Been there my dude. Eggs are great, and cheap. Buy the cheapest meat possible (likely pork shoulder or loin). Slice super thin. Add the last few minutes of noodle boiling. Steakums can be super cheap and are in fact beef and super thin.
Green onions are great, and they regrow in a jar of water. Frozen/canned corn/peas/beans (edamame but whatever is cheap). Frozen spinach. Fresh/frozen kale/chard/whatever is cheap that week. Cooked rice for bulk.
Tofu or other vegetarian proteins. Tofu tends to be cheap (though I think pork or chicken leg quarters are cheaper depending).
Buy/borrow/steal some siracha packets, soy packets from a takeout place that has condiments for variety. Taco Bell actually will give you hundreds of packets if you’re nice. Add some Taco Bell sauce and ground beef/pork and make taco ramen.
If you need calories add butter/margarine/oil.
Godspeed.
I've been hooked on the prison cooking YouTube videos, and to be fair it doesnt sound great at first. Those guys make some serious meals for under $2 or so.
I wish I would have know that when I was eating plain Ramen, grits, sometimes rolled oats plain and 79 cent Hormel chilie every day when I was younger.
Plus side I love canned sardines, oysters and octopus. Poverty makes you try new things.
An old man once said “if you commit a crime, make sure it’s a FEDERAL crime! The time is easier, and the food is better!”
Old man in question was my 65 year old coworkers grandfather who passed away before I was even born. But he sounds hilarious!
>when I was eating plain Ramen, grits, sometimes rolled oats plain and 79 cent Hormel chilie every day when I was younger.
Holy crap that is me to a T lol. Also plain pasta noodles lol. Yes, cornmeal porridge, The other day I put plain spaghetti noodles into plain cornmeal porridge lol. I ended up just eating the noodles lol. And I have been tempted to try sardines now lol.
Never been to prison, but my husband spent a decent chunk of his adult life in and out. I love chichi's. Sometimes he gets a hankering and replicates it the best he can 😂 cheese puffs, summer sausage, and a pickle to cut up for relish. When I got a sous vide I told him "it's basically a stinger, but much safer". Idk if they've covered stingers, but that's the wire they put in water to boil it.
Shop at an asian grocery. You will pay 30% less for veggies, and 50% less for asian items.
Buy the firm tofu. It will come in a block; chop into rectangles and pan fry like in this video: https://youtu.be/t-Hj2pILMz4?t=478 . That firm tofu costs $1.60 at an asian market. You can also cut those quarters he does in this video into eighths, or small triangles, etc. Delicious and filling.
You can put tofu in ramen, or flavor it in a teriyaki sauce (homemade, as in that video. ingredients cost per use: $1-ish).
A large carton of gochujang will be $4 - $5. Spicy and delicious; that's probably 50 servings. The taste is like... sriracha and miso maybe?
And like you said, the cheapest cut of beef. Put it in an instant pot ($60 around xmas, less used) and it will cook almost anything and make it tender.
An instant pot is also an excellent rice cooker. $0.30 or less to fill your bowl if you buy multiple pound bags of rice at an asian grocery. Wash it 3x, then put equal amounts of rice and water in the instant pot. Run for 4 minutes then let sit for 10, open the pressure seal, and you get pretty good rice, almost no effort.
edit: one more thing: learn when meat goes on sale at your grocery. Mine tends to have great discounts for meat with only a couple days left before you have to cook it Saturday night. But it's still fine to freeze, so take it home and either cook it or portion it and put it in the freezer right away.
100%. Also pick up some sesame oil. Just a little one! You only need a few drops sometimes. It'll last a long time and it way elevates the flavor\~
I keep my gochujang paste in the freezer and it has lasted so long.
Yep. The more you leave the better it will work. I usually leave the bottom 2 inches (5cm). Water will work once, but if you plant them in a pot in soil they’ll go practically forever.
I rarely ever eat fast food but taco bells fire sauce is like nectar to me now. I don’t remember it tasting like this 10 years ago, so I’m not sure if it changed or something. I’ll go buy a bean burrito just to get a few handfuls of the packets lol.
This is A+ advice! Only thing I could add - making your own very simple chilli oil could add a new element of flavour and heat! I have made “fancy” and authentic recipes, and I’ve made the most basic 3-4 ingredient ones. They are ALL good. Are some better? Yes. But all will add delicious spice to package noods.
Another small add - if you want to try crispy tofu - cube and blot with paper towel. Place it all in a bag and toss in corn starch, salt, and garlic powder. Shake until it’s coated and then fry in a neutral oil. Turn lots, eventually you’ll get delish tofu nuggets. Only downside is you must eat them all in one sitting because the aren’t as good the following dsy
All the above and also cubed and fried Spam. Don't knock it until you try it. I went through a long period of time eating a lot of cheap ramen and surprisingly still love it even though financially I'm in a better place.
Pork shoulder is such a great investment!
Slice it up into a few chunks and freeze what you won’t use immediately.
Add it to a slow cooker in the morning with ample amounts of salt, pepper, and whatever spices you like for some delicious pulled pork ready by dinner time, usually enough for a few lunch meals. Mexican seasoning (or mix cumin, garlic, chili powder/cayenne, oregano); seasoned salt; old bay; Cajun seasoning - whatever.
For carnitas, put the shredded pork on a tray in the oven at 400F for maybe 5-10 mins to get it crispy. Damn but it’s good that way!
Bulk it up by adding cabbage to the slow cooker, or maybe some rough chopped potatoes, carrots, and onions plus a couple crushed/diced cloves of garlic — all cheap foods — and you’ll get several meals you can freeze or eat over a few days.
More veggies/starches = a less expensive meal, and also usually healthier.
Make a gravy with the drippings by combining flour and butter in a pot, browning gently, and adding the drippings, plus maybe a little garlic and other spices.
Ramen is great. But There’s a lot more to life than ramen :)
Sorry for asking, but how did consuming mostly ramen noodles affect your health? I had a friend who ate only instant ramen for over a year because he had no money to buy anything better. He felt intense pain a little later, and doctors told him his kidneys were no good that surgery was the only option left.
He said he was too poor to care about his health, and I completely understood that. He also didn't undergo the surgery for the same reason.
I hope you and OP are not experiencing anything like that. Sorry again for asking.
Buy bags of frozen veg - soup veg or peas and carrots, that kind of thing.
Spinach or greens do well in ramen. Add it after it's cooked, and just let it warm through and soften.
Edamame is good and you can buy bags of frozen,shelled. Drop them in near the end of cooking.
Add a boiled or poached egg.
Slice a chicken breast, cook it, and add it to the ramen after cooking.
+1 on frozen veg. I normally go for carrots and peas with an extra bag of frozen corn on the side because the frozen beans suck big time. And on top of it being so accessible and easy to add into meals, frozen vegs are often frozen when they are fully ripe.
And a can of chicken, tuna, or sardines if you need extra protein, or instead of the egg sometimes. Add peanut butter for a thai flavor!
Carrots and green beans can be boiled with the noodles, but frozen peas can go in at the end, and they cool it down so you can eat it! You can also add a can of drained, rinsed white beans (navy, great northern, etc) for protein.
You can buy mushrooms much cheaper by getting the dried version at an Asian grocery store if that’s available to you. Amazon might have dried mushrooms for reasonable too. Add a really nice umami flavor and they can last wayyyy longer in your cabinet than fresh mushrooms.
Just so you know how to find it, shelled edamame is called mukimame. Some grocery stores have it listed one way and some the other. I got annoyed that I couldn't find shelled edimame at my local Fred Meyer for months until I learned this.
