If you know me, you know that I LOVE instant noodles. They’re quick, convenient, and incredibly easy to jazz up with easily-found ingredients. For most of us in Asia, cup noodles bring back fond memories – whether it’s of a small snack between meals or late-night suppers with my girls after a fun night out. And while they may hit the right spot when you’re looking for a quick fix, there are plenty of ways to up your instant noodles game! Read on to find out my 5 healthy hacks to take your cup noodles to a whole new level.
MAKE IT MEDITERRANEAN
It’s a pretty common thing to see lettuce or bok choy leaves added to instant noodles, but one of my favourite ways to upscale my cup noodles is by adding cherry tomatoes and basil! The sweet and tart flavour of tomatoes and the earthiness of basil can add a no-effort Mediterranean touch to your snack. I usually cut cherry tomatoes into half and toss them on top before adding hot water and finish them off with some thinly sliced basil leaves after the noodles have cooked to your liking. And in less than two minutes, you’ve got yourself a hearty cup of noodles that don’t only taste amazing, but now contain a ton of vitamins and minerals!
ADD A BOOST OF PROTEIN
You might be thinking that cup noodles don’t exactly contain a ton of protein – and you’d be right. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t some quick and easy ways to bump up your snack. You can add an egg to your cup, but I personally love adding some silken tofu to mine. Apart from being a great source of protein, tofu also contains a ton of anti-inflammatory and heart-healthy properties, making it the perfect fast-cooking addition to any cup of noodles, especially KOKA’s Multigrain Baked Noodles, as opposed to your regular cup noodles, it’s the only cup noodles that’s 100% baked, not fried, so it’s low in fat and palm oil free.
SPICE IT UP
CHILLI IS LIFE. If your tastes are anything like mine, then you’re going to love this. I’m a sucker for a spicy addition to my meals and I’m constantly on the lookout for ways to add some heat to what I’m eating. If you’re looking for a well-rounded spiciness that packs a ton of flavour with the heat, I recommend adding chopped chilli padi for some serious fire or large red chillies if you’re looking for something milder. But honestly, go crazy with experimenting! Some other great additions to consider are jalapeños, pickled green chillies, or even sriracha sauce.
FORGET THE COOKING
If you’re wanting to really mix up the way you enjoy cup noodles, you can’t go wrong with a freshly-tossed cup noodle salad! If you haven’t tried this before, this is quickly going to become your new favourite way to eat salads – it adds a crunchy texture that works perfectly with crisp vegetables and a light salad dressing, boosting the fibre content of your snack. Check out this link to try my easy, no-cook KOKA Dan Dan Noodle Salad that I made with KOKA’s new Multigrain Baked Noodles, which are made with all natural ingredients, no preservatives, or anything artificial, making this an all-round healthy meal.
GET YOUR ANTIOXIDANTS IN
Antioxidants are necessary to fight free radical damage, and green tea is a great source of them. An unexpected but delicious way to enhance my cup noodles is by soaking a green tea bag in the cup as the noodles are cooking! I recently tried this hack with Koka’s Five Spice Duck flavoured cup noodles and it was SO good. The tea mixed perfectly with the herbal soup and reminded me of Japanese chazuke, which I love.
Koka Multigrain Baked Noodles are rich in antioxidants, thanks to the anthocyanin content of the purple corn in the noodles, but this little hack gives your cup noodle snack an even bigger antioxidant boost. Click here to know more.
