They're really pretty bad nutrition. My understanding of them as well is that the fat/oil in them can go rancid. If you're rotating stock that may not matter, but I wouldn't put much stock in place.

That said, everything in moderation. A little here and there isn't going to kill you, but their attraction in terms of cost is offset by their nutritional value. Maybe as an occasional comfort food....

YMMV.

 

Do any of you guys stock ramen noodles? I been thinking of stocking them long term with rotation of course, but wanted to see if you guys utilize them. Super super cheap and not too bad for taste albeit water use and sodium.

They're really pretty bad nutrition. My understanding of them as well is that the fat/oil in them can go rancid. If you're rotating stock that may not matter, but I wouldn't put much stock in place.

That said, everything in moderation. A little here and there isn't going to kill you, but their attraction in terms of cost is offset by their nutritional value. Maybe as an occasional comfort food....

YMMV.

Yeah my thoughts for the most part as well. May just stick to canned goods

 

my first BOB was a lot of ramen
the packaging doesn't hold up the noodle get broken and poke through and fall out, the flavor package contents turn to an oily goo lipton soup packets do the same thing.

 

I keep a couple cases of them around but their aren't really a core food stock, just something to add variety. Not something you could or would want to live off. Its like stocking bags of potato chips. Nice to have some but not what your living off.

 

Stay away from ramen noodles, they’re crap I wouldn’t feed to my enemy... well I might to some!

But honestly the nutrition is lousy, but if it were between chewing on rocks or eating the noodles I’d eat the noodles. But if you plan correctly you wouldn’t have to worry about it.

 

13 grams of fat, 54 grams of carbs, 9 grams of protein, and 371 calories. The nutrition's not really that bad. Especially if you toss a can of chicken in it for an extra 24 grams of protein, 2 grams of fat, and 120 calories.

The problem is the salt water problem. You are for all intents and purposes drinking salt water with your meal.

 

I guess it a good idea 'cuase it's a hungry man that eats ramen noodles.

 

Dried (asian) noodles are just another form of carbs.

Like white rice and pasta, the nutritional value of the meals you make from them depends upon what you add to them.

If you are going to store some (as an alternative carb food), go to an asian food store (where they will have dozens of types) and then pick the ones with the least fat (to avoid rancidification of those fats).

I have some stored to provide another carb type that helps to avoid menu fatigue and that goes well with some of my stored protein, game meats and vegetables.

 

i know a college kid who's parent own a chinese restaurant..she picks up the ramen, disgards MOST of the flavor packets and adds her own veggies and meat...i guess any pasta might do the same, but this is easy for her.

 

They won't last for long term storage because of rancidity but as mentioned, fine if rotated. Ramen noodles are a staple in our house. Stir fry vegetables and leftover bits of meat over the noodles makes a great meal. You don't have to use all of the flavor packets in the water when cooking, just season to taste. We like to drizzle Kikkoman pineapple basting sauce over the top for added flavor. Try it, you'll like it.

 

I've had them years past their due date and they didn't taste any different to me.

 

You're right. All mine were purchased in 2016 with a "best by" date in 2017. As they are stored in a dark, dry, cool room in my basement, I will have no qualms eating them as I cycle through them over the next couple years.

 

Rather than stocking up on & storing pre-made ramen noodle packets. You are far better off storing various small dry pastas, rice, beans, spices, assorted dried and canned meats & vegetables.

With the above you can make a wide variety of quick/easy nutritious meals.

 

Basically empty calories with no nutrition that do not store long term due to rancidity.

About as useful to stock as cans of Pringles.

It's not hard to make your own. Store thin rice or wheat noodles. Cook them. Drain them and pat dry. Fry them in hot oil and dump them in broth.

There are lots of foods you can store the supplies to make up after long term storage, but you have to make them. When all you want is heat and eat the list drops precipitously. The food makers do some of the cooking steps for you, but their goal is to get you to eat them soon and buy more, not store them. So they have no reason to "pre-cook" half your meal for you in a way that stores long term.