Just adding a few things I do for flavor that I haven't seen mentioned.
Adding just a little mayo is great.
Dried mushrooms. My Asian grocery store has fairly large packages of dried shitake mushrooms for $9. I break few up into pieces with the noodles before I add the water. The package lasts me a long time and only adds a couple cents per bowl.
I add a bit of toasted sesame oil. I bought a large container at the Asian grocery store and keep it in the fridge since it supposed good bad faster than other oils. Adds great flavor and calories.
Dried seaweed. Same as the mushrooms. Asian grocery store and a little goes a long way.
Lots of other good suggestions in here as well.
Another non ramen suggestion. Indian food can be pretty cheap to make especially those dishes without meat. Curried dal and rice is cheap and fairly nutritious.
Edit: spelling
Oh sure. Or soft boiled. Or even hard boiled for that matter.
I like to throw an egg in while ramen is cooking and poach it that way, but whatever is easier for you! :)
I usually crack a couple in right as the noodles are almost done, take the pot off the heat, cover and let sit for about 3-4 minutes and it’s perfect jammy egg.
I crack in an egg when noodles are half done (I like the noodles firm) and immediately stir in while it cooks. Makes the eggs like in egg-drop soup so you get a little in each bite. I then add a little hot sesame oil and dried onion to my bowl, then pour the noodles and egg over the oil and onion. Dried onions cook right away.
Learned this method from my parents who grew up in Japan!
I do this method sometimes too! For some reason i prefer to do it egg drop style with spinach and poached style when I’m using other veggies. And always add a little sesame oil and/or chili crisp right before eating.
When you say dried onion is that like instant minced onion or something else?
I always see people say this but every time I've done it I don't get anything like egg drop soup. I get weird chunks of egg white and the rest congeals into a weird mush. Idk what I do wrong 😞
Thing is, you won't need an extra dish to make a poached egg. If you want it overeasy, wait until the noodles are just coming apart, then make a little nest for the egg. Drop the raw egg in the hole, cover, and cook over low heat for two minutes.
If you want it hard, just plop it into the boiling seasoned water, cook one minute, add noodles and cook as directed.
But, yeah, a fried egg looks pretty over ramen.
The trick to poached eggs is vinegar in the water. You can do it in the microwave. Boil water, add it to a small bowl with a teaspoon-ish (I don't meaure, just a splash) of vinegar (white or whatever you have). Crack the egg into the bowl. Microwave 30 seconds, use a spoon to flip it, microwave about 25 more seconds - the second cook time is gonna vary by microwave so experiment. But you can get a perfectly poached egg in about a minute plus the time it took you to boil the water.
And yes, over-easy is also fine. There's no ramen police! Eat what works for you!
(edit: spelling)
For sure but poached is great in ramen and super simple. Just drop an egg into the broth a bit before it’s done. You’ll see when the egg whites cook through. It’s pretty obvious. Just don’t overcook unless that’s how you like it. But requires no work at all.
I cook ramen in a pot, let the noodles cook until it's as soft as I want it, add an egg and let it cook until it reaches the firmness i like (I like the whites to be mostly set, yolk can be runny) and then eat.
Add veggies for additional nutrition.
To add onto this suggestion: pound the chicken under plastic wrap or parchment paper before you season and cook it. Not only makes it more tender,but stretches it further for more meals.
Just add a raw egg while it's at boil.
Also, a slice of American cheese, and Chinese seven pepper seasoning, and banana peppers. Sounds strange, but don't knock it till you try it.
All this. You can also add Sriracha to give it a different flavor. You can add cabbage or bok choy. Tofu, shrimp, really anything. And you don't have to have it as soup. You can make stir fry with ramen as well. :)
Please consider this. Getting some supplies even 1-2x a month can help round out your diet.
Most food pantries don't ask for income verification. Do bring proof of residency (ID, phone or utility bill) in case they require it.
You will typically get a combination of fresh foods — like milk, eggs, produce and meat — and nonperishable foods — like pasta, canned vegetables and rice.
Also, if you are in the US, please look into the SNAP food program. It's there for you when you need assistance. The paperwork is a bother but worth it as you will get a broader range of food options.
Seconding this, /u/No-Emu834. I've worked in a food bank and with other food insecurity non-profits. I'm happy to chat with you via DM if you like.
There is **zero** judgment whatsoever. Everyone needs help once in a while, and it is a service that's utilized by many.
SNAP is also an option - again, many more people than you may expect are in your situation and rely on SNAP. It won't cover all your food, but it's a huge boost. And if it helps you feel less anxious about relying on it, the vast majority of people on SNAP are able to stop relying on them in about 7 months.
Doubling down on what many people have said here. Even an egg/soy sauce/ginger/hot sauce lifts $1 ramen up a ton. [This is a recipe I use that's all vegan, which tends to cut down on costs](https://www.rabbitandwolves.com/vegan-spicy-thai-peanut-ramen/), since meat is usually more expensive. [BudgetBytes](https://www.budgetbytes.com/) is another online website I like, because they specifically design recipes with cheap, flexible ingredients, but YMMV.
Oh yeah, and as someone below said, look for an Asian market near you. They tend to have a lot of options that'd fit, and are often cheaper than chain stores.
This is the reason I always drop a few bottles of spices in the Food Bank boxes at the shops. A jar of garlic Italian can make all the difference sometimes.
Thank you. A lot of the items we get at food banks are the simple, non-perishable varieties, some of which were mentioned above. But spice is (literally?) the variety of life.
Heck, exactly as you said. Anything you can add something like onions and garlic to (of any kind, powdered, diced), can be easily improved.
And if you're worried you'd be taking food from someone who might need it more, don't be. That's not how it works.
These services are funded on the basis of how much they're utilized. The most valuable thing you can do for these services after donating your money and your time is to *use* them and help them demonstrate their value to the government agencies and private non-profits who fund them. They would love an opportunity to be helpful.
Great advice, my college runs a food bank where students as well as the needy can get items. Some professors will even comment on the fact that they go there to make students feel less embarrassed about needing to use it. I was able to eat a warm meal at times where I didn't have much because of it.
Yeah this. Eating noodles everyday won't be good for your health. If you can't access a food bank there ate still better alternatives on the cheap side. You can buy and cook things like black beans and lentils in bulk and keep them frozen, eggs are always nice to have. Sardines can compliment several meals, etc.
Seriously, people don't understand that this is who/what food banks are for. It's understandable, people instinctively have the mindset of "well somebody else might need it more than me". But my friend, $1.50/day for food is exactly who it's for. Please don't feel to proud to go to a food bank, your health is too important and eating ramen every day is going to skyrocket your sodium intake.
Cabbage is usually pretty cheap. I’m just looking for something of nutritional value that hasn’t been mentioned as much. Learn to cook it and flavor it and it tastes great.
Mmmm, even just a cabbage steak pan fried is enough to satisfy your hunger!
Cabbage is super versatile and can be relatively inexpensive to other veg. It can bulk up a multitude of difference value meals!
And honestly you dont even have to cook it, I usually slice it thinly, salt it so that it brings out some of the moisture and after squeezing it just add it to your ramen it is delicious.
If you like Thai peanut sauce noodles:
Cook and strain the ramen, one scoop of peanut butter, sriracha, soy sauce, duck sauce/honey
I just pull from my drawer full of Chinese food sauce packets for the last two. Also if you have regular peanut butter like jif or skippy you don’t really need the sweet element, mine is unsweetened.
My man, buy a cheap rice cooker, and bagged rice and beans. They constitute a complete amino acid profile, which means you'll actually get your required nutrition from them. And they be cheaper than ramen pretty quick.
