Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU feeding my kid instant noodles several times a week

293 replies

cooknwithbaby · 20/04/2023 21:48

I had dinner with my DS and my mum saw we were eating instant noodles with chicken soup and extra vegetable I added. She shamed me about feeding my DS instant noodles, saying it was unhealthy.

It's easy for me to make and everybody likes eating it. DS has loved noodles since he was 6 months old. I cook it several times a week. But I usually make it a bit healthier with broccoli. Sometimes I add a fried egg.

AIBU by feeding my kid some instant noodles for dinner?

OP posts:
Thread gallery
7
FerretFumbler · 21/04/2023 11:57

The OP is getting a lot of stick here.
we have no idea of her finances or how challenging things might be for her, if indeed they are at all.
As the mother of fussy eaters, pick your battles. I’d rather have a fed child.

LadyLump · 21/04/2023 12:01

this is why we have such an awful obesity epidemic

I don't know anyone in life who is obese because they've eaten noodles too often

2bazookas · 21/04/2023 12:16

It would be cheaper ( and more nutritious) to cook some dried noodles with real vegetables and fresh herbs. Add some canned tuna or sardines or grated cheese for protein. Your children need protein every day for better brain development.

TheMatriarchy · 21/04/2023 12:25

Proper Japanese noodles are made with rice or wheat flour and water sometimes egg. They are served in a rich bone broth with maybe seaweed and fermented veg, sesame, eggs, meats etc. All super foods very healthy and nutritious. That is a world away from instant packet ultra high processed noodles with a 'soup' made of chemicals.

VincentVaguer · 21/04/2023 12:31

TheMatriarchy · 21/04/2023 12:25

Proper Japanese noodles are made with rice or wheat flour and water sometimes egg. They are served in a rich bone broth with maybe seaweed and fermented veg, sesame, eggs, meats etc. All super foods very healthy and nutritious. That is a world away from instant packet ultra high processed noodles with a 'soup' made of chemicals.

The noodles themselves are fine, its just the powder stuff that comes with them. It depends what kind of noodles the OP means really. I just made myself noodles with broccoli and an egg and soy sauce as a quick lunch - noodle ingredients Wholemeal Wheat Flour (47%), Wheat Flour [Wheat Flour, Calcium, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin], Water, Salt, Firming Agents (Potassium Carbonate, Sodium Carbonate), they are just Blue Dragon ones from the supermarket.

VincentVaguer · 21/04/2023 12:31

LadyLump · 21/04/2023 12:01

this is why we have such an awful obesity epidemic

I don't know anyone in life who is obese because they've eaten noodles too often

ha ha yes quite

Comedycook · 21/04/2023 12:36

I don't know what the op means by instant noodles.

NumericalBlock · 21/04/2023 12:41

cheekyffer · 21/04/2023 11:14

If they are from the Ramen packets they are ultra-processed, likely with monosodium glutamate in the stock.

Enriched Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Vegetable Oil (!"Contains One or More of the Following:" Canola, Cottonseed, Palm), !"Preserved by" TBHQ, Salt, Dehydrated Vegetables (Carrot, Corn, Green Peas, Garlic, Onion, Celery Stalk), !"Contains Less than 2% of:" Maltodextrin, Monosodium Glutamate, Sugar, Hydrolyzed Corn, Wheat and Soy Protein, Chicken Fat, Powdered Cooked Chicken, Spices !(Celery Seed), Yeast Extract, Dehydrated Soy Sauce (Wheat, Soybeans, Salt), Potassium Carbonate, Sodium (|"Mono, Hexameta, !"and-or" Tripoly"), Phosphate, Sodium Carbonate, Turmeric, Disodium Inosinate, Disodium Guanylate, Silicon Dioxide !(Anti-Caking Agent), Lactose, Chicken Broth, Soya Lecithin.

Depends on the btand, tesco's own are wheat and oil, the seasoning pack isn't but the noodles themselves are.

NumericalBlock · 21/04/2023 12:44

RB68 · 21/04/2023 11:37

Go for the plain egg noodles and make your own broth - super easy in fact pretty much as easy as instant noodles packet. We put clove garlic in while, couple of spring onion chopped, bit of grated ginger or couple of smidges ginger powder and half chick stock cube (i like knorr) and some soy sauce.

We then add julienned carrots and various veg depending on what is available

If we recently had roast chicken we might add some pre-cooked bits of chicken as well.

Of Course MN ers would make stock with said chick carcas rather than half a stock cube

Different texture and taste to egg noodles. Also some can't/choose not to eat egg. Rice noodles would solve that but they are also different (and usually more expensive unless you have access to a chinese grocers).

I buy the packet noodles purely for the noodle because I can't find anything similar.

TheShellBeach · 21/04/2023 12:45

I would rather die than eat plain noodles with broccoli and an egg.
It doesn't sound appealing at all. No flavour.
I do cook plain noodles and I add fried garlic mushrooms and some sweet chilli sauce.

Lenor · 21/04/2023 12:45

This thread is ridiculous. Of course it’s OK for your child to have convenience food twice a week.

VincentVaguer · 21/04/2023 12:46

TheShellBeach · 21/04/2023 12:45

I would rather die than eat plain noodles with broccoli and an egg.
It doesn't sound appealing at all. No flavour.
I do cook plain noodles and I add fried garlic mushrooms and some sweet chilli sauce.

Well its a good job I'm not making it for you then isnt it! But of course I flavour it - just didnt go into detail - garlic and soy sauce on the noodles and broccoli, the fried egg on top and then some garlic srichacha. It was delicious.