Short of the canned good aisle and basic dry goods, most of those easy meals and side dishes on the aisles just won't store well. They usually aren't that very healthy either.

This is why scratch cooking is an essential survival skill. The lines "I can't cook well" or "I don't like to cook" are really just saying "I'm probably not going to make it long term". The excuses for not cooking well are a bit weak too. It's a survival skill that you have an actual opportunity to practice every day. It reduces your food bill today and every day, which means you have a better cash flow to prep better. It makes you healthier, which is essential for long term survival. Almost every food preservation skill relies on a good understanding of basic cooking.

Put aside about a month's worth of canned goods and you'll have enough easy food around for when it isn't safe to reveal a cook fire. Otherwise expect to spend a lot of time cooking from the basics after a disaster.

 

scratch cooking is an essential survival skil

And, its better to practice & learn NOW. Rather than later.

Simply because doing so requires trial & error, patience and practice, to get good at it.

I would imagine in lean/hard times, a BAD cook who turns good basic food stocks into inedible garbage, will suffer some dire consequences from those he serves it to.

Good cooks are appreciated, respected & well taken care of. I have been on a few isolated camp jobs, where a bad cook made everyone in camp angry quickly & he did not last longer than a day or 2 before he was sent down the road quickly.

 

I keep a case of chicken and beef. The kids love them and I do too. Often in they winter will have one for lunch with a sandwich. They also like them when they are sick. I don't keep.anymore, they aren't easy to store either, kinda bulky.

Familiar foods for kids in an emergency are important for children I think.

 

I buy them for the ease of making. So if something bad happens I have quick warm filling food I can get ready for people who might arrive late or in a large group. It is something I can have the grandson make while the grown ups are boarding windows or filling sandbags etc. Coming into the house after getting it ready for a hurricane and a couple bowls of raman and a mt dew is ready for me and a proud 8 year old telling me he helped makes the day brighter.

 

I stock about 3 or 4 cases to have a handy snack on hand. Add an egg if you have it, some chopped green onion, a bit of garlic, and a teaspoon or so of Korean hot pepper flakes (Gochugaru); and you have a tasty small meal. Oriental flavor only in this household:

 

I lived on this stuff some all through college and did just fine. While this isn’t by any means my staple for my preps, I’ve a good stash stored away and rotate. I probably eat 2-3 meals a week using a variety of these products. On a cold winter day, a bowl of hot noodles is quick, filling, and warming. Then you are ready to head back outdoors for whatever cold weather chore you have. Add an egg, meat leftovers, some veggies, etc and you have a pretty good meal. One years when the salmon runs are strong, this is often the meat of choice to mix in with the noodles for the year. Pretty damned yummy!

 

I keep some Ramen around for a quick meal or snack but I am on a low salt diet. Because of my low salt diet I don't buy the Ramen in the cups or bowls, I only use the stuff in the plastic pouches. This way I can dispose of the seasoning packet and use the Herb Ox salt free boullion for seasoning instead.

If you would want to stock up on pasta why not just buy pasta. It lasts for a long time and you could vacuum seal it for more protection. I prefer angel hair pasta because it cooks fast with less energy required.

 

They go rancid pretty quick. I don’t even bother with them anymore.

Plus, too much sodium for me. :xeye:

I do store Miso, because I like it, and it has Tofu and Seaweed in it. But I dilute that. Great for hangovers though.

Ramen reminds me of college.

 

They go rancid pretty quick. I don’t even bother with them anymore.

Plus, too much sodium for me. :xeye:

I do store Miso, because I like it, and it has Tofu and Seaweed in it. But I dilute that. Great for hangovers though.

Ramen reminds me of college.

It reminds me of Camp Stanley 1985-86.:xeye:

Al

 

My wife likes to put them in salads. So, we always have a case of the plain ones laying around.

Just checked the use by on the case and it says 061619...so about 1 year.

