How to Turn Ramen Noodles Into a Healthy Meal Idea
It is no secret that Ramen Noodles are a staple in every college student’s pantry. However, ramen noodles are not just for the college student, bachelor, or preschooler anymore. I have even found some organic brown rice ramen by Lotus Foods at Costco that we love, making it a healthy choice for our family! Even if you buy the budget friendly packs of ramen, there are quite a few healthy ways to spice up a package of the fried noodles.
Ditch the Packet
Some people prefer ramen noodles simply because they are cheap, cheap, cheap. Others prefer them because of the beef, chicken, or oriental flavor that comes in the package. While that packet is full of flavor, it is also packed full of sodium and MSG. Make your meal a bit healthier, by ditching the packet, and adding your own herbs and flavoring. Boil the pasta in low sodium chicken or beef broth, and throw in some pepper and herbs, like thyme, or oregano.
Use Uncooked, as a Topping
That’s right. You can eat Ramen without cooking them first! Dig the recipe for your favorite Asian inspired salad out of your recipe box, and simply swap out the Asian noodles for Ramen Noodles. Just discard the seasoning packet and break the noodles up. Add them to your salad just before serving.
Stir Fry
Instead of opting for burgers and fries, pull out a package of ramen, and some fresh or frozen veggies. Cook up chicken or beef pieces, and throw some in some veggies, with a bit of low sodium soy sauce. Meanwhile, cook the Ramen in either plain water, or low sodium beef or chicken broth. Once it is all done, simply toss it all together, and grab a bowl and a seat.
Make a Hearty Soup
There is nothing like a hot bowl of hearty soup, on a chilly evening. Gather the ingredients for your favorite soup, and toss it all in the slow cooker. When there are just a few minutes left of cooking time, add a packet or two of Ramen, minus the flavor packets, and you have yourself an easy, healthy meal.
Limit the amount you eat
Even if you dish up Ramen Noodles to be healthier, you still need to limit the amount you eat. Many carbs come from ramen noodles, even if it doesn’t seem like it. Which is why adding them to a salad as a topping or using it as a filler, is an excellent idea.
The great thing about Ramen is that it’s so inexpensive. Once you get rid of the packet and figure out how to make it into the perfect healthy dish, you are good to go.
I'd love to hear how you use ramen noodles! Let me know in the comments below!
It's no secret that I'm a huge fan of meal planning (and think you should be too 😉 ). It puts deciding what to cook on autopilot all week long. No more last minute trips through the drive thru or slapping together a so-so meal that everyone will complain about anyways.
Jotting down your list of meals in a plain notebook or a scrap of paper is great, but did you know you can totally up your meal planning game? How? Well, with these 7 free printable weekly meal planners that will knock your socks off. I found some pretty amazing printables! All different kinds so there should be something to suit your specific needs.
Check them out and let me know which one is your favourite.
Now, this is a great idea! Use a dry erase marker to write out your menu for the whole week with this planner. Then, once the week is over, wipe it clear and start fresh for next week.
This one is from yours truly! I think it's fun and I love that there is space to jot down meals, your shopping list AND any prep work that needs to be completed! (Like remembering to take meat out of the freezer to thaw!)
Whether you’re new to meal planning or you’re just wanting to liven up the way you’re doing it, any one of these free printable meal planners will do the job perfectly.
Let me know what you think of these great free printable weekly meal planners!
PS: Looking for even more meal planning help? Check out this gorgeous printable MEAL PLANNERSET– with monthly, weekly + daily meal planning worksheets, brainstorming sheets, food inventory sheets, grocery lists, price matching sheets and more!
As the saying goes, ‘Breakfast is the most important meal of the day’. So while this is true, it can also be the least expensive and easiest meal to make of the day. With using items like sausage, veggies, eggs, and other ingredients that are easily accessible, you can easily make breakfast for the whole family for under $5.
Here are my favourite Healthy Breakfast Ideas for under $5:
Greek Yogurt and Fruit – You can usually pick up a tub of Greek Yogurt for under $4. Use some frozen fruit and maple syrup for a topping and you have a delicious breakfast.
French Toast – One of my family’s favorite meals is French toast… for breakfast or dinner ;). For some reason, we can’t get enough of it. I don’t mind because using whole wheat, I can make the French toast semi-healthy! We add fruit topping or peanut butter instead of real maple syrup sometimes.
Banana with Peanut Butter – Is there anything more delicious than bananas and peanut butter? I think not! It also makes for a very filling breakfast for little ones. If your child doesn’t like bananas, try cutting up an apple for them. Delicious, healthy, and simple!
Breakfast burritos – Using low carb or whole wheat tortillas, mix up eggs, salsa, and cheese to make a yummy breakfast concoction.
Fruit salad – One of my favorite healthy meals for under $5 is taking all the leftover fruit in the fridge and mixing it together to create a fruit salad. Sometimes I add a bit of yogurt on top. Yum!
Veggie omelet – A dozen eggs can be bought for a little over $2. Make a yummy veggie omelet to feed your family a healthy meal for under $5.
Sausage and Eggs – Keep breakfast simple by making sausage and eggs for your breakfast of choice. My family never complains about this meal.
Homemade banana muffins – If you have old bananas in your possession, make some muffins out of them. A simple breakfast that will save you money! These are my most favourite Banana Chocolate Chip muffins.
These 9 healthy breakfast ideas for under $5 will help you stay on budget and keep you feeling great all day long. It’s easy to swing through the drive thru and get caught up in a $20 breakfast for the family. But instead, it’s just as easy to make your own breakfast at home for $5 (and stay in your pajamas!).
