Processed food is sodium-filled, yet people may think their issue is with MSG, but from my experience, it is with NaCl (salt) vs. the “tasty salt” aka Monosodium L-Glutamate.
Featured image by Jeremy Keith. Yea, that’s not a bowl full of meth, it’s salt (NaCl).
I highly suspect sodium chloride (NaCl), salt, as the culprit. Although, I am only speaking from my experience because, surprise, surprise, I have no medical/nutritional science background (I did not have the type of Asian parents that wanted me to be a doctor, look at me now).
I tried instant ramen as an alternative from my UberEAT and DoorDash ($35-$60 a day) regiment, which was cost-effective. Although I could not handle the high sodium, so I researched every major Japanese instant ramen producer and their products’ sodium levels.
I tried a diet like this during the pandemic, but this time around, I am out to find a quick and convenient LOW-SODIUM instant ramen solution (it won’t be carrot or celery sticks, although I did buy some KIND granola).
What do I know? I know that major industries like the sugar industry will blame other ingredients to keep their pockets fat with cash. FYI, I did Google and cherry pick an article to back up my statement to avoid having it fall under “my feeeeeelings” by the New York Times “How the Sugar Industry Shifted Blame to Fat“).
Editors Choice: regardless of the salt content, the best tasting/quality instant ramen brands are Sanyo and Myojo (not Maruchan or Nissin).
Even better are the Korean brands of instant noodles.
Watch Your Sodium Intake Foo
Many food producers will use MSG as a tool to reduce the amount of sodium in foodstuffs.
According to the FDA, only 11 percent of sodium in the typical diet comes from the salt shaker. Seventy-five percent of sodium is consumed in the form of pre-packaged, processed foods.
– FDA “Sodium in Your Diet
Instant Ramen Hacks to Cut Back on Your Sodium Intake
Producing your own soup stock while being mindful of high sodium ingredients is your best bet (I recommend this article by InsideTracker: “Canned Versus Homemade Soup: What Are the Pros and Cons?” if you want to do a homemade version).
Here are three components of any legit ramen (five in total, the other two are toppings and noodles).
- Make your own base stock: chicken (easy) and pork (time consuming).
- Add your own flavorings: shoyu/soy sauce and miso (use real ingredients, but doing so does not necessarily reduce sodium levels outright).
- Secret ramen ingredient: chicken, duck, to pork fat! Fat is flavor (often called “aromatic oil”).
I have a dedicated blog post on aromatic oils here.
The FDA Daily Value for sodium is less than 2,300 milligrams (mg) per day. Americans eat on average about 3,400 mg of sodium per day.
FDA.gov “Sodium in Your Diet“
Popular Japanese Instant Ramen Brands
Brands are listed in alphabetical order (yup, they all have operations in SoCal):
- Maruchan, maruchan.com, Irvine, CA
- Myojo, myojousa.com, Chino, CA
- Nissin, nissinfoods.com, Gardena, CA
- Sanyo, sanyofoodsamerica.com, Garden Grove, CA
The Top Selling Japanese Instant Ramen on Amazon
I always find sales data interesting, but I sorted out all the other non-ramen products although the Chef Boyardee and Hormel Compleats Beef Pot Roast did sound tasty (that can’t be real beef tho?).
I love this sort of data, and out of the 50 products on Amazon for Packaged Pasta & Noodle Dishes (this list changes daily), these are the 10 Japanese instant ramen and noodles that made the list (4 in the top 10).
#2 was Chef Boyardee with 15k reviews although Maruchan has 51k (I think that is due to the range of flavors/larger product range whereas that is just one flavor of beef ravioli).
