Is There Any Way to Make Top Ramen Healthy?

I'm a pre-college student (starting this fall) and on August 1st i'm moving into an apartment with my boyfriend. We both agree that we want to eat healthfully and that starting off by not having junk food in the house is a good idea. However, We aren't going to have a whole lot of extra cash to spend on produce and such. Ramen is a college staple because one packet costs about 13 cents (depending on where you buy). But is there any way to make ramen healthier? I'v already thought of throwing away the sodium-bomb flavor packet and just boiling it in chicken broth, but there has to be other things we could do with it. 

apart from chucking the flavour sachet there is nothing u can do to make it healthier.  that's because its fried.  You could try to find an alternative ramen brand that is baked instead of fried.  they usually have at least 1/3 fewer calories.

My favorite way to eat remen noodles is to add carrots, onions and broccoli to my water about two minutes before I add the noodles.  When the noodles are cooked, I empty out some of the water, add a little cornstarch and half te packet of seasoning and stir until thick and add some bean sprouts.
My version of cheap chinese food.

I think tossing the msg-sodium laden packet is probably the only real improvement you can make to ramen from a health stand-point.  In addition I would eat less of the serving of ramen, about half since Ramen tends to be a little high in calories per serving.  Ramen isn't exactly packed with vitamins and minerals as it is.  Nonetheless your idea of cooking the noodles in broth is probably much better than the sodium packet it comes in.  I would also add veggies, chicken or tofu to the noodles to give it more nutrition.

We go to our local Asian Market an but a package...and I'm talking a package that will last us for a couple of weeks (two of us) for less than 5.00, now, the calorie in that is 350 per...I think they're rice noodles, but if you browse the market, you can find noodles for a lot less calories than those, but the prices are typically less than our local grand super market...a lot less.  Just an avenue to pursue. 

You've already got advice above regarding Ramen noodles.

Don't forget about the other low-cost, healthy foods out there:  dry beans, letils and other legumes and frozen vegetables.  Buy whole-wheat flour and ingredients to make your own bread or shop at 'day-old' bakery outlets for marked-down products that can be frozen until needed.

Good luck.

I would definitely look for a restaurant that has bulk bins, that way you could get a huuuge batch of pasta/rice/beans for pretty cheap. That, eggs and tuna are my totaly staples cause theyre cheap and can be made a million different ways.

Im also partial to oats and finding the chicken when its on sale. Money is so much harder to deal with when you dont have any.

Isn't the reason that Ramen noodles are so popular with college students because they need no refrigeration, they are quick to prepare in a microwave and are very cheap?  That makes finding alternatives that require cooking on a stove and the use of pots and pans kind of hard.  There aren't too many things that are so inexpensive, except ingredients you can cook for a longer time on the stove then store in the refrigerator, like beans and brown rice. 

Instead, I'd just give up the Ramen.  Canned soups can be healthier, but they are also more expensive.  You could try to find a sale of one of the healthier brands and stock up.  Other than that, I have no suggestions about Ramen.  If there is anyway you can cook for yourself, you'll find plenty of recipes and help from everybody.

Nissin is a better choice than Merchan. Its the same thing but the sodium is about 500-700 mg's less (still around 900 perserving and cals I believe are under 300. Heres a link with all their products. I eat this brand (not often) because it doesnt irritate my acid reflux. Their cup of noodles are better than merchan also.

http://www.nissinfoods.com/

I found this good Ramen recipe:  http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Fast-and-Easy-To fu-Lo-Mein/Detail.aspx 

You could try to go to Asian markets to find the rice noodle ramen, which is healthier than its fried counterpart.  I sometimes buy this brand:

http://www.hvnclc.com.vn/webhvnclc/data/news/ 2007/2/1309/vifon.jpg

The only problem is that these tend to be more pricey ($.39 on sale), but nutritionally they might be better.

Google it.  Theres at least 25 pages of recipes there.  I quit looking after page 25. 

Go to www.Sparkpeople.com  They had a Cabbage Noodle Salad using  Ramen.  It only had 144.7 calories per serving

I always added broccoli since I love it and it's nutritious.

I use the shrimp flavor and add cocktail shrimp. But like everyone else has said it is fried, that is where the calories are and the sodium is very high so that is another con about it.

I'd try lentils, and purchase frozen vegetables in bags and shop at a wholesaler for bulk. It might be expensive first but . . . you save money in the long run. Just buy a few items in bulk at a time and continue to build on that. You will be amazed at what you can come up with.

www.allrecipes.com

This site is pretty good if you just type in basic items you have in the house it will give you a recipe with the ingredients you listed.

Take care and God bless.   Good luck