What healthy breakfast ideas do you have for under $5?
You know having a menu plan is a good thing, but wouldn’t it be nice if someone did it for you? And created a grocery list at the same time? Well, right here, is a free printable weekly menu plan and grocery list!
I’m a huge believer in the benefits of having a menu plan. Not only can having a menu plan save your grocery budget, it will save your sanity as well! I love menu planning and have been planning a menu nearly every week since my husband and I got married almost 10 years ago!
If you’re all too familiar with the drive thru, having a menu plan in place will help you bring back your evening meals at home. Without a plan, it’s all too easy to throw together an unbalanced meal or go to out for fast food again. Not only will you be eating better with a plan in place, you’ll be having more fun sitting down with those you love knowing that everyone is being well nourished.
While I would love for you to learn how to create your own menu plans, I also love to help where I can. As a busy work at home mom, I know there simply aren’t enough hours in a day for us women to do it all. We have to pick and choose what we think is best. Something I strive for in our family, but is always a work in progress, is that we’resitting down and eating a healthy meal together on a regular basis. Preferably to a meal I cooked at home because it’s cheaper and better for us!
This FREE Weekly Menu Plan series will help you get started cooking at home with 5 meals, 1 salad, 1 dessert and side dish suggestions that you can make on your own.
That’s five meals that you can stretch however you need. Depending on your family size, you might end up having leftovers or you might end up eating it all in one go. Adapt each recipe to suit your needs. Regardless, you’ve got 5 meals planned and and two open nights for leftovers, planned take-out or something simple like sandwiches. You’ll feel so good knowing things are planned and ready to go!
Having a menu plan in place can drastically reduce your grocery bill and save you so much trouble when the clock hits 5 o’clock.
You know having a menu plan is a good thing, but wouldn’t it be nice if someone did it for you? And created a grocery list at the same time? Well, right here, is a free printable weekly menu plan and grocery list!
I’m a huge believer in the benefits of having a menu plan. Not only can having a menu plan save your grocery budget, it will save your sanity as well! I love menu planning and have been planning a menu nearly every week since my husband and I got married almost 10 years ago!
If you’re all too familiar with the drive thru, having a menu plan in place will help you bring back your evening meals at home. Without a plan, it’s all too easy to throw together an unbalanced meal or go to out for fast food again. Not only will you be eating better with a plan in place, you’ll be having more fun sitting down with those you love knowing that everyone is being well nourished.
However, if you’re new to planning a menu, it can be overwhelming. That’s why I’m starting a new weekly series of free printable menu plans and grocery lists for you to use!
While I would love for you to learn how to create your own menu plans, I also love to help where I can. As a busy work at home mom, I know there simply aren’t enough hours in a day for us women to do it all. We have to pick and choose what we think is best. Something I strive for in our family, but is always a work in progress, is that we’resitting down and eating a healthy meal together on a regular basis. Preferably to a meal I cooked at home because it’s cheaper and better for us!
This FREE Weekly Menu Plan series will help you get started cooking at home with 5 meals, 1 salad, 1 dessert and side dish suggestions that you can make on your own.
That’s five meals that you can stretch however you need. Depending on your family size, you might end up having leftovers or you might end up eating it all in one go. Adapt each recipe to suit your needs. Regardless, you’ve got 5 meals planned and and two open nights for leftovers, planned take-out or something simple like sandwiches. You’ll feel so good knowing things are planned and ready to go!
Having a menu plan in place can drastically reduce your grocery bill and save you so much trouble when the clock hits 5 o’clock.
You know having a menu plan is a good thing, but wouldn’t it be nice if someone did it for you? And created a grocery list at the same time? Well, right here, is a free printable weekly menu plan and grocery list!
I’m a huge believer in the benefits of having a menu plan. Not only can having a menu plan save your grocery budget, it will save your sanity as well! I love menu planning and have been planning a menu nearly every week since my husband and I got married almost 10 years ago!
If you’re all too familiar with the drive thru, having a menu plan in place will help you bring back your evening meals at home. Without a plan, it’s all too easy to throw together an unbalanced meal or go to out for fast food again. Not only will you be eating better with a plan in place, you’ll be having more fun sitting down with those you love knowing that everyone is being well nourished.
However, if you’re new to planning a menu, it can be overwhelming. That’s why I’m starting a new weekly series of free printable menu plans and grocery lists for you to use!
While I would love for you to learn how to create your own menu plans, I also love to help where I can. As a busy work at home mom, I know there simply aren’t enough hours in a day for us women to do it all. We have to pick and choose what we think is best. Something I strive for in our family, but is always a work in progress, is that we’resitting down and eating a healthy meal together on a regular basis. Preferably to a meal I cooked at home because it’s cheaper and better for us!
This FREE Weekly Menu Plan series will help you get started cooking at home with 5 meals, 1 salad, 1 dessert and side dish suggestions that you can make on your own.
That’s five meals that you can stretch however you need. Depending on your family size, you might end up having leftovers or you might end up eating it all in one go. Adapt each recipe to suit your needs. Regardless, you’ve got 5 meals planned and and two open nights for leftovers, planned take-out or something simple like sandwiches. You’ll feel so good knowing things are planned and ready to go!
Having a menu plan in place can drastically reduce your grocery bill and save you so much trouble when the clock hits 5 o’clock.
doesn’t like bananas, try cutting up an apple for them. Delicious, healthy, and simple!
