Can Ramen Actually Be Healthy? Yes—Here’s What to Look For

Ramen Is Having a Serious Moment! You see it everywhere now—on restaurant menus, in TikTok videos, and stacked high in grocery carts. But one question still pops up: Can ramen actually be healthy? And if so, how do you tell the difference between the good stuff and the same salty, mystery-noodle packs you grew up with?

The Truth About $0.25 Ramen

We all know the kind—cheap, bright packaging, and a price tag that barely dents your change jar. But the real cost is in what’s inside.

• Endless ingredient lists — Turn over the package and you’ll find a paragraph-long list of additives, preservatives, and words you can’t pronounce.
  

• Fried in cheap oils — Most mainstream instant noodles are deep-fried in palm oil or industrial seed oils to make them last forever on a shelf.
  

• Salt bombs — Some of these cups have over 2000mg of sodium in one serving—that’s almost your whole day’s worth of salt before you even finish your lunch.
  

• Protein? Barely. — In many “chicken” ramens, chicken is buried at the bottom of the ingredient list, if it’s even there at all.
  

• Artificial everything — The flavor packets are often a mix of MSG imposters, artificial seasonings, and lab-made colorings.

Sure, they’re cheap and fill you up—but they leave you bloated, sluggish, and hungry again an hour later.

What to Look For in a Better Bowl of Ramen

Not all ramen is created equal. When you’re picking a better option, here’s what makes a difference:

✅ Steamed, Not Fried
We steam our noodles instead of frying them, so there’s no cheap seed oils or extra grease—just noodles with a clean bite.

✅ Simple Ingredient List
We keep it short and recognizable. You won’t need to sound out half the ingredients. No weird stuff, no surprise additives—just the basics done right.

✅ Real Protein, Real Broth
Our Chicken Bone Broth Ramen cup has 10g of protein, with chicken high on the ingredient list—not as a “flavor” at the bottom.

✅ Way Less Sodium
Our Chicken Bone Broth Ramen has 500mg less sodium per cup compared to leading brands like Jin—without losing flavor. You still get rich, savory broth you’ll actually enjoy finishing.

✅ No Junk
No MSG knock-offs. No preservatives. No lab-made flavor imposters. Just the things you’d want in your own kitchen.

TL;DR: Ramen Doesn’t Have to Be Junk Food

If your ramen costs a quarter, it’s built for price, not nutrition. That’s fine once in a while—but if you want ramen that fuels your day instead of dragging you down, it’s time to level up.

At Mike’s Mighty Good, we’re rethinking ramen with:

• Steamed noodles, never fried
  

• Real bone broth with actual chicken
  

• Simple, clean ingredient lists
  

• Way less sodium
  

• No weird stuff

Next time you’re in the aisle, flip the package over. Count the ingredients. See where the protein is. Look at the sodium number. You’ll know pretty quickly which brands are built for your health—and which ones are built just to last forever on a shelf.

Check out our lineup of ramen cups and pillow packs made with organic noodles, clean ingredients, and broths you’ll actually crave. Oh—and we make vegan flavors too.