PipinwasAuntieMabelsdog · 21/04/2023 12:48

If you're going to the effort of frying eggs and adding veg, I would just boil some noodles in a low sodium stock cube tbh. Less oil and salt and not adding a load of time

VincentVaguer · 21/04/2023 12:50

PipinwasAuntieMabelsdog · 21/04/2023 12:48

If you're going to the effort of frying eggs and adding veg, I would just boil some noodles in a low sodium stock cube tbh. Less oil and salt and not adding a load of time

huh? I boil the broccoli in with the noodles for 4 mins, while I am frying an egg. The whole thing takes less than 5 minutes 😅

SpringLobelia · 21/04/2023 13:03

Minierme · 21/04/2023 10:38

I buy the type with the sachet of flavouring and then just make up my own with vegetable stock. Then shove in some peas, sweetcorn or tinned chickpeas & add a bit of left over meat from a meal e.g roast chicken or cooked prawns or fish.

It’s a super quick leftovers meal and just as healthy as pasta.

Show quote history

I do this. It's just ramen at the end of the day! I used to feel guilty until I saw a Korean chef on the Food network using instant noodles to make up quick and easy ramen.

Boughtitdownthemarket · 21/04/2023 13:14

I was brought up on frozen Pizzas, waffles and fish fingers. I think all the outrage about noodles is a bit ridiculous.

PipinwasAuntieMabelsdog · 21/04/2023 13:20

VincentVaguer · 21/04/2023 12:50

huh? I boil the broccoli in with the noodles for 4 mins, while I am frying an egg. The whole thing takes less than 5 minutes 😅

Show quote history

Exactly, why do the instant noodles save any time for the OP? Why the crying laughing Hmm

Starsandrain · 21/04/2023 13:22

OldFan · 20/04/2023 23:37

most likely lead to obesity and diabetes

@Nimbostratus100 No one food causes obesity or diabetes. It's a prolongued surfeit of calories, from any source.

Pop is the nearest to 'causing' diabetes, but that's probably because obese people drink it as extra calories alongside everything they eat, and it's easy to drink a lot of calories without registering it.

And to be clear, when we talk about diabetes in this scenario, it is type 2 diabetes. Not type 1.

ModestMoon · 21/04/2023 13:57

If you mean the pre-made packet ones for microwave, I love them, but they're over processed and bad for you. Use either fresh noodles or dry noodles. Costs the same and is much better for you, only takes 4 mins to boil.

Bucketheadbucketbum · 21/04/2023 13:59

So unbeliveably depressing people would feed this to their kids, even worse then try and defend it 😕 no wonder uk is one of the unhealthiest nations in the world

What's wrong with potatoes

Bucketheadbucketbum · 21/04/2023 14:01

Boughtitdownthemarket · 21/04/2023 13:14

I was brought up on frozen Pizzas, waffles and fish fingers. I think all the outrage about noodles is a bit ridiculous.

Disgusting. But a generation ago peopke were more ignorant of the harm these foods do.

We know better now.

Don't eat crap. It's not rocket science that eating shit = shit health

BurbageBrook · 21/04/2023 14:31

The NHS is way behind on nutrition. White carbs eaten regularly are not great at any age. OP, no, it's not an acceptable regular dinner for a child.

weirdoboelady · 21/04/2023 14:36

Bucketheadbucketbum · 21/04/2023 13:59

So unbeliveably depressing people would feed this to their kids, even worse then try and defend it 😕 no wonder uk is one of the unhealthiest nations in the world

What's wrong with potatoes

The last sentence of this is the most helpful. Perhaps it would be more useful to the OP if instead of shouting about how awful instant ramen are, we provided some 'just as easy and just as cheap' meal solutions?

Mine would be

Yes, potatoes - blitzed in their jackets in a microwave with some baked beans on top and cheese if you can afford it.
An omlette
Bread soaked in egg and fried (French toast)
Cheese on toast
Very easy pea and ham soup made by adding fried bacon or ham to a tin of mushy peas, diluting with water and heated, served with bread
Almost anything from https://cookingonabootstrap.com/category/recipes-food/ some recipes more labour intensive than others but all pretty simple I think

Recipes & Food – COOKING ON A BOOTSTRAP

Posts about Recipes & Food written by Jack Monroe

https://cookingonabootstrap.com/category/recipes-food

Pamandherpampams · 21/04/2023 16:01

weirdoboelady · 21/04/2023 14:36

The last sentence of this is the most helpful. Perhaps it would be more useful to the OP if instead of shouting about how awful instant ramen are, we provided some 'just as easy and just as cheap' meal solutions?

Mine would be

Yes, potatoes - blitzed in their jackets in a microwave with some baked beans on top and cheese if you can afford it.
An omlette
Bread soaked in egg and fried (French toast)
Cheese on toast
Very easy pea and ham soup made by adding fried bacon or ham to a tin of mushy peas, diluting with water and heated, served with bread
Almost anything from https://cookingonabootstrap.com/category/recipes-food/ some recipes more labour intensive than others but all pretty simple I think

Show quote history

Microwave and bacon in the same post? Why don’t you just throw your kids in a car of boiling oil and be done with them altogether!

MeinKraft · 21/04/2023 16:14

Comedycook · 21/04/2023 12:36

I don't know what the op means by instant noodles.

Supernoodles, Koka, Soba, that kind of thing. There's shelves and shelves of them in the supermarket because they're a perfectly normal food and especially beloved by children.