1. The True Nature of Low-Calorie Cup Noodles: Glass Noodles
The main ingredient of the low-calorie noodle products sold under brand names like ‘Cup Noodle’ is often ‘glass noodles’ made from ‘mung bean starch,’ not the ‘wheat flour’ of regular instant ramen.
2. Comparison with Regular Cup Ramen
– Calories and Carbohydrates: Glass noodles have significantly lower calorie and carbohydrate content compared to flour noodles. While a small cup of regular instant ramen is typically over 300 kcal with 40-50g of carbs, a low-calorie cup noodle is often around 120 kcal with 25-30g of carbs—less than half.
– Glycemic Index (GI): However, there is a point of caution. As we learned before, glass noodles are made from refined starch and have a very high glycemic index (GI).
– Conclusion: Because the ‘total amount’ of carbohydrates consumed is small, low-calorie cup noodles consequently raise post-meal blood sugar ‘less’ than regular cup ramen. Therefore, if one must choose between the two, the low-calorie cup noodle is clearly the better choice.
3. Not a ‘Health Food’
‘Better’ does not mean ‘good for your health.’
– Blood Sugar Spike: Although the amount of carbs is small, the absorption speed is very fast, so it can still cause a sharp rise in blood sugar.
– High Sodium: The sodium content of the broth is very high, just like in regular cup ramen.
– Low Nutritional Value: Just as it is low in calories, it contains almost no protein or other essential nutrients that our body needs.
Summary: Low-calorie ‘Cup Noodle’ products are a relatively better choice than regular cup ramen because their main ingredient, glass noodles, results in a much lower total carbohydrate content. However, the fact that they have a high GI and high sodium content remains, so it is not advisable to think of them as a health food and eat them frequently.
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