Will eating instant noodles occasionally make you fat?

Everyone has the experience of eating instant noodles, especially when taking a train. It can be said that instant noodles and sausages are standard equipment, and everyone will have a bowl of instant noodles. However, everyone knows that instant noodles have no nutritional value, especially lacking in protein, vitamins, etc., so they are called junk food and eating them frequently is not good for the body. So will you make yourself fat by eating instant noodles occasionally? Eating it occasionally won’t make you fat, and it’s okay for convenience.

Myth 1: Instant noodles are not nutritionally complete and lack protein, vitamins and minerals.

In fact, except for babies who can eat only one food - breast milk, no other food can provide complete nutrition, and no one can fully meet the nutritional needs of body growth, development, reproduction, etc. by eating only one food. It is best for a person to eat more than 10-30 kinds of food every day to meet the body's nutritional and dietary diversity needs.

According to experts, instant noodles were rated by Japan as one of the greatest inventions of the 20th century. In 2003, the global consumption of instant noodles was about 65.25 billion servings, of which about one-third was consumed in mainland China, with an average of 21 servings per person per year. As a staple convenience food, the biggest features of instant noodles are convenience, good taste, low price and long shelf life. It is technically possible to require that low- and mid-range instant noodles, which weigh 80 to 120 grams and are priced at around 1 to 2 yuan per pack, provide "reasonable diet and balanced nutrition". The key lies in the price and positioning.

It should be admitted that fried instant noodles, like staple foods such as bread and rice, contain incomplete nutrients. In order to make up for the lack of protein and trace elements in instant noodles, there are two solutions: one is that instant noodle manufacturers use nutritionally fortified flour to produce instant noodles in accordance with relevant national regulations, and add as many condiments as possible such as eggs, meat chunks, diced meat, dried tofu, aquatic products and dehydrated vegetables to the seasoning packet, but this will inevitably increase production costs. The second and simplest method commonly used both at home and abroad is for consumers to adapt to local conditions and appropriately supplement the required nutrients. Except for emergencies (such as natural disasters), you can use local materials and add some protein-rich foods (such as eggs, sausages, soy protein, meatballs, fish balls, meat chunks, etc.) and fresh vegetables when soaking, boiling, stewing, and stir-frying instant noodles to make up for the lack of nutrients in instant noodles.

Myth 2: High oil and salt content is not good for health

The oil content of fried instant noodles from my country's famous brands is 18%-20%, and the salt content is 1.6%-2%, which is basically the same as that in the international market. In fact, the oil content of fried instant noodles is much lower than that of fried dough sticks, French fries and potato chips.

There is often a contradiction between nutrition and taste, but consumers tend to weigh taste more heavily. The soup of a good brand of instant noodles must be fragrant and delicious, not too salty or greasy, nor too bland, lacking in oiliness, but just right.

Palm oil is commonly used as frying oil both at home and abroad. This is because palm oil has high thermal stability. As long as the frying process is operated normally, it will not become rancid or deteriorate. The oil temperature during frying is between 145℃-165℃, and the frying time is only a few tens of seconds, which is below the "critical temperature" of food heating at 200℃. Due to the low frying temperature and short frying time, the loss of trace components such as vitamins in the noodles is less.

Myth 3: Foods with additives are not good food

Food additives refer to chemically synthesized or natural substances that can improve the color, aroma, taste, and shape of food, as well as those added to food to meet the needs of preservation and processing technology. Among them, nutritional enhancers added to enhance nutritional value also fall into the category of food additives.

At present, large and medium-sized instant noodle manufacturers all have their own wheat planting bases and dedicated flour mills for producing special flour. The noodles they produce are added with natural organic substances such as eggs, wheat protein, soy protein and natural inorganic substances such as salt, alkali, phosphate, etc. The noodles of fried instant noodles are fried at high temperature, and all microorganisms are killed. In order to improve the antioxidant properties of oils and fats, a trace amount of TBHQ antioxidant is added, which is an internationally recognized safe high-quality antioxidant.

Cobalt 60 irradiation is widely used for sterilization of soup ingredients. It is safe and reliable, and no preservatives are added to the seasoning packets. In fact, in the soy sauce and vinegar consumed by ordinary households, it is often allowed to add a small amount of caramel colorant and a small amount of preservatives (such as potassium sorbate and sodium benzoate) to inhibit the growth and reproduction of mold. The vast majority of instant noodle manufacturers do not produce these liquid condiments themselves and often purchase them from outside. Just like the soy sauce and vinegar purchased at home, they contain trace amounts of preservatives. As long as they meet the relevant national standards, they can be eaten with confidence.

It seems that instant noodles are not the real reason for your weight gain, so we don’t need to stay away from them. I just want to remind everyone here: diet should promote health. Instant noodles are a fast food product after all and should not be used as a long-term diet menu.