- Maruchan, Ramen Chicken (#1)
- Maruchan, Instant Lunch Beef (#4)
- Maruchan, Instant Lunch Chicken (#6)
- Maruchan, Yakisoba Cheddar Cheese Flavor (#10)
- Ichiran, Tonkotsu (5 meals/Japan Import) (#14)
- Nissin, Hot & Spicy Chicken Flavor Ramen, (#20)
- Sanyo, Sapporo Ichiban Orignal Soy Sauce (#25)
- Nissin, Raoh, Tonkotsu Ramen (#28)
- Nissin, Raoh, Miso Ramen (#35)
- Nissin, Chicken Cup Noodles (#41)
I thought Nissin would be the leader since Momofuku Ando/Go Pek-Hok invented instant ramen, but their competitor, Maruchan on Amazon, dominates the top 4 products.
How Does Instant Ramen Stand Up to Processed American Foodstuff
I have done canned chili (990mg), but seeing that Amazon top seller list, I wanted to see how their American counterparts compared.
MSG is an organic compound and is found naturally in foods like tomatoes, mushrooms, and parmesan/cheeses, yet you do not hear anybody complaining at pizza joints about MSG (Vinny will make you disappear if you do).
For the types that are scared of MSG, I hope they do not find out that cyanide occurs naturally in food too (cherry pits, apple seeds cassava, lima beans and almonds).
| BRAND (Product and Where to Buy) | SODIUM PER CONTAINER |
|---|---|
| Chef Boyardee Beef in Tomato & Meat Sauce Ravioli 7.5oz / 12-pack | 600mg / 26% |
| Knorr Pasta Sides Dish Alfredo Broccoli 4.5oz / 8-pack | 1,390mg / 60% |
| Hormel Compleats Beef Pot Roast Microwave tray 9.0oz / 6-pack | 1,270mg / 53% |
Never Go Full Ramen Seasoning Packet
When I go full-seasoning packet, I get a headache and am super thirsty from all the sodium. It is also why you never go full-seasoning packet.
TLDR: the lowest sodium products out of the 4 instant ramen brands
Size does matter: Keep in mind these are the lowest sodium products by PORTION SIZE, not per ounce (Maruchan products are often 2.25-3.0oz vs. Myojo which is 5.64oz, almost twice the portion).
1. Maruchan
Beef Flavor
25% less sodium
3.0oz / 24-pack
2. Myojo
Signature Tonkotsu Ramen
16.93oz (5.64oz)
3. Nissin
Chili (Vegetarian)
3.0oz / 24-pack
4. Sanyo Foods
Original Cup
Original Flavor
2.25oz / 64g
Disclosure: I only recommend products I would use myself and all opinions expressed here are my own. This post may contain affiliate links that at no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission
Sodium content is in ascending order by instant ramen brand.
The FDA Daily Value for sodium is less than 2,300 milligrams (mg) per day.
Maruchan
The lowest sodium product by Maruchan is a low sodium marketed product, their Beef Flavor 25% less sodium (1,080mg/46%). On the opposite end, is their sodium bomb, the Maruchan GOLD Soy Sauce Flavor with a 95% DV.
A cheddar cheese ramen is your next best bet, mmmh cheese.
