The Only Healthy Ramen Noodles Recipe Guide You Need With 6 Ideas

A healthy ramen noodle recipe is handy when you’re on a time crunch or feel like a fast yet filling meal. But how can you make healthy ramen noodles at home? Is it possible, or are the noodles full of unwanted ingredients that work against your health?

A healthy ramen noodles recipe will ease your worries about too much sodium if you know how to make a more nutritious bowl. Let’s show you what makes ramen unhealthy before sharing the tips to improve the nutrition of this dish. After this, you’ll find the best healthy ramen recipes. 

Can You Make Ramen Noodles Healthy?

The right healthy ramen noodles recipe will help you eat a healthy alternative. Here’s a sneak peek at what’s coming: 

• Healthy ramen noodles soup (7)
• Healthy chicken ramen noodles (5)
• Low-sodium beef ramen stir-fry (6)
• Authentic, healthy pork ramen (3)
• Vegetarian ramen noodles (11)
• Vegan ramen noodles with tofu (10)

But first, let’s understand why you need to make your own ramen noodles or substitute these noodles.

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What Is the Healthiest Ramen?

The healthiest ramen noodles are the ones that you flavor from scratch or if you prefer, make them using plant-based alternatives. WebMD states that regular packaged ramen noodles tend to lack nutrients, fiber, protein, and vitamins (12). Wheat flour ramen has a preservative called tertiary-butyl hydroquinone (TBHQ), which has a controversial reputation. 

Also, the USDA suggests that 100 grams of ramen has 60.3 g of carbs and 440 calories (9). 

However, the biggest culprit is the high-sodium seasoning pack (12). Making the broth is easily a healthier option. Alternatively, compare normal ramen to Shirataki noodles, a low-calorie, low-carb option. 

WebMD says 224 grams of Shirataki noodles contain 20 calories and 6 g of carbs, all of which are fiber (4). Unfortunately, Shirataki noodles have no protein or fat, but you can hack that problem by adding the best ramen recipe ingredients, broth, and protein. Ultimately, the two changes you can make are to ditch the seasoning pack and make a broth from scratch or use alternative noodles. 

What Can I Add to Ramen to Make It Healthier?

A healthy ramen broth begins your journey toward more nutritious ramen bowls, noodles, soups, and other favorites. How can you flavor your ramen broth without the seasoning pack? Here’s a list of flavorful ingredients to use in ramen dishes:

• Protein: Beef, chicken, eggs, pork, and tofu are healthy protein-rich additives (12). Healthline suggests adding plenty of protein because ramen noodles especially lack it (1). Fresh fish also works well and adds a protein punch with healthy fats.
• Vegetables: Asparagus, baby corn, bean sprouts, bell peppers, cabbage, carrots, fermented bamboo shoots, green onions, leeks, oyster mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, spinach, tomatoes, and wakame seaweed work well (2).
• Herbs/Spices: Always use fresh or dried herbs and spices to flavor ramen noodles (1). Some examples include pepper, chili flakes, cinnamon, cumin, curry powder, furikake, garlic, ginger, kimchi, miso paste, onion powder, and sansho pepper.
• Low-Sodium Sauces: Vegetable, beef, or chicken broth works. Alternatively, add chili oil, coconut aminos, low-sodium soy sauce, sesame oil, sriracha, or tamari sauce (7).

Healthy Ramen Recipes (Low-Calorie)

Let’s help you with a tasty ramen broth recipe before showing you some deliciously different ideas. The aim is to lower the sodium and calories in each serving while adding protein and tons of flavor that won’t increase your risk of poor health. Let’s aim for under 400 calories per serving.

Healthy Ramen Noodles Recipe

A healthy ramen soup recipe should have the lowest calories possible while adding the least sodium. A Pinch of Yum inspires this delectable ramen soup recipe (7). Meanwhile, you will get a crunchy surprise with panko crumbs to garnish your mouth-watering meal. 

• Serves: 6
• Prep: 5 minutes
• Cook: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp. sesame oil
• 3 tsp. grated ginger
• 4 tsp. grated garlic
• 4 cups of chicken broth
• 4 cups of water
• 1 oz. dried shiitake mushrooms
• 2 packets of instant ramen without the seasoning
• ½ cup of chopped chives
• 2 cups of chopped kale
• 1 cup of shredded carrots
• Sriracha sauce to taste
• Salt to taste
• Crunchy golden panko crumbs

Directions:

1. Heat your oil in a pan over medium-low heat,
2. Fry the garlic and ginger for 2 minutes until fragrant,
3. Add your broth and water, bringing the pan to a simmer,
4. Add the mushrooms to simmer for another 10 minutes,
5. Add the noodles to simmer for another 5 minutes,
6. Add the chives, stirring to blend the flavors,
7. Remove the pan from the heat, adding the carrots and kale,
8. Add sriracha sauce and salt to taste,
9. Divide the noodles between 6 bowls, sprinkling the panko crumbs over each.