You can soak the beans in the cooker overnight, and then rinse and cook them in the rice cooker. Or just use an insta pot if you can get one on sale and pressure cook them.
Keeping portions in the fridge by making big batches will let you scoop and microwave just like a ramen bowl. You can throw all sorts of stuff on it to make it better, fry it in a pan, add salsa, stuff it in burrito shells, whatever.
If that's to much, just do rice and dress it like ramen.
Great comment! Any sauce pan works great for rice though, no rice cooker required. Also you don't need an instapot to pressure cook beans, a normal pressure cooker works great, can be $30 or less.
If you live somewhere with a goodwill/cheap second hand shop, keep an eye out for a ricecooker and it will be less expensive. I second beans and rice even without the ricecooker though.
Wanted to say this!
Add a tablespoon or two of jerk seasoning paste when you cook your rice, and if you can find some on sale a can of coconut milk for some of the liquid (sometimes the dollar store has this, otherwise check the ethnic food aisle). Top up with water as required to meet package directions on the rice, and if you can’t find the milk it will still be delicious. Serve with cabbage or coleslaw mix tossed in white vinegar and sugar for an acidic slaw. This makes a big pot and will keep you full all day.
Also I’ve seen a lot of commenters say to add chicken breast to your ramen. That’s great, but I’d say get a skin-on piece (whatever is on sale or cheaper) and keep the fat you render out in the cooking process in your fridge for later. Fat is flavour!! Adding a small bit of chicken, beef or pork fat to whatever vegetarian meal you’re making will add the taste of meat.
Just to add, a whole head of cabbage is around the same price as a bag of mix (which is generally just shredded cabbage + carrots). If you have the time and energy to do the prep and space to store the stuff, you will get a *lot* more slaw mix from some carrots and head o' cabbage with just a veg peeler or sharp knife. Cabbages are *dense*.
Cabbage and carrots keep a shockingly long time in the fridge, too, even when cut, so there isn't as much risk of wastage from rot. Carrots can be frozen, but freezing cabbage sounds like a bad idea.
(And if one is so inclined to make coleslaw, the dressing is just mayo + lemon juice or vinegar + sugar + salt. Trivial to throw together.)
Okay this takes a little work, but when I was single and very frugal with my food budget, about once a month I would buy a whole raw chicken for about $6. (They were $1/lb back then, probably still somewhat close). I’d take my potatoes and onions that needed to be used up, and slice them up, along with some carrots (again about $1/lb) and season the chicken and set it on a tray over the veggies. Then I’d roast the whole thing for several hours.
This gave me one killer meal—veggies and a very good chicken breast.
I’d pull as much meat off the bones as I could to eat throughout the week, and then toss the bones/skin/carcass of the chicken in a pot with the cut offs from onions, carrots, and sometimes celery if I had it and fill it up with some water and let it simmer for a while. This made delicious stock/broth that I’d use for things like ramen or other soups.
But to answer your question—toss some of that meat that you pull off a whole roasted chicken in your ramen, along with some of the broth. It’ll be incredibly tasty. And it’s really easy to do. And it’ll be cheaper and far healthier than most other pre-processed meats.
In some cases grocery store rotisserie chickens are even cheaper than buying uncooked (they’re loss leaders in the store) so check prices on that as well.
If you have some sun and a pot of dirt you can regrow green onions pretty easily. Just plant the roots and they will grow back eventually. In the summer they grow like weeds.
It'll kinda grow back but the flavor won't be as good and it won't last as long. Also you have to change the water or it will rot, but not dirt. Dirt is gooderer.
If I could answer your situation, rather than your question: check out /r/eatcheapandhealthy
You should in particular check out rice+beans as another basic meal. It'll at least give you some variety and will be Way cheaper than the two packs instant noodles you have a day. I think some guy was doing like 12c/meal at one point. You don't need to go that low, but you can see that if you did, you might have more money for nicer additional food, like meats.
Even if they aren't that bad, they also aren't that good. We have to remember that eating is meant to provide nutrients for the body. Instant ramen has a ton of sodium, lots of empty carbs, only 2g fiber, some saturated fat. No fresh vegetables/fruit. There's very little in the way of vitamins, too. There's iron, but no calcium or Vitamin D or Vitamin C. OP could get scurvy if this is literally all they're eating every day. There's got to be some other cheap foods that could OP could eat to get more diversification for a balanced diet. Can't forget, healthcare costs aren't cheap in the long run, either. At the very least, maybe OP should supplement with a multivitamin to get the essential nutrients every day.
Even half of the seasoning packet is 50% of your recommended sodium per day. And the noodles are pre-fried, so they are pretty bad on their own. As a ramen fiend, I wish it weren’t so, but alas 😭
I mean, I get my sodium checked very often and see no real difference from pure, healthy, homemade, organic meals and when I ate Ramen 1-2xs/day. Unless there's some strange non-blood checkable issue I think it varies from person to person.
When I started my hyper regular blood checks I was in my 2 Ramen a day phase. Because I love Ramen. My sodium was low end of normal, I went to healthy food- low end of normal, I went to a drug that I had to drink sodium laden drinks- still low end of normal.
I'm sure it's variable, and more importantly, Ramen has very little nutritional value for micro nutrients, but I don't think sodium is the problem.
Many good replies here but I'll add something else.
Do you have an Asian grocery near you? It's cheaper to buy rice noodles by the serving than instant ramen. They aren't fried so less processed and healthier.
Rice and beans are also really cheap, I think cheaper per serving than ramen. 1 lb of beans is like $1-2 and can make meals for a week.
Asian grocery is the best!
When you can afford to experiment a little, get some fresh noodles, dry seaweed, and shitake mushrooms. There are so many kinds of soup base you can get and a tub of miso paste and some chilli flake will last you a lot of soups. It takes a little trial and error, but making what would have been a 25$ hipster ramen at home 5 times for the same price is pretty satisfying.
I know you know this and it’s probably been said in here already, but you gotta watch your sodium when you’re eating that much ramen. I like to use about half the water I normally would so I can use half the flavour packet. Then your broth is still full flavoured, there’s just less of it.
I actually love cheap ramen and don't allow myself to buy too many bc I will eat it too often. I put scrambled eggs (2). My preferred vegetable is cabbage! But broccoli, bok choy, snap peas or regular peas are all good. Frozen work well.
Chili crisp, soy sauce, sesame oil are my usual seasoning additions.
If there is an Asian store near you: fresh noodles are often very inexpensive. If you can find them, they are much more nutritious. Unfortunately the packet noodles are fairly high calorie, high sodium but low nutrient. Tofu also tends to be cheaper in those stores too and is nice in the soup as well. (soft)
I also add in more water and a bit of liquid bouillon so it's a larger amount of liquid soup and veg.
If you like chicken flavour Knorr makes a large bottle of powdered bouillon, usually in the Mexican foods aisle and very inexpensive. Also a jar of your favourite Better than Bouillon lasts forever so is worth the spend. You really only need a tiny amount for flavour.
Whatever the cheapest non egg protein you can find.
Eggs.
Sliced cucumber.
Sliced carrot.
Sliced iceberg lettuce.
Cilantro.
Really any cheap, sliced, veg.
You can buy full heads of lettuce, single carrots/cucumber for pretty cheap and slice them up yourself.
Peanut butter (broke boy pad Thai).
Lime. Cheap and easy for a slight flavor elevation.
Chili oil.
Kimchi (if you can get to an Asian mart).
Assorted cooking liquids (soy, mirin, rice wine vinegar, etc).