 

For a little bit of money you can put away a lot of carbs. BILLIONS of people are fed by ramen noodles and it helps us with our tremendous world population so people calling it junk, etc., aren't critical thinkers. This is carbs and fat, which you do need. It is food. Not all food has every nutrient.

As for going rancid. Well, it takes years in normal storage unless one lives in a Hellishly hot place and can't afford air conditioning and aren't bright enough to know to check the expiration date to rotate or toss a very inexpensive item. If you are in a hot and humid place, without A/C it doesn't take long to figure out that you need to rotate some things faster.

If you're too broke to rotate or toss ramen, your advice is of little value as you're doing life wrong. They'd not experience the rancidity if they simply do a regular check. Check the expiration and you can smell 'rancid'. Anyone stupid enough not to do that and get surprised is not someone to take advice from.

Think about that, you have people against an inexpensive, gap filling prep because they aren't bright enough to rotate or simply buy and toss a relatively cheap item, and they don't check expiration dates!

Brighter people say buy and store ramen.

You can spend a bit of money and flip the ramen. I don't eat it regularly, so I simply buy and toss it periodically. It's a great item to have on hand if needed, one of many preps.

 

I keep 12 beef and chx around for our when someone is sick emergencies if that's what's easiest in that moment that works...also canned soups..frozen bone broth and I can whip up homemade chx soup..just a different level of prepping lol.

 

My wife has prepped a soup-bone broth for purposes of use with the ramen noodles. It is much better than tap water!

 

sounds like a lot of agreement

okay for short term
throw away the season packet and use bullion cubes.
easy to accessorize
might be better off with thin pasta (angel hair)

 

Long term storage no; as the occasional snack during the cooler months? Guilty! I add a generous amount of crushed red pepper flakes, a medium sized sliced potato (more carbs), an egg, sometimes two (protein), and after pouring into the bowl a slice of American cheese on top (dairy).

Slurping since 85 when I was in Korea.

 

For a ramen noodle type of dish, I use angel hair pasta. When I have a lot of busy work coming up I like to cook up a small box of angel hair pasta (cook firm), after draining the noodles go in a big zip lock bag on the fridge.

When I want a quick lunch I’ll brown up some chicken (or use leftover mea) add some cut up veggies, then throw in a couple handfuls of noodles, add the sauce of my choice and which ever seasonings I want.

Easy to make and filling.

 

Ramen just doesn't last for long term storage. The noodles are dried by frying them and this oil is what goes rancid, not the seasoning packet. I buy a couple cases but end up tossing about a case and a half due to rancidity. No biggy, it's cheap enough and I generally get a couple years storage.

I absolutely love Indomie Mi Goreng ramen. You cook it the same way, but drain it before adding seasonings. There is 4 separate packets of seasonings. One is a dry mix, then there's a hot sauce, fried onions in oil, and kechap manis (sweet soy). It makes a dry seasoned pile of noodles that you can add all sorts of great stuff to. Meats, seafood, eggs, seaweed, veggies, you name it. I just bought a 30 pack through Walmart online. I hadn't seen it since I first fell in love with it back in the 90s.

I doubt it will last on the shelf any longer than the cheap stuff from the store. But since I like it better, it'll get used in plenty of time.

 

At least some of the ones I get are baked rather than fried.

On the package, they state the total fat content is <1%.

They are made by Nestle.

Would noodles with such a low fat content still constitute a risk due to rancidity?

 

ok, living with an Asian that grew up in Hawaii, I can say that we eat a LOT of Ramen noodles in this house. A LOT. They are a staple food, lunch every day. (I prefer the Nong Shim noodles to Top Ramen, but they are more expensive.)

THEY WILL GO BAD. The shelf life once you get them home is about six months....but we don't let them sit around that long.

A thing to realize - they are a serving for TWO, according to the package. Not that that is how they are eaten in this house.

 

Nongshim are much better. They're about the best, before you get into the several dollars a pack premium stuff. I order those from walmart too because of the price. But I can't help myself in an Asian market if they have a good selection. :