Nutrition per serving: 197 calories, 1177 mg sodium, 28 g carbs, 7.7 g fat, 5.4 g protein, and 2.6 g fiber (7)

Healthy Chicken Ramen Recipe

Healthy chicken ramen recipes are a dream for a fast meal. Simply Healthy Kitchen inspires this healthy ramen recipe (5). This recipe is our lowest sodium option, only 250 mg per serving. In addition, it packs a nutritionally intense protein punch with chicken breasts.  

• Serves: 4
• Prep: 10 minutes
• Cook: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 hard-boiled eggs
• 4 cups of low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 ½ tsp. low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 5 oz. chicken breast filets
• 2 ramen noodle packs without the seasoning
• 1 cup of sliced cabbage
• 1 cup of shredded carrots
• 2 chopped green onions
• Sriracha to taste

Directions:

1. Bring the chicken broth and soy sauce to a boil in a large pot,
2. Add the chicken breasts to cook for 8-10 minutes before setting aside to cool,
3. Shred the cool chicken with a fork before returning it to the broth,
4. Add the noodles, salt, and pepper to cook for 3-5 minutes,
5. Halve your boiled eggs, and remove the broth from the heat,
6. Add the cabbage and carrots to the broth,
7. Divide the ramen into 4 bowls before garnishing it with green onions and sriracha.

Nutrition per serving: 339 calories, 250 mg sodium 38 g carbs, 5.8 g fat, 31.3 g protein, and 3.3 g fiber (5)

Read more: No Grains, All Gains – 6 Delicious Gluten-Free Ramen Recipes To Try At Home

Low-Sodium Ramen Recipe With Beef

What’s in the Pan has a fantastic recipe to inspire this idea (6). It uses beef to kick the protein up a notch while adding an unusual flavor. The recipe reduces the sodium significantly compared to others in our top picks. It’s our second-lowest sodium recipe. 

• Serves: 4
• Prep: 5 minutes
• Cook: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1 chopped onion
• 1 chopped red bell pepper
• ½ head of broccoli florets
• 1 lb. ground beef
• 2 ramen noodle packs without the seasoning
• Salt and pepper to taste
• ¼ cup of soy sauce
• 1 tbsp. brown sugar
• 1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
• 2 tsp. sriracha
• 1 minced garlic clove
• 1 chopped scallion

Directions:

1. Heat your oil in a skillet over medium heat,
2. Add the peppers, onions, and broccoli to cook for 5 minutes,
3. Set the vegetables aside,
4. Season your beef with salt and pepper, adding it to the pan,
5. Brown the meat for 5 minutes before draining the fat,
6. Return the vegetables to the skillet,
7. Whisk together the soy sauce, sugar, vinegar, sriracha, and minced garlic,
8. Bring some water to a boil in another pan,
9. Cook the ramen noodles for 2 minutes, and drain them,
10. Add the noodles to the broth skillet with the sauce you whisked together,
11. Toss until well combined before garnishing with the scallions.

Nutrition per serving: 394 calories, 327 mg sodium, 14 g carbs, 26 g fat, 23 g protein, and 3 g fiber (6)

Authentic Ramen Recipe With Pork

The closest you come to authentic Japanese ramen is to use pork. The Flavor Bender inspires this traditional-style, low-calorie pork ramen noodles recipe (3). It has plenty of raw ingredients to flavor the spiceless ramen noodles with a high protein count, though it is still quite high in sodium. 

• Serves: 2
• Prep: 1 hour 40 minutes
• Cook: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

• 8 oz. pork tenderloin
• 4 minced garlic cloves
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tbsp. crushed black pepper
• 2 tbsp. vegetable oil
• 3 tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce, divided
• 2 packs of ramen noodles without the seasoning
• 4 cups of low-sodium beef broth
• 1” sliced ginger
• 3 sliced garlic cloves
• 2 chopped spring onions
• ½ tbsp. chili flakes
• 1 ½ tsp.  whole black peppercorns
• 10 dried, soaked, and sliced shiitake mushrooms
• 4 stalks of baby bok choy
• Chopped spring onions for garnishing
• 2 large eggs

Directions:

1. Mix the 4 minced garlic cloves, salt, crushed black pepper, vegetable oil, and 1 tablespoon of soy sauce,
2. Rub the spice mix into the pork tenderloin, letting it marinade for an hour,
3. Preheat an oven to 350°F,
4. Roast the pork for 20-30 minutes until the internal temperature is 160°F,
5. Remove the pork to let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing it,
6. Boil your eggs on medium heat for 6 minutes,
7. Remove the eggs to rest in cold water for 2 minutes,
8. Place the broth, ginger, sliced garlic, spring onions, chili flakes, whole peppercorns, and remaining soy sauce in a pot,
9. Bring it to a boil over medium-high heat,
10. Let the broth simmer for 20-30 minutes,
11. Blanch the bok choy for 2 minutes before removing it and setting it aside,
12. Add the shiitake mushrooms and noodles to the broth to boil for 3-5 minutes,
13. Slice your pork and divide the broth between 2 bowls,
14. Add the bok choy and pork before slicing the eggs halfway through,
15. Add the eggs and garnish with the spring onions.