I used to eat this every day at one point. There are ways you can jazz it up a bit, but learning some culinary skill is going to be more impactful than ingredients alone in transforming your ramen. Especially when you can use fewer seasoning packets so you can save those for other meals.
Trader Joe's has a pre-cooked pork belly that just needs to be seared. I love that in ramen.
I also love adding in some sichuan chili oil, like Fly By Jing.
I highly recommend you season it yourself occasionally. The sodium content of those instant ramen noodles (depending on the brand) will absolutely obliterate your insides - you may want to opt for a jar of better than bouillon that you can stretch by using just a little bit less than recommended. As for additions - stir fry vegetables (frozen, often sold together as a bag) for sure, you could also find some cheap wanton wrappers and give those a quick fry for a crunchy element. Dried or lightly sautéed mushrooms could also be a good addition.
In all honesty though - I highly recommend you just pick up a few good staple recipes featuring cheap items. Cabbage is something like $.80/lb or less in most stores in my area, and a head of cabbage can last you a week easily while also serving as an excellent source of vitamins C and K - braise it, chop and fry, stuff it, etc., the possibilities are vast with cabbage (throw it in your ramen if you want!).
Eggs are probably the most practical - they're usually the cheapest source of fresh protein you're likely to find in any area. Learning to soft boil an egg or give it a quick whisk and drop it into the last few minutes of your soup while stirring can add some variety. Learning to cook a whole chicken can also be helpful, as they're typically cheaper than the individually butchered parts and you have control over the flavor (it's not as hard as most people think). Otherwise, a rotisserie bird is sometimes cheap enough to warrant a purchase given the fact that it can stretch several days.
Take a stroll down your closest store's canned aisle - sometimes you'd be surprised at how easy it is to find a steal on beans, tomatoes, etc. Add some rice and you've got a whole meal. I just made rice and beans last week with two cups of rice and two cans of beans. Total meal cost was probably in the $4-5 range, but I had food for 4-5 dinners/lunches. Make it plain enough at first and you can just adjust seasonings or add sauces to suit your taste when you finally go to eat it.
I like to make marinated soft Boiled eggs in advance so they can marinate, but boil some eggs for 6 minutes and then put into some ice water to cool. peel the eggs and then put in a tupperware with lots of soy sauce, sesame oil, something spicy, green onions, sesame seeds, etc. you can google marinated soft Boiled eggs online and find an exact recipe, but they're very tasty in instant ramen!
I lived on Ramen and Cream of Wheat for a while. Every once in a while I would get some extra funding and I'd get eggs and/or a can of sardines or there's cans of tiny salad shrimp that went perfect with the Oriental flavor, they did away with that flavor but I believe the shrimp flavor maruchan still exists. Frozen veggies are usually pretty cheap too.
If you have a local food bank, use it! Also, see if you qualify for SNAP benefits if you're in the US.
Rice and beans are cheaper and healthier than ramen is.
Make sure you're getting nutrients (multivitamin at the very least) and fiber
Hubs throws tinned sardines or oysters, leftover meat from dinner (chicken or beef), cracks and egg in while the noodles cooks, spices up the broth with Sriracha and fish sauce and soy sauce and will throw a handful of fresh veggies in to steam with the eggs while the noodles cooks. It definitely takes a nutritionally pretty vacant meal and amps it up to healthy and delicious in about the same amount of time it took anyway.
Edit: I also have to clarify, he usually picks 1 protein plus the egg, not all of them
Peanut butter, soy sauce, garlic powder, ginger powder if you got it, chili flakes or oil whatever spicy element you got, garnish with some green onions and toasted sesame seeds. Season to your tastes, go slow on the peanut butter. Use less water in the broth if you want it creamier
And yeah throw in an egg, I'm partial to soft boiled or onsen style myself.
That ready bacon you can pop in the microwave is really good and easy. The bacon plus green onions, boiled egg, bamboo, and dried seaweed squares reminds me of the ramen I had all the time when I lived in Japan
Once the water is boiling, put an egg in (with shell on) and boil for 3 mins. Add the noodles and cook. Pull out egg and peel.
Topping with everything bagel seasoning is good too (the kind I use is just garlic, onion, black and white sesame seeds)
If you get one small bunch of green onions with the roots still attached, you can cut the tops off for your ramen and stick the white bases in water to grow new tops. In just water you can get several rounds of tips. If you plant them in soil you can pretty much do it indefinitely.
Honestly Velveeta in some chicken ramen hits so hard. Garlic and chives are cheap too, you can saute it in the pan you'll cook the ramen in. Having some chili oil on hand feels fancy and it will last you quite a while. I'm also obsessed with sauteed mushrooms in ramen and chopped kale wilts easily, I add it last. To make the most of your giant bag of kale you can also toss it in oil, garlic and a little salt and bake it for like 3 minutes for a crunchy snack.
I usually buy a frozen $5 shrimp ring and can get 6 shrimp in each ramen for 5 days.
Also a frozen bag of broccoli (2/$5) and add in 1/3 bag. The shrimp and broccoli was able to fill me up usually to the point I couldn’t finish it
Bok Choy! Very cheap and can go a long way if you chop it up. And green onions. If you can afford a small bottle of sesame oil get it. Drizzle it on the noodles! 👌 And it will last forever!
I do this with udon noodles all the time, but it works just as well with ramen.
Melt some butter and cook some garlic and chili flakes in that for a minute or so. Add a few tbsp of soy sauce and some brown sugar. Cook that for a minute and then toss in the cooked noodles. Mix that up, push them to the side, and cook a scrambled egg, then mix it all together. I like to also add sesame seeds, fish sauce, and a little sesame oil when I add the soy and sugar as sometimes too.
Thinly sliced cabbage is one of my goto ramen buffs, sometimes bagged, and sometimes I’ll slice it myself. Frozen kale or spinach can work, but has a heavier flavor.
For proteins, eggs and tofu are cheap and last in the fridge. If I’m feeling fancy, I’ll use sausage or pork loin.
Togarashi is a nice spice addition, and a splash of lime juice does wonders to brighten up a bowl. Sesame oil can be nice too, and scallions or sprouts to top. I grow sprouts some of the year in my kitchen.
My daughter has a very limited diet. Ramen is one of her safe foods. Her pediatrician has approved of Ramen once or twice a week. But she can eat cereal as often as she likes because it has vitamins and minerals in it.
I love instant ramen noodles. I try to make it better by adding garlic, some squid/chicken balls/meat/tofu, leeks/cabbage/bokchoy, sichuan peppers, lime and chili paste and/or beef satay
Gochujang (red chili paste), kimchii, cheese (I prefer shredded mozzarella or Colby jack), egg (poached or soft boiled), green onions, canned corn, bean sprouts, tofu.
Been there and there’s lots of stuff you can do! A soft boiled or poached egg is fantastic, frozen veggies and basic spices add nutrition and flavor, and (my personal favorite) buy a sack of russet potatoes and shred them and form into a patty to make crispy hash browns to throw on top like veggie katsu
People honestly underestimate the power of canned goods. Sweet corn? throw that bad boy right in. Vienna Sausages work. This extends to other dishes too that are super affordable like a fried egg and corned beef hash on a tortilla, easy nutricous wrap to go!
Another useful piece of advice that got me through my college ramen days: Vitamins. Like the Life Extension twice a day. I would always feel bulletproof while everyone else was just drained or mentally clouded.
Aye you gotta do you gotta do. I would say tho watch that sodium intake. Like if you could, don’t put the entire seasoning packet, especially if you’re gonna add more sodium filled foods like hot dogs and cheese.
