults found that frequent instant noodle consumption (more than twice a week) was associated with a higher risk of metabolic syndrome, especially among women. Metabolic syndrome<\/a> is a group of conditions that together raise your risk of heart disease, diabetes and other health issues.<\/p>\n

While this study doesn\u2019t prove that instant noodles directly cause health concerns, it suggests that what we eat regularly can affect our health over time.<\/p>\n

High sodium intake is linked to increased risk of high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke. Noodles have been linked to<\/a> higher rates of metabolic syndrome, likely because of the sodium content. Most Australians already exceed recommended sodium limits<\/a>, with processed foods as the main contributor.<\/p>\n

Low fibre diets are also associated with poor gut health<\/a>, constipation, and higher risk of type 2 diabetes and bowel cancer.<\/p>\n

A lack of variety<\/a> in meals can mean missing out on important nutrients found in vegetables, legumes, fruits and wholegrains.<\/p>\n

These nutrients help protect your health in the long term.<\/p>\n

How to make instant noodles healthier (and still tasty)<\/p>\n

\"\" <\/a>It doesn\u2019t have to be anything fancy. Just add healthy stuff to ramen. Image via Pexels.<\/p>\n

If noodles are on high rotation in your kitchen, there\u2019s no need to toss them out completely.<\/p>\n

Instead, you can upgrade your bowl with a few easy additions, by:<\/p>\n

adding vegetables (toss in a handful of frozen peas, spinach, broccoli, carrots or whatever\u2019s on hand to bump up your fibre, vitamins and texture)<\/p>\n

including protein (add a boiled or fried egg, tofu cubes, edamame beans, shredded chicken or tinned beans to help you stay full longer and support muscle and immune health)<\/p>\n

cutting back on the flavour sachet (these are often the main source of salt, so try using half or less of the sachet or mixing in low-sodium stock, garlic, ginger, herbs or chilli instead)<\/p>\n

trying wholegrain or air-dried noodles (some brands now offer higher-fibre options<\/a> made with buckwheat, brown rice or millet, so check the ingredients on the back of the packet to see the main source of grain).<\/p>\n

So, should we ditch the noodles?<\/p>\n

\"\" <\/a>Image via Unsplash.<\/p>\n

Not at all.<\/p>\n

Like most foods, instant noodles can fit into a healthy diet, just not as the main event every day.<\/p>\n

Think of your body like a car. Instant noodles are like fuel which can give you enough to get you moving, but not enough to keep the engine running smoothly over time.<\/p>\n

Noodles definitely have a place in busy lives and diverse kitchens.<\/p>\n

With a few pantry staples and simple tweaks, you can keep the comfort and convenience, while also adding a whole lot more nourishment.<\/p>\n

Lauren Ball<\/a>, Professor of Community Health and Wellbeing, The University of Queensland<\/a>; Emily Burch<\/a>, Accredited Practising Dietitian and Lecturer, Southern Cross University<\/a>, and Pearl (Pui Ting) Wong<\/a>, PhD Candidate, Culinary Education and Adolescents\u2019 Wellbeing, The University of Queensland<\/a><\/p>\n

This article is republished from The Conversation<\/a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"There\u2019s nothing wrong with leaning on a pack of noodles every now and then. But if you do…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":74939,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[45],"tags":[102,25064,38456,6636,38457,56,54,55],"class_list":{"0":"post-74938","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nutrition","8":"tag-health","9":"tag-healthy","10":"tag-noodles","11":"tag-nutrition","12":"tag-ramen","13":"tag-uk","14":"tag-united-kingdom","15":"tag-unitedkingdom"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/74938","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=74938"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/74938\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/74939"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=74938"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=74938"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=74938"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}