| BRAND (Prouct and Where to Buy) | SODIUM PER CONTAINER (equals 2 servings) |
|---|---|
| Maruchan Beef Flavor 25% less sodium 3.0oz / 24-pack | 1,080mg / 46% (540mg) |
| Maruchan Instant Lunch Cheddar Cheese 2.25oz / 12-pack | 1,100 mg / 46% |
| Maruchan Chicken Flavor 25% less sodium 3.0oz / 24-pack | 1,140mg / 48% (570mg) |
| Maruchan Instant Lunch Chicken Flavor 2.25oz / 12-pack | 1,190 mg / 50% |
| Maruchan Creamy Chicken 3.0oz / 24-pack | 1,220mg / 50% (610mg) |
| Maruchan Chili Flavor 3.0oz / 24-pack | 1,320mg / 56% (660mg) |
| Maruchan Picante Chicken 3.0oz / 24-pack | 1,480mg / 62% (740mg) |
| Maruchan Beef Flavor 3.0oz / 24-pack | 1,580mg / 66% (790mg) |
| Maruchan Shrimp Flavor 3.0oz / 24-pack | 1,580mg / 66% (790mg) |
| Maruchan Roast Beef Flavor 3.0oz / 24-pack | 1,620mg / 68% (810mg) |
| Maruchan Roast Chicken 3.0oz / 24-pack | 1,640mg / 68% (820mg) |
| Maruchan Chicken Flavor 3.0oz / 24-pack | 1,630mg / 70% (830mg) |
| Maruchan Soy Sauce Flavor 3.0oz / 24-pack | 1,760mg / 76% (880mg) |
| Maruchan Lime Chili Shrimp 3.0oz / 24-pack | 1,820mg / 76% (910mg) |
| Maruchan Pork Flavor 3.0oz / 24-pack | 1,920mg / 80% (960mg) |
| Maruchan GOLD Spicy Miso Flavor 4.21oz / 5-pack | 2,160mg / 94% (1,080mg) |
| Maruchan GOLD Soy Sauce Flavor 18.5oz (5-bowls) | 2,180mg / 95% (1,090mg) |
Myojo
The quality of their fresh frozen and air-dried noodles by Myojo are the best, but their broths are a major sodium bomb. With one of their products coming in at 138% of the Daily Value (DV). The average out of 9 products offered is 2,721mg
Typical of a Japanese company, they have a Signature and Premium line of products, but what are the differences between the two (who knows, they can’t communicate that).
(I guess for Myojo to pull off a low-sodium ramen, it’s going to take time).
| BRAND (Prouct and Where to Buy) | SODIUM PER CONTAINER (equals 2 servings) |
|---|---|
| Myojo Signature Tonkotsu Ramen 16.93oz (5.64oz) | 1,990mg / 87% |
| Myojo Original Hiyashi Chuka (Cold Ramen) 16.83oz (5.61oz) | 2,020mg / 88% (I highly recommend you try this product because you can include lot of fresh ingredients). |
| Myojo Premium Seafood Tonkotsu 12.56oz (6.28oz) | 2,520mg / 110% |
| Myojo Signature Shio Ramen 15.87oz (5.29oz) | 2,570mg / 112% |
| Myojo Signature Shoyu Ramen 16.08oz (5.36oz) | 2,740mg / 119% |
| Myojo Premium Shio Tonkotsu 11.78oz (5.89oz) | 2,600mg / 122% |
| Myojo Signature Miso Ramen 17.46oz (5.82oz) | 2,860mg / 124% |
| Myojo Premium Garlic Miso Ramen 10.93oz (5.47oz) | 3,000mg / 130% |
| Myojo Signature Spicy Miso Ramen 16.40oz (5.46oz) | 3,050mg / 133% |
| Myojo Premium Vegetarian Shoyu 10.93oz (5.47oz) | 3,160mg / 138% |
Nissin
Nissin Foods started it all (yea, they, Momofuku Ando invented instant ramen), and they have a solid product line, especially the Cup Noodle Original and Curry flavor (I tried to order the Seafood version, and the Amazon seller could not fulfill my order).
Post WW2 food aid in the form of wheat to Japan helped with the invention of instant ramen.
