NO NO NO…. NOODLES

 

“Mamma noodles” cries the child.

“No” frowns the mother…Now crying in a loop begins…. ‘NO….NO…NO…NOODLES’, I love noodles!

NO..NO…NOODLES is perhaps the most common child rap in our Indian homes.

Most of the parents fail to make the child understand why Noodles are not good for health and the child takes it as a disciplinary action as if the war is between mama’s menu VS Noodles.

While you are reading this blog, Team Nutrishilp urges you to make your child also read this, so the next time it may become easier for you to convince him for NO NO NO to NOODLES.

Noodles are the favorite junk food among young people of all age groups. Whether eaten as a snack, tiffin, or midnight hunger pangs, noodles are the first choice. Noodles contain an excess amount of carbohydrates that are converted by our body into sugar, which if not utilized will deposit as fat in our body.

Noodles are very low in nutrients and it is advisable to not be eaten as a staple diet. Frequent consumption of noodles is linked to poor diet quality and an increased risk of metabolic syndrome.

There is also one more quite popular variant of noodles- INSTANT NOODLES, which has gained popularity among working professionals as an easy–quick food option. Just add water and eat.

But it should be known that to give instant noodles a longer shelf life, they are highly processed. The noodles are high in fat content, calories, and sodium and are laced with artificial flavors, preservatives, additives, and flavorings. Though they are inexpensive and easy to prepare, they have adverse effects on our health.

Let’s discuss in detail why noodles are not good for health, as they contain–

· Monosodium glutamate (MSG)

The monosodium glutamate (MSG) in noodles particularly the instant variant, is reason enough to avoid them. MSG is an excitotoxin, which means it overexcites your nerve cells to the point of damage or death, causing brain dysfunction and damage to varying degrees — and potentially even triggering or worsening learning disabilities, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and more. MSG is the perfect obesity drug. If you want to achieve your ideal body weight and health, avoid MSG at all costs.

· Cause metabolic syndrome

Metabolic syndrome — a group of symptoms such as central obesity, elevated blood pressure, elevated fasting blood sugar, elevated fasting triglycerides, and low levels of HDL cholesterol.

Having three or more of the symptoms increases your risk of developing diabetes and cardiovascular disease. It is regardless of whether the diet style falls into the traditional or fast-food category.

· Low in fiber & protein

Noodles are processed foods, which lead to weight gain. They are also low in fiber and protein, which does not make them the best option for weight loss, and does not keep you full.

· Consists maida

Noodles are made of Maida, which is a milled, refined, and bleached version of wheat flour. Maida is very bad for our health because it is highly processed, and rich in flavor but devoid of nutrition. Maida noodles are loaded with preservatives and are nothing but a source of empty calories.

· Contain bad fats

Noodles are the worst processed food, which is loaded with saturated fatty acids or trans-fat. They are also filled with edible vegetable oil, sugar, sugar syrup, flavor enhancer, and many other agents like these that are not good for your health at all.

· Leads to a poor diet

Instant noodles are associated with poor overall diet quality. Due to noodles, people are lacking in essential nutrients which are required by the body. Noodles significantly decrease the intake of vitamins A, C, and D, calcium, phosphorous, and iron.

· High in sodium

Noodles are high in sodium which has a negative effect on people who are salt-sensitive. And also in general, noodles may cause an increase in blood pressure and also an increase in cardiovascular diseases.

· Lack of nutrient absorption

Children who consume instant noodles frequently do not have the ability to absorb nutrients from other nutritious foods. After the consumption of noodles, many children showed difficulty in absorbing the nutrients from proper meals.

· Obesity

Instant noodles cause obesity, as it contains fat and large amounts of sodium, which causes water retention in the body. Eating noodles daily will lead to weight gain faster.

· Contains Propylene Glycol

Noodles contain propylene glycol, which is an anti-freeze ingredient that prevents the noodle strands from drying by retaining moisture. The body absorbs it easily and it accumulates in the heart, kidney, and the liver, which thereby damages the immune system.

Well, now you may ask Dear Nutrishilp, enough of the demerits of my favorite Noodles but I cannot live without them, yes, I had tried to say NO to them but craving wins over my prudence, what to Do?

Habit replaces habit. So, aim to wipe out this Maida dish from your menu or at least it’s craving as a staple food, start with replacing your noodle pack with little better options such as –

• Soba noodles (made up of buckwheat)
• Chickpea pasta
• Veggie noodles
• Red lentil pasta
• Semolina (Rawa/suji) or whole wheat pasta

These alternatives may at least help you to wipe off Maida noodles from your list.

For the next time when you drop a big pack of noodles in your shopping cart, do check its nutrients, put it back if contains MSG, even if a particular brand doesn’t, pick a small pack and target to wipe it off from your list.

 

“Eat for your gut, not just your tongue, occasionally eating a package of noodles clearly won’t kill you, but when you make a habit of substituting convenience foods for real food, it’s only a matter of time before health problems will likely develop.”

                                                            – Shilpi Goel – Dietitian and Nutritionist