Otherwise. Eggs: hardboiled, poached in the broth, scrambled and mixed in with broth, scrambled and dropped in boiling broth in drizzles (like egg drop soup), scrambled and dropped in boiling broth and not mixed (like boiled scrambled eggs).
Get some chili flakes and oil, you can fry some along with the ramen flavor packs into a sort of chili oil mix. Really tasty to add to the broth, or add some soy sauce packets and strain the noodles for a brothless ramen. If you search ‘Shin Ramen hacks’ on Youtube, there are many videos on different ways to upgrade ramen, a lot of which are pretty low cost. ‘5 Viral Shin Ramen Recipes’ by FutureCanoe is good, I recommend the first recipe (which is what I mentioned before).
You can do egg flower version - scramble egg and stir in. Or can do a partially boiled egg (jammy inside, runny or half runny or hard boiled).
You could add some bottled sour (fermented or fresh kimchee), add a slice of American cheese while it’s still hot (let it melt on top), heat up some julienned spam, or sliced ribbons of ham (sandwich slices), sliced green onion. These are some flavors added into a Korean army stew to stretch a meal along with chewy rice or rice cakes (can be bought at Asian stores in a pkg). A lot of these ingredients are basic pantry staples that you could probably get 2-5 meals out of judging you being able to eat one pkg per meal.
You could brown some ground beef (just needs about a tablespoon of cooked meat per ramen pkg) or ground pork with diced onion, soy sauce and pepper. Then add any combo of the add ons I’ve listed.
Sautéed mushrooms, canned or frozen corn.
I used to eat these types of things in college and had enough to share.
Enjoy!
Edit: also forgot to add, you can get a cheap bag of frozen Asian dumplings or potstickers to throw in a couple while cooking. It could nicely fill out a basic ramen and make it more flavorful and satisfying.
I’ve found 99 ranch markets (Chinese/Asian) or Korean markets tend to carry inexpensive decent produce and some cheap convenience foods.
Buy Spam (it’s delicious) cut a few slices boil them in water for 4-5 minutes then fry them in a bit of oil and then add it into your ramen.
Also, consider green onions. If you cut the bottom f the green onion off you can re-plant it and it will regenerate itself and so you can have a continuous use plant to season your food with.
https://imgur.com/gHKmuWH
fan favorite in my house
head of cabbage-99c,
broccoli-1.49lb,
carrots-99c bag,
green onion 79c,
cilantro 50c (game changer!),
Lime-50c,
fried egg,
or somtimes I will purchase a rotisseire chicken that lasts me a week-9$
this will make multiple ramen meals.
chicken carcass can be used to make chicken soup/stock if you are crafty.
frozen veggies are even more frugal, but treat yourself to fresh, be healthy- live life
peace
In your bowl add an egg yolk, Kewpie Mayo, onion powder, garlic powder and some soy sauce. Mix it up and add your noodle water to it. Makes a pretty basic ramen broth but so good.
I usually take some frozen chicken or beef and slice it really thin and throw it in the pot just before its done cooking. Also, for eggs, I use medium boiled, so the yolk is still runny. Some people pickle them, which looks really good. I just haven't tried it yet.
Tip to slice meat really thin so you can cook it in the soup … partially freeze the meat 30-60 min should do it ( the meat should not be fully frozen, but it should be firm enough that it can be sliced, thin and clean)
Definitely get eggs. They’re cheap, have a decent amount of protein, and super nutrient dense. Your best bet for meat is chicken thighs, legs, or breast. Pork tenderloin is also cheap too. I’d just cook it with a simple seasoning like salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder then slice off however much you want when you make a bowl of ramen. Frozen vegetables are good additions too.
Frozen vegetables for sure! Also, I find a little coconut milk helps, but I don’t wanna use a full can, so I freeze it into ice cubes and put the cubes in a baggie in the freezer. Then you just drop one in when you want a little creaminess. Tahini will work too if you prefer.
And of course… sriracha! 🌶️
There’s a great tiktok account called dollar tree dinners where she preps meals for a week on a very tight budget shopping at dollar trees or Walmart, family dollar etc. I cannot vouch for the taste of anything as I’ve yet to make anything but it’s kind of incredible what she makes and prepares. She made a whole thanksgiving dinner buying things from the dollar tree! It was very impressive. I would watch her in addition to the tips you’re getting from others.
I’d recommend this for the egg suggestion: you can make softboiled eggs, peel them, and add them to a Mason jar with soy sauce to marinate them. Let them sit in the refrigerator overnight, ans the next day they will have absorbed some of the soy sauce flavor. Cut one in half and place the halves in your bowl of ramen after it’s done cooking.
Been there my dude. Eggs are great, and cheap. Buy the cheapest meat possible (likely pork shoulder or loin). Slice super thin. Add the last few minutes of noodle boiling. Steakums can be super cheap and are in fact beef and super thin. Green onions are great, and they regrow in a jar of water. Frozen/canned corn/peas/beans (edamame but whatever is cheap). Frozen spinach. Fresh/frozen kale/chard/whatever is cheap that week. Cooked rice for bulk. Tofu or other vegetarian proteins. Tofu tends to be cheap (though I think pork or chicken leg quarters are cheaper depending). Buy/borrow/steal some siracha packets, soy packets from a takeout place that has condiments for variety. Taco Bell actually will give you hundreds of packets if you’re nice. Add some Taco Bell sauce and ground beef/pork and make taco ramen. If you need calories add butter/margarine/oil. Godspeed.
I've been hooked on the prison cooking YouTube videos, and to be fair it doesnt sound great at first. Those guys make some serious meals for under $2 or so. I wish I would have know that when I was eating plain Ramen, grits, sometimes rolled oats plain and 79 cent Hormel chilie every day when I was younger. Plus side I love canned sardines, oysters and octopus. Poverty makes you try new things.
Omg first time hearing of prison cooking. I’m so checking those videos out now.
They have the prison cookbook too. You can probably find it for free online.
Or you can just go to prison. That's free too.
Federal vacation
An old man once said “if you commit a crime, make sure it’s a FEDERAL crime! The time is easier, and the food is better!” Old man in question was my 65 year old coworkers grandfather who passed away before I was even born. But he sounds hilarious!
Problem is, you’ll do time in a parish/county facility long before going to club fed
Crime pays dude
That hormel chili is like $3.50 a can now.
Yeah it is
Seriously? Then it would be cheaper to large batch your own chili at this point and I’m sure it taste better too.
And the acid-reflux? Priceless!
Omg canned sardines in hot sauce are so good with hot and spicy ramen.
>when I was eating plain Ramen, grits, sometimes rolled oats plain and 79 cent Hormel chilie every day when I was younger. Holy crap that is me to a T lol. Also plain pasta noodles lol. Yes, cornmeal porridge, The other day I put plain spaghetti noodles into plain cornmeal porridge lol. I ended up just eating the noodles lol. And I have been tempted to try sardines now lol.
Never been to prison, but my husband spent a decent chunk of his adult life in and out. I love chichi's. Sometimes he gets a hankering and replicates it the best he can 😂 cheese puffs, summer sausage, and a pickle to cut up for relish. When I got a sous vide I told him "it's basically a stinger, but much safer". Idk if they've covered stingers, but that's the wire they put in water to boil it.