| BRAND (Prouct and Where to Buy) | SODIUM PER CONTAINER (equals 2 servings) |
|---|---|
| Nissin Chili (Vegetarian) 3.0oz / 24-pack | 1,240mg / 54% |
| Nissin Hot & Spicy Chicken 3.32oz / 18-pack | 1,300mg / 57% |
| Nissin Hot & Spicy Blazing Hot 3.26oz | 1,300mg / 57% |
| Nissin Hot & Spicy Fiery Beef 3.32oz / 6-pack | 1,310mg / 57% |
| Nissin Hot & Spicy Shrimp 3.7oz / 12-pack | 1,330mg / 58% |
| Nissin Top Ramen Beef 3.0oz / 24-pack | 1,330mg / 58% |
| Nissin Cup Noodle Seafood 2.7oz / 6-pack | 1,430mg / 62% |
| Nissin Cup Noodle Curry 2.82oz / 6-pack | 1,450mg / 63% |
| Nissin Top Ramen Shrimp 3.0oz / 24-pack | 1,490mg / 65% |
| Nissin Top Ramen Hot & Spicy Beef 3.0oz / 24-pack | 1,520mg / 66% |
| Nissin Cup Noodle Original 2.4oz / 6-pack | 1,530mg / 66% |
| Nissin Top Ramen Chicken 3.0oz / 24-pack | 1,590mg / 69% |
| Nissin Top Ramen Soy Sauce 3.0oz / 24-pack | 1,620mg / 70% |
| Nissin Demae Roasted Beef 3.5oz / 5-pack | 2,030mg / 88% |
| Nissin RAOH Tonkotsu 3.53oz / 6-pack | 2,070mg / 90% |
| Nissin RAOH Miso 3.77oz / 6-pack | 2,290mg / 100% |
| Nissin RAOH Soy Sauce 3.77oz / 6-pack | 2,400mg / 105% |
Sanyo Foods
When it comes to flavor and the overall product, I Iean towards Sanyo Foods, especially their Sapporo Ichiban Original Flavor and the Morimoto Branded Product.
Sanyo kills it with their Sapporo Ichiban line (has 5-stars on Amazon, that’s crazy good) and Morimoto (Momosan) ramen which is always sold out.
| BRAND (Product, Price, Where to Buy) | PER CONTAINER (Per container equals 2 servings) |
|---|---|
| Sanyo Foods Sapporo Ichiban Original Cup Original Flavor 2.25oz / 64g | 1,020mg |
| Sanyo Foods Sapporo Ichiban Chow Mein (No Broth) 3.6oz / 24-pack | 1,130mg / 47% |
| Sanyo Foods Sapporo Ichiban Chicken Flavor 3.5oz / 10-pack | 1,480mg / 62% 1,660mg / 70% |
| Sanyo Foods Sapporo Ichiban Beef Flavor 3.5oz / 24-pack | 1,480mg / 62% |
| Sanyo Foods Sapporo Ichiban Tonkotsu Ramen 18.5oz (6-pack) | 1,530mg / 67% |
| Sanyo Foods Sapporo Ichiban Miso Ramen 3-pack/3-flavors | 1,800mg /78%? |
| Sanyo Foods Sapporo Ichiban Original Flavor 3.5oz / 24-pack | 1,820mg / 76%? 1,870mg / 78%? |
| Sanyo Foods Sapporo Ichiban Tokyo Chicken Momosan Ramen 3.36oz / 95g | 1,960mg / 90%? |
| Sanyo Foods Sapporo Ichiban Tokyo Chicken Tonkotsu Momosan Ramen 3.36oz / 95g | 2,040mg / 90%? |
| Sanyo Foods Sapporo Ichiban Shio Ramen 3.6oz / 6-pack | 2,090mg |
| Sanyo Foods Sapporo Ichiban Miso Bowl 2.98oz / 84g | 2,100mg / 90% |
| Sanyo Foods Sapporo Ichiban Shrimp Flavor 3.5oz / 24-pack | 2,160mg / 94%? |
| Sanyo Foods Sapporo Ichiban Shoyu Bowl 2.91oz / 82g | 2,170mg / 90%? |
In Conclusion
If you came here wondering, “what ramen has the least amount of sodium?” I hope you now know which products have the least amount of sodium, along with ramen hacks to minimize your sodium intake.
Both Nissin and Maruchan have moderate levels of sodium whereas Sanyo Foods is at the upper end of the spectrum, and Myojo takes the top spot as the SODIUM KING (Ichiran is vying for Emperor status with 3,068mg/133%).
I wonder how long I can go with doing steaks/meat everyday.
