When I think about instant noodles, some scenes pop into my head immediately: my son’s face which lights up on hearing the word Maggi, midnight snacking with roommates during hostel days and the sight of Maggi Points en-route our journey in the hills.
At our home, Maggi noodles are our go-to meal to curb those in-between meals hunger pangs or when we want to cook something simple, easy and quick.
For us, Maggi noodles is a comfort food but usually our family and friends frown upon this ingenious convenient food. They say that it’s unhealthy or that it is low on nutritive content.
I think it’s time to debunk these myths and speculations about instant noodles…
Myth 1 – Instant Noodles are Unhealthy.
Fact – The thing is that most of us cannot think in shades of grey. For us, it has to be black or white, strong or weak, good or bad, healthy or unhealthy.
Actually, there is really no such thing as an unhealthy food, it is just unhealthy diets. If I were eating only instant noodles as every meal and every day, that would have been unhealthy. When I am eating the right amount for my body and getting plenty of nutrients by not limiting or avoiding food groups, I am having a healthy balanced diet. There is not a single food that can be labeled as healthy or unhealthy when consumed moderately.
A balanced diet and an active lifestyle is what really makes the difference.
Myth 2 – Instant Noodles have High Content of Fat and can cause Obesity.
Fact – It is recommended that in a day, 50-60% of total calories consumed must be from Carbohydrates, about 10-15% from Proteins and 20-30% from Fat.
It is interesting to note that Maggi Noodles has this in this very combination which is also in sync with the recommendations made by Indian Council of Medical Research. This combination of Carbohydrate, Protein and Fat is seen in all variants of Maggi Noodles including the recently launched Maggi Oats Noodles.
I read that:
“According to ICMR recommendation on Dietary Guidelines for Indians, the total Fat in the diet should provide between 20-30% of total calories. Depending on the level of physical activity and physiological status, the Fat intake in the diets can go up to 50g per person per day.”
The Nutrition Information on the pack of Maggi Noodles shows the Fat content to be between 11-13 gms which is well within the recommended guidelines. This means Maggi Noodles contains just 1/5th of the daily fat requirement. It is much when compared to food you eat without thinking like a sandwich or pulao.
Coming to Noodles causing obesity. Well, obesity occurs due to excessive amount of Fat stored in the body and usually occurs due to inadequate physical activity, hormonal imbalance and unhealthy eating habits.
Myth 3 – Maggi is Fried.
Fact – To answer this, we need to understand the cooking process of Maggi Noodles. A Maggi Noodle cake goes through 5 step cooking process before it is finally packed which includes steaming, baking, frying, cooling and drying
So yes, it is fried, but that’s part of its manufacturing process for packaging and a longer shelf life.
The Bottom Line
It’s OK to have Instant Noodles for those in-between meals hunger pangs or camping trips or just like that, but do it in moderation. Hope this sets the tangle of instant noodles, straight.
So, when are you grabbing your next bowl of Maggi Noodles?
30 Responses
We are huge Maggi fans. This is good to know that it is not as terrible a villain as made out to be.
Aha!! Glad that you are a Maggi lover too, Lata. This puts all that hullabaloo around the instant noodles to an end. Now we can enjoy that bowl of Maggi without any guilt or fear!! 🙂
Even when it was banned, I was waiting for it to hit the shelves again! It’s comfort food, plain and simple. For die hard fans like me, I don’t care what scientific evidence they dig up. As long as I maintain a decent healthy lifestyle and slip this in from time to time I’m good. They even say milk is bad. But hey you need a mix of all!
Same here. We were waiting for it to come back so keenly. Glad that it is back. It is our bestest comfort food!! And that it is a perfect balanced meal with Carbohydrates, Proteins and Fats in the right proportion is a bonus.
To be honest I haven’t been a big fan of Maggi. But with that said, it’s the best when I don’t feel like cooking or just want to bribe the kids
Thanks fir busting the myths!
Yeah, it is quick and easy to make and is a hit with kids!!
With you there. VT and I are Maggi lovers and once a month, we have our Maggi dinner 🙂 I agree that balanced diet is what we need.
Maggi Dinner has a nice ring to it. I like that a lot! We must have this ritual at our place too!!
That’s quite relaxing to know that we can have guilt free snacking of our favourite instant noodles 🙂 thanks for the share Shilpa
Yeah, no guilt trips anymore just the smiles and satisfaction of enjoying a good bowl of instant noodles. 🙂
Not sure these are similar to the”ramen” noodles we have here in the United States. No objection to the noodles but yikes, the sodium content in the broth packet- we throw that packet away.
Yes, they are similar to Ramen Noodles. I have read that Ramen Noodles contain 1,820 mg of sodium. The FDA recommends the average American consumes no more than 2,300 mg of salt per day. A package of Top Ramen’s Noodles contains more than half of this. So if salt intake is a concern, which should be, then you did right by chucking away the broth packet!
We all love maggi. However I didn’t know that it was deep fried and that did put me off for a bit. But I guess digging in once in a while is not going to kill me so I continue to pamper myself when I feel like it.
Frying part is for it to have a longer shelf life. Yeah, it’s perfect for anytime snacking!
I agree, nothing, no food is unhealthy if consumed the right way. We are huge fans of Maggi and I love that it’s back! Was waiting eagerly for it.
Well said. Moderation is the key!!
At our place we are so glad that it’s back too!
I am no great fan of Maggi but nor am I against it . I do have the occasional soupy Maggi especially on a rainy day.
I must say it is as comforting as a ghee soaked moong dal khichri at times
Yes, it is perfect on rainy days and agree with you that it is as comforting as Khichdi!
Yayy! Time for Maggi! And so true, about having a balanced diet.
Yayy, from this side too 🙂
I like having Maggi once in a while, but being the fitness freak that I am, I try and reach for something “healthier”! hehehe
But, now after reading your post, I am not going to feel any more guilty! So, thanx, Shilp! <3 Will prepare some instant noodles soon!
Cool! So now you can eat Maggi without any guilt or doubt!! 🙂
Are they anything like instant Ramen noodles? The “unhealthy” there is 200-400 calories, lacking vitamins/minerals, and containing a shockingly high sodium content.
(Yum! What’s life without excessive salt?? Seriously. Yum. Thank God my heart’s still beating).
I just checked, the composition of Maggi Noodles and Ramen Noodles is a bit different. Will have to check more about it.
Very interesting. What are your favorite healthy additions to balance your diet?
I try to have a mix of all the 5 food groups! 🙂
Oh I love my maggi and make it with loads of tossed up crunchy veggies and a dash of cheese to it! I make it slightly soupy and it becomes a full meal for one of those days when I am craving something other than daal chawal!
Nicely written Shilpa- takes the edge of my guilty pangs over eating it! 😉 😛
I add vegetables, but have never added cheese. Will try this next time. I like it soupy too. Glad that this post quashed some myths and guilty pangs 😀
An informative post. Being a mom of two kids, I fret over health quotient of instant noodles, and give it to them only once or twice a week. But was I relieved to read this! And I must admit, I prefer ” Foodles” over ” Maggi”.
Aha! That’s nice. So now you can give Maggi to your kids without any guilt or doubts!! 🙂