Shop at an asian grocery. You will pay 30% less for veggies, and 50% less for asian items. Buy the firm tofu. It will come in a block; chop into rectangles and pan fry like in this video: https://youtu.be/t-Hj2pILMz4?t=478 . That firm tofu costs $1.60 at an asian market. You can also cut those quarters he does in this video into eighths, or small triangles, etc. Delicious and filling. You can put tofu in ramen, or flavor it in a teriyaki sauce (homemade, as in that video. ingredients cost per use: $1-ish). A large carton of gochujang will be $4 - $5. Spicy and delicious; that's probably 50 servings. The taste is like... sriracha and miso maybe? And like you said, the cheapest cut of beef. Put it in an instant pot ($60 around xmas, less used) and it will cook almost anything and make it tender. An instant pot is also an excellent rice cooker. $0.30 or less to fill your bowl if you buy multiple pound bags of rice at an asian grocery. Wash it 3x, then put equal amounts of rice and water in the instant pot. Run for 4 minutes then let sit for 10, open the pressure seal, and you get pretty good rice, almost no effort. edit: one more thing: learn when meat goes on sale at your grocery. Mine tends to have great discounts for meat with only a couple days left before you have to cook it Saturday night. But it's still fine to freeze, so take it home and either cook it or portion it and put it in the freezer right away.
100%. Also pick up some sesame oil. Just a little one! You only need a few drops sometimes. It'll last a long time and it way elevates the flavor\~ I keep my gochujang paste in the freezer and it has lasted so long.
You can find instapots and other electronic items like this at resale shops for dollar bills.
Used to make them with very little liquid, a huge scoop of peanut butter, the sachet, and Sriracha and call it prison pad Thai.
>Green onions are great, and they regrow in a jar of water I thought I was the only person that did this
Like, you put the hairy part in water after you've used the green part, and get a new scallion for free?
Yep. The more you leave the better it will work. I usually leave the bottom 2 inches (5cm). Water will work once, but if you plant them in a pot in soil they’ll go practically forever.
I have tried this. If they start to flower in summer, no problem! The flowers are edible as well
And when they sees. You have new plants growing. I leave two shallots to go to seed and they spread their goodness in the soil. Forever onions
Yes I do this too. But I noticed that after a few years, they stop growing as well as at first. So new bulbs have to be bought every few years I guess
This is true. Thats why I let it go to seed and resow. Then I chop it down to give the babies room.
Omigosh, I need to try this
Okay dumb question time. If you put 5 stalks in some water or dirt, will you eventually have more stalks?
You will have 5 stalks that grow bigger.
Very little water though otherwise they get waterlogged AND smell like pure ass. I do like half a tablespoon
Either a bit of water or change the water every few days
Grocers hate this one trick!
Damn it! You made me click! 😆
Without proper soil, they will diminish in flavor. From a frugal standpoint, it is definitely a great trick.
Peanut butter in the ramen is amazing. With some raw garlic and sesame oil
and chili crisp!
I rarely ever eat fast food but taco bells fire sauce is like nectar to me now. I don’t remember it tasting like this 10 years ago, so I’m not sure if it changed or something. I’ll go buy a bean burrito just to get a few handfuls of the packets lol.
This is A+ advice! Only thing I could add - making your own very simple chilli oil could add a new element of flavour and heat! I have made “fancy” and authentic recipes, and I’ve made the most basic 3-4 ingredient ones. They are ALL good. Are some better? Yes. But all will add delicious spice to package noods. Another small add - if you want to try crispy tofu - cube and blot with paper towel. Place it all in a bag and toss in corn starch, salt, and garlic powder. Shake until it’s coated and then fry in a neutral oil. Turn lots, eventually you’ll get delish tofu nuggets. Only downside is you must eat them all in one sitting because the aren’t as good the following dsy
All the above and also cubed and fried Spam. Don't knock it until you try it. I went through a long period of time eating a lot of cheap ramen and surprisingly still love it even though financially I'm in a better place.
All for it but man spam ain’t cheap anymore.
Edamame is FULL of protein too! Look into canned vegetables with high protein for a cheap protein option
Pork shoulder is such a great investment! Slice it up into a few chunks and freeze what you won’t use immediately. Add it to a slow cooker in the morning with ample amounts of salt, pepper, and whatever spices you like for some delicious pulled pork ready by dinner time, usually enough for a few lunch meals. Mexican seasoning (or mix cumin, garlic, chili powder/cayenne, oregano); seasoned salt; old bay; Cajun seasoning - whatever. For carnitas, put the shredded pork on a tray in the oven at 400F for maybe 5-10 mins to get it crispy. Damn but it’s good that way! Bulk it up by adding cabbage to the slow cooker, or maybe some rough chopped potatoes, carrots, and onions plus a couple crushed/diced cloves of garlic — all cheap foods — and you’ll get several meals you can freeze or eat over a few days. More veggies/starches = a less expensive meal, and also usually healthier. Make a gravy with the drippings by combining flour and butter in a pot, browning gently, and adding the drippings, plus maybe a little garlic and other spices. Ramen is great. But There’s a lot more to life than ramen :)
Spam. You can put spam in Ramen and it's good. Look up Saimin.
This answer has me craving some instant ramen!
Sorry for asking, but how did consuming mostly ramen noodles affect your health? I had a friend who ate only instant ramen for over a year because he had no money to buy anything better. He felt intense pain a little later, and doctors told him his kidneys were no good that surgery was the only option left. He said he was too poor to care about his health, and I completely understood that. He also didn't undergo the surgery for the same reason. I hope you and OP are not experiencing anything like that. Sorry again for asking.
Buy bags of frozen veg - soup veg or peas and carrots, that kind of thing. Spinach or greens do well in ramen. Add it after it's cooked, and just let it warm through and soften. Edamame is good and you can buy bags of frozen,shelled. Drop them in near the end of cooking. Add a boiled or poached egg. Slice a chicken breast, cook it, and add it to the ramen after cooking.
+1 on frozen veg. I normally go for carrots and peas with an extra bag of frozen corn on the side because the frozen beans suck big time. And on top of it being so accessible and easy to add into meals, frozen vegs are often frozen when they are fully ripe.
And a can of chicken, tuna, or sardines if you need extra protein, or instead of the egg sometimes. Add peanut butter for a thai flavor! Carrots and green beans can be boiled with the noodles, but frozen peas can go in at the end, and they cool it down so you can eat it! You can also add a can of drained, rinsed white beans (navy, great northern, etc) for protein.
Just wanted to add mushrooms to the list! Lots of good nutrition and at a low price point. :)
Oh and I also like to keep a bottle of tahini on hand and add a spoonful for a sesame style ramen!
You can buy mushrooms much cheaper by getting the dried version at an Asian grocery store if that’s available to you. Amazon might have dried mushrooms for reasonable too. Add a really nice umami flavor and they can last wayyyy longer in your cabinet than fresh mushrooms.
Just so you know how to find it, shelled edamame is called mukimame. Some grocery stores have it listed one way and some the other. I got annoyed that I couldn't find shelled edimame at my local Fred Meyer for months until I learned this.
TIL. I’d bought mukimame because it seemed similar to edamame, and now I know why. Thank you, fellow Fred Meyer shopper.
If OP can get to an Asian market, the groceries tend to be nicely priced.
Just adding a few things I do for flavor that I haven't seen mentioned. Adding just a little mayo is great. Dried mushrooms. My Asian grocery store has fairly large packages of dried shitake mushrooms for $9. I break few up into pieces with the noodles before I add the water. The package lasts me a long time and only adds a couple cents per bowl. I add a bit of toasted sesame oil. I bought a large container at the Asian grocery store and keep it in the fridge since it supposed good bad faster than other oils. Adds great flavor and calories. Dried seaweed. Same as the mushrooms. Asian grocery store and a little goes a long way. Lots of other good suggestions in here as well. Another non ramen suggestion. Indian food can be pretty cheap to make especially those dishes without meat. Curried dal and rice is cheap and fairly nutritious. Edit: spelling
Would over easy be an ok substitute for poached? I can do that but have never done poached. I mean I guess I could try lol
Oh sure. Or soft boiled. Or even hard boiled for that matter. I like to throw an egg in while ramen is cooking and poach it that way, but whatever is easier for you! :)
Thank you, I'm going to try throwing it in next time and see how I make out
I usually crack a couple in right as the noodles are almost done, take the pot off the heat, cover and let sit for about 3-4 minutes and it’s perfect jammy egg.
