Instant noodles are one of the most popular comfort foods worldwide! Busy bees who have no time for elaborate breakfasts, students in hostels, bachelors on tight budgets, and those working long hours all rely on instant noodles. They’re even packed into tiffin boxes by time-pressed moms for fussy eaters. The biggest catch with instant noodles? You only need hot water and 2 minutes to conjure up a flavorful meal, making them a convenient anytime snack available at just 10 rupees. While they’ve been criticized for being made entirely from refined flour, companies now offer healthier variants like atta and oat noodles.
In India, they’re incredibly popular, with street-side stalls selling various versions like cheesy and spicy or egg tadka at affordable rates. A plain cup of instant noodles can pack up to 250 calories, similar to Indian-Chinese noodles loved at stalls, restaurants, and home-cooked chow mein. However, these options, loaded with refined flour, condiments, and sauces, aren’t ideal for weight loss. So, what noodles can aid in slimming down? Here are some alternatives:
1. Soba Noodles:
Made from buckwheat flour, it’s the kind of noodles monks have and considered spiritually significant. Just like instant noodles, soba noodles take just two to three minutes in hot water to cook. There are just 113 calories in one cup of soba noodles. You can add sesame seeds, loads of fresh veggies like cabbage, carrot, broccoli, mushrooms, peanut slaw to make a delicious treat. Also read: “Can I Eat Instant Noodles While Trying To Lose Weight?”
2. Vegetable Noodles:
Make noodles out of your favorite vegetables and get loads of nutrients, vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals. You can shape out noodles from zucchini, sweet potatoes, and even beetroots with the help of a vegetable spiralizer. When you swap empty calories from store-bought noodles with nutrient-rich vegetable noodles, you are bound to get healthy and drop weight. You just need to invest in spiralizer which you can get under 500 INR on amazon and other online websites.
3. Foxtail Noodles:
Foxtail millet has complex carbs, no gluten. Also known as kangni in hindi and korralu down south, it is hugely popular among people who want to lose weight as well as control their blood sugar levels. It is also considered as the best replacement for rice. It is rich in fiber, low in carbs, with minerals such as copper and iron. Foxtail millet is now widely available in vermicilli, flake form (to make poha), and also as noodles. Calories per 100 gm – 473 kcal.
4. Ragi Noodles:
Ragi, or finger millet, is the most popular millet in India and widely used in cuisine across India, particularly south India. Ragi halwa, upma, laddoo, instant dosa, nachni roti, poori, idli, vada, kheer, pancakes, ragi mudde, ragi malt porridge – the list of healthy dishes that one can make with ragi is endless. This millet is quite popular to feed growing children because of its rich protein and mineral content, ditto with diabetics who want to regulate their blood sugar levels. And now, easily available in noodles form, you can make street-side dishes with it. Calories per 100 gm – 336 kcals. Also read: “5 Points To Remember When Picking Healthy Foods For Weight Loss.”
5. Whole Wheat Noodles:
Do not settle for just “atta noodles,” make sure the label says 100% whole wheat noodles that has complex carbs and you can make so many varieties out of these – veg hakka noodles, stir fry noodles, chicken noodles, the list just goes on. There’s approximately 192 to 200 calories in one cup of plain whole wheat noodles.
Summing up, losing weight is not just about bland and tasteless food anymore, you will realize that when you subscribe to the Rati Beauty diet plans. With these noodles, you can whip up street-side dishes without the risk of gaining weight.
Can I Eat Instant Noodles While Trying To Lose Weight?5 Points To Remember When Picking Healthy Foods For Weight Loss
