Instant ramen is a meal that you can put in your purse or backpack, eat at your desk or in between classes, a quick dish that is ready in two minutes. Unfortunately it is also full of sodium and msg.

When you get a craving for a bowl of instant noodles try Lotus Foods’ Rice Ramen. The trick is trying to balance good sense, good taste and good nutrition with the magic and convenience of a three minute meal – Lotus Foods does exactly that. These single serving portioned packages of rice noodles are made with non-GMO ingredients, they are gluten-free so are suitable for gluten intolerant individuals, they are made with organic ingredients where possible, they are low-fat, vegan, and have waaaay less salt than regular instant ramen.

Lotus offers six varieties; Forbidden Rice Ramen with Miso, Jade Pearl Rice with Miso, Millet and Brown Rice with Miso, and these three are also available in 100% organic versions.

The list of ingredients on a package of instant ramen like Chicken Flavoured Sapporo Ichiban will make your eyes pop, with the first three ingredients in the soup base listed as salt (2,150 mg of sodium (90% of your RDA!)  msg and sugar.

Forbidden Rice Ramen, on the other hand, has noodles made out of organic black, brown and white rice-ancient whole grains that  are high in anti-oxidants- and water. The soup base ingredients are white miso powder, salt, (400 mg of sodium or 17% RDA) white onion powder, tamari powder, soybean powder, mushroom powder, dried parsley and dried carrots. And of course you can doll the ramen up to suit your taste, adding fresh vegetables, or slices of pork or chicken, shrimp or beef or a soft boiled egg, and making a complete and nutritious meal. For example, look at this beautiful vegan dish by Kris Kelly of Goofy Foot Foods 

photo Kris Kelly

Still, this instant ramen is delicious on its own, nutty and complex, and while we are not advocating eating it for breakfast, lunch and dinner every day, it’s nice to know that in a pinch you can indulge in a guilty pleasure and still come out ahead.