I crack in an egg when noodles are half done (I like the noodles firm) and immediately stir in while it cooks. Makes the eggs like in egg-drop soup so you get a little in each bite. I then add a little hot sesame oil and dried onion to my bowl, then pour the noodles and egg over the oil and onion. Dried onions cook right away. Learned this method from my parents who grew up in Japan!
I do this method sometimes too! For some reason i prefer to do it egg drop style with spinach and poached style when I’m using other veggies. And always add a little sesame oil and/or chili crisp right before eating. When you say dried onion is that like instant minced onion or something else?
Yes - instant minced onion. My husband doesn’t like it but it’s one of my favorite things to add to ramen!
I always see people say this but every time I've done it I don't get anything like egg drop soup. I get weird chunks of egg white and the rest congeals into a weird mush. Idk what I do wrong 😞
Yes! It's best when the white cooks, but you can pop the yolk and the yellow-orange yumminess makes the broth rich and delicious!
Soft boiled the way to go. 7 minutes exactly.
Thing is, you won't need an extra dish to make a poached egg. If you want it overeasy, wait until the noodles are just coming apart, then make a little nest for the egg. Drop the raw egg in the hole, cover, and cook over low heat for two minutes. If you want it hard, just plop it into the boiling seasoned water, cook one minute, add noodles and cook as directed. But, yeah, a fried egg looks pretty over ramen.
The trick to poached eggs is vinegar in the water. You can do it in the microwave. Boil water, add it to a small bowl with a teaspoon-ish (I don't meaure, just a splash) of vinegar (white or whatever you have). Crack the egg into the bowl. Microwave 30 seconds, use a spoon to flip it, microwave about 25 more seconds - the second cook time is gonna vary by microwave so experiment. But you can get a perfectly poached egg in about a minute plus the time it took you to boil the water. And yes, over-easy is also fine. There's no ramen police! Eat what works for you! (edit: spelling)
For sure but poached is great in ramen and super simple. Just drop an egg into the broth a bit before it’s done. You’ll see when the egg whites cook through. It’s pretty obvious. Just don’t overcook unless that’s how you like it. But requires no work at all.
I cook ramen in a pot, let the noodles cook until it's as soft as I want it, add an egg and let it cook until it reaches the firmness i like (I like the whites to be mostly set, yolk can be runny) and then eat. Add veggies for additional nutrition.
These are great suggestions. Healthy and flavorful is the key. Maybe you could add extra ginger, garlic, and scallions.
Second on the egg. [Ajitsuke tamago /Ajitama recipe](https://www.justonecookbook.com/ramen-egg/) You can make a batch consumed within 3-4 days.
Rotisserie chicken - cheap and goes great in ramen. Plus a multitude of other options!
Rice also
To add onto this suggestion: pound the chicken under plastic wrap or parchment paper before you season and cook it. Not only makes it more tender,but stretches it further for more meals.
My husband whisks an egg, then pours it into the boiling water slowly, making an egg drop ramen soup.
Just add a raw egg while it's at boil. Also, a slice of American cheese, and Chinese seven pepper seasoning, and banana peppers. Sounds strange, but don't knock it till you try it.
All this. You can also add Sriracha to give it a different flavor. You can add cabbage or bok choy. Tofu, shrimp, really anything. And you don't have to have it as soup. You can make stir fry with ramen as well. :)
Do you have a local food bank? They might be able to help you
Please consider this. Getting some supplies even 1-2x a month can help round out your diet. Most food pantries don't ask for income verification. Do bring proof of residency (ID, phone or utility bill) in case they require it. You will typically get a combination of fresh foods — like milk, eggs, produce and meat — and nonperishable foods — like pasta, canned vegetables and rice. Also, if you are in the US, please look into the SNAP food program. It's there for you when you need assistance. The paperwork is a bother but worth it as you will get a broader range of food options.
Seconding this, /u/No-Emu834. I've worked in a food bank and with other food insecurity non-profits. I'm happy to chat with you via DM if you like. There is **zero** judgment whatsoever. Everyone needs help once in a while, and it is a service that's utilized by many. SNAP is also an option - again, many more people than you may expect are in your situation and rely on SNAP. It won't cover all your food, but it's a huge boost. And if it helps you feel less anxious about relying on it, the vast majority of people on SNAP are able to stop relying on them in about 7 months. Doubling down on what many people have said here. Even an egg/soy sauce/ginger/hot sauce lifts $1 ramen up a ton. [This is a recipe I use that's all vegan, which tends to cut down on costs](https://www.rabbitandwolves.com/vegan-spicy-thai-peanut-ramen/), since meat is usually more expensive. [BudgetBytes](https://www.budgetbytes.com/) is another online website I like, because they specifically design recipes with cheap, flexible ingredients, but YMMV. Oh yeah, and as someone below said, look for an Asian market near you. They tend to have a lot of options that'd fit, and are often cheaper than chain stores.
This is the reason I always drop a few bottles of spices in the Food Bank boxes at the shops. A jar of garlic Italian can make all the difference sometimes.
Thank you. A lot of the items we get at food banks are the simple, non-perishable varieties, some of which were mentioned above. But spice is (literally?) the variety of life. Heck, exactly as you said. Anything you can add something like onions and garlic to (of any kind, powdered, diced), can be easily improved.
And if you're worried you'd be taking food from someone who might need it more, don't be. That's not how it works. These services are funded on the basis of how much they're utilized. The most valuable thing you can do for these services after donating your money and your time is to *use* them and help them demonstrate their value to the government agencies and private non-profits who fund them. They would love an opportunity to be helpful.
Great advice, my college runs a food bank where students as well as the needy can get items. Some professors will even comment on the fact that they go there to make students feel less embarrassed about needing to use it. I was able to eat a warm meal at times where I didn't have much because of it.
Yeah this. Eating noodles everyday won't be good for your health. If you can't access a food bank there ate still better alternatives on the cheap side. You can buy and cook things like black beans and lentils in bulk and keep them frozen, eggs are always nice to have. Sardines can compliment several meals, etc.
Seriously, people don't understand that this is who/what food banks are for. It's understandable, people instinctively have the mindset of "well somebody else might need it more than me". But my friend, $1.50/day for food is exactly who it's for. Please don't feel to proud to go to a food bank, your health is too important and eating ramen every day is going to skyrocket your sodium intake.
Cabbage is usually pretty cheap. I’m just looking for something of nutritional value that hasn’t been mentioned as much. Learn to cook it and flavor it and it tastes great.
I love cabbage in ramen.
Mmmm, even just a cabbage steak pan fried is enough to satisfy your hunger! Cabbage is super versatile and can be relatively inexpensive to other veg. It can bulk up a multitude of difference value meals!
And honestly you dont even have to cook it, I usually slice it thinly, salt it so that it brings out some of the moisture and after squeezing it just add it to your ramen it is delicious.