Nutrition per serving: 351 calories, 3003 mg sodium, 20 g carbs, 12 g fat, 45 g protein, and 4 g fiber (3)

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Vegetarian Ramen Recipe

A ramen bowl for vegetarians sounds like another healthy option, whether you’re vegetarian or not. Fool Proof Living inspires this delicious bowl (11). It uses a lot of raw ingredients for a flavor-packed broth. However, the carbs are a little high if you’re counting carbs, and the sodium is quite high. 

• Serves: 6
• Prep: 15 minutes
• Cook: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp. divided vegetable oil
• ½ lb. sliced shiitake mushrooms
• 5 green onion stalks sliced, with separate white and green parts
• 2 tbsp. grated ginger
• 4 garlic cloves
• 6 cups of low-sodium vegetable broth
• 2 tbsp. white miso paste
• 2 tbsp. tamari sauce or low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 tbsp. sesame oil
• 4 large eggs
• 4 3-ounce dried ramen packs without seasoning
• 3 heads of baby bok choy cut in half
• 1 tbsp. sesame seeds

Directions:

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a pot over medium heat,
2. Cook the shiitake mushrooms for 4-5 minutes until soft,
3. Set the mushrooms aside with aluminum foil to keep them warm,
4. Heat the remaining oil in the same pot,
5. Sauté the white part of the onions with the ginger and garlic for 2 minutes,
6. Add the vegetable broth, stirring until it boils,
7. Use ½ cup of the boiling broth to whisk the miso paste until it dissolves in a bowl,
8. Add the miso solution, soy sauce or tamari, and sesame oil to the pot,
9. Boil a large amount of water in a separate pot,
10. Drop the eggs into the boiling water to cook for 8 minutes,
11. Set them aside in cold water,
12. Add the noodles and bok choy to the water pot to boil for 3-4 minutes,
13. Drain the noodles and bok choy,
14. Peel the eggs and slice them halfway through,
15. Place the noodles and bok choy in your bowl,
16. Pour the miso broth over your noodles,
17. Top the bowl with the mushrooms and eggs,
18. Use the green parts of the onion and the sesame seeds to garnish the dish.

Nutrition per serving: 383 calories, 2533 mg sodium, 41 g carbs, 20 g fat, 12 g protein, and 3 g fiber (11)

Read more: 10 Healthy Homemade Ramen Recipes You’ll Want to Make Every Chance You Get

Vegan Ramen With Tofu

A vegan ramen recipe could use tofu to increase the protein. Connoisseurs Veg has a brilliantly tasty vegan option to inspire this ramen recipe (10). The carbs are higher again, but the calories are acceptable for our low-calorie requirements.

• Serves: 4
• Prep: 15 minutes
• Cook: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp. divided peanut oil
• 4 oz. sliced shiitake mushrooms
• 3 minced garlic cloves
• 2 tsp. grated ginger
• 2 chopped scallions with white and green parts separated
• 6 cups of low-sodium vegetable broth
• 4 tbsp, divided soy sauce
• 1 tbsp. brown sugar
• 1 tsp. sesame oil
• 14 oz. firm tofu drained and cut into ½” cubes
• 1 pack of ramen noodles without the seasoning
• 1 cup of julienne carrots
• 1 cup of frozen and shelled edamame
• Toasted sesame seeds to garnish

Directions:

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of peanut oil over medium heat in a large skillet,
2. Cook the mushrooms for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning,
3. Sauté the garlic, ginger, and white scallion parts for 1 minute until fragrant,
4. Add the broth and 2 tablespoons of soy sauce before bringing it to a boil,
5. Simmer the broth for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally,
6. Stir the sugar, remaining soy sauce, and ½ teaspoon of sesame oil in a bowl until the sugar dissolves,
7. Heat another tablespoon of peanut and ½ teaspoon of sesame oil in a skillet over medium heat,
8. Cook the tofu cubes for 10 minutes until brown and crispy, flipping halfway through,
9. Coat the tofu with the sauce from your bowl before cooking it for another minute,
10. Place the tofu on a plate before boiling a medium pot of water,
11. Cook the ramen for 3-5 minutes before draining it,
12. Add the carrot to the broth that simmered for 30 minutes,
13. Let it simmer another minute before removing it from the heat,
14. Divide the edamame, tofu, and noodles into 4 bowls,
15. Ladle your broth into each bowl,
16. Garnish the bowls with the green parts of your scallions and sesame seeds.

Nutrition per serving: 375 calories, 1219 mg sodium, 44.2 g carbs, 14.9 g fat, 18 g protein, and 6.3 g fiber (10)

For more ramen noodles ideas:

• Healthy Homemade Ramen
• Ramen Diet
• Ramen Nutrition Facts

The Bottom Line

A healthy ramen noodle recipe can save you from too much sodium, saturated fat, calories, or carbs, and the changes are simple enough. Our favorite recipes touch on every protein type, including one without a protein source. Choose your favorite to try the tastiest yet healthiest ramen today.