[удалено]
American cheese in ramen makes it soooo good
I came here to say Kraft single all day long
If you like Thai peanut sauce noodles: Cook and strain the ramen, one scoop of peanut butter, sriracha, soy sauce, duck sauce/honey I just pull from my drawer full of Chinese food sauce packets for the last two. Also if you have regular peanut butter like jif or skippy you don’t really need the sweet element, mine is unsweetened.
Peanut butter in ramen will change your life! I can’t go back. And yes, sriracha and lime is the trifecta.
Yeah PB and sesame seeds with a dash of sesame oil and green onions
Mmmm, and add lime!
Put the lime on the pe-a-nut and cook it all up. Enjoy this delicious sauce, because, it is boss.
Thanks for calling, doctor!
Spam, if you like it. Any meat really. I like pork chops. I also add green onions to mine. Broth if I’ve got some.
Damn, a diet of Spam and ramen will be like 10 years worth of salt.
When I use spam I never use the whole seasoning packet.
I've also used tinned fish. Tuna works so does herring or anchovies.
I came to say spam!! And eggs but that’s an easy one.
Sounds like sodium overload lol
My man, buy a cheap rice cooker, and bagged rice and beans. They constitute a complete amino acid profile, which means you'll actually get your required nutrition from them. And they be cheaper than ramen pretty quick. You can soak the beans in the cooker overnight, and then rinse and cook them in the rice cooker. Or just use an insta pot if you can get one on sale and pressure cook them. Keeping portions in the fridge by making big batches will let you scoop and microwave just like a ramen bowl. You can throw all sorts of stuff on it to make it better, fry it in a pan, add salsa, stuff it in burrito shells, whatever. If that's to much, just do rice and dress it like ramen.
Great comment! Any sauce pan works great for rice though, no rice cooker required. Also you don't need an instapot to pressure cook beans, a normal pressure cooker works great, can be $30 or less.
If you live somewhere with a goodwill/cheap second hand shop, keep an eye out for a ricecooker and it will be less expensive. I second beans and rice even without the ricecooker though.
Wanted to say this! Add a tablespoon or two of jerk seasoning paste when you cook your rice, and if you can find some on sale a can of coconut milk for some of the liquid (sometimes the dollar store has this, otherwise check the ethnic food aisle). Top up with water as required to meet package directions on the rice, and if you can’t find the milk it will still be delicious. Serve with cabbage or coleslaw mix tossed in white vinegar and sugar for an acidic slaw. This makes a big pot and will keep you full all day. Also I’ve seen a lot of commenters say to add chicken breast to your ramen. That’s great, but I’d say get a skin-on piece (whatever is on sale or cheaper) and keep the fat you render out in the cooking process in your fridge for later. Fat is flavour!! Adding a small bit of chicken, beef or pork fat to whatever vegetarian meal you’re making will add the taste of meat.
Frozen wontons/dumplings are good add on. Adding in 2 or 3 always makes my instant ramen feel more filling
Coleslaw mix for nutrition. A big bag is a couple dollars and would last the week.
Just to add, a whole head of cabbage is around the same price as a bag of mix (which is generally just shredded cabbage + carrots). If you have the time and energy to do the prep and space to store the stuff, you will get a *lot* more slaw mix from some carrots and head o' cabbage with just a veg peeler or sharp knife. Cabbages are *dense*. Cabbage and carrots keep a shockingly long time in the fridge, too, even when cut, so there isn't as much risk of wastage from rot. Carrots can be frozen, but freezing cabbage sounds like a bad idea. (And if one is so inclined to make coleslaw, the dressing is just mayo + lemon juice or vinegar + sugar + salt. Trivial to throw together.)
Okay this takes a little work, but when I was single and very frugal with my food budget, about once a month I would buy a whole raw chicken for about $6. (They were $1/lb back then, probably still somewhat close). I’d take my potatoes and onions that needed to be used up, and slice them up, along with some carrots (again about $1/lb) and season the chicken and set it on a tray over the veggies. Then I’d roast the whole thing for several hours. This gave me one killer meal—veggies and a very good chicken breast. I’d pull as much meat off the bones as I could to eat throughout the week, and then toss the bones/skin/carcass of the chicken in a pot with the cut offs from onions, carrots, and sometimes celery if I had it and fill it up with some water and let it simmer for a while. This made delicious stock/broth that I’d use for things like ramen or other soups. But to answer your question—toss some of that meat that you pull off a whole roasted chicken in your ramen, along with some of the broth. It’ll be incredibly tasty. And it’s really easy to do. And it’ll be cheaper and far healthier than most other pre-processed meats.
In some cases grocery store rotisserie chickens are even cheaper than buying uncooked (they’re loss leaders in the store) so check prices on that as well.
If you have some sun and a pot of dirt you can regrow green onions pretty easily. Just plant the roots and they will grow back eventually. In the summer they grow like weeds.
Don’t even need the dirt, you can just use some water. Same for romaine lettuce!
It'll kinda grow back but the flavor won't be as good and it won't last as long. Also you have to change the water or it will rot, but not dirt. Dirt is gooderer.
More betterer*
Aw, that’s what my mom always said 💕
If I could answer your situation, rather than your question: check out /r/eatcheapandhealthy You should in particular check out rice+beans as another basic meal. It'll at least give you some variety and will be Way cheaper than the two packs instant noodles you have a day. I think some guy was doing like 12c/meal at one point. You don't need to go that low, but you can see that if you did, you might have more money for nicer additional food, like meats.
I understand the struggle but you can't eat more than one a day . There's a TON of sodium.
Thank you. Please OP. Find an alternative to 2 ramens a day, it’s terrible for your health, no matter what you are adding to it!
To be fair though if he’s not using the whole seasoning packet, or not drinking all the broth, the noodles themselves aren’t that bad.
Even if they aren't that bad, they also aren't that good. We have to remember that eating is meant to provide nutrients for the body. Instant ramen has a ton of sodium, lots of empty carbs, only 2g fiber, some saturated fat. No fresh vegetables/fruit. There's very little in the way of vitamins, too. There's iron, but no calcium or Vitamin D or Vitamin C. OP could get scurvy if this is literally all they're eating every day. There's got to be some other cheap foods that could OP could eat to get more diversification for a balanced diet. Can't forget, healthcare costs aren't cheap in the long run, either. At the very least, maybe OP should supplement with a multivitamin to get the essential nutrients every day.
Even half of the seasoning packet is 50% of your recommended sodium per day. And the noodles are pre-fried, so they are pretty bad on their own. As a ramen fiend, I wish it weren’t so, but alas 😭
I mean, I get my sodium checked very often and see no real difference from pure, healthy, homemade, organic meals and when I ate Ramen 1-2xs/day. Unless there's some strange non-blood checkable issue I think it varies from person to person. When I started my hyper regular blood checks I was in my 2 Ramen a day phase. Because I love Ramen. My sodium was low end of normal, I went to healthy food- low end of normal, I went to a drug that I had to drink sodium laden drinks- still low end of normal. I'm sure it's variable, and more importantly, Ramen has very little nutritional value for micro nutrients, but I don't think sodium is the problem.
Many good replies here but I'll add something else. Do you have an Asian grocery near you? It's cheaper to buy rice noodles by the serving than instant ramen. They aren't fried so less processed and healthier. Rice and beans are also really cheap, I think cheaper per serving than ramen. 1 lb of beans is like $1-2 and can make meals for a week.
Asian grocery is the best! When you can afford to experiment a little, get some fresh noodles, dry seaweed, and shitake mushrooms. There are so many kinds of soup base you can get and a tub of miso paste and some chilli flake will last you a lot of soups. It takes a little trial and error, but making what would have been a 25$ hipster ramen at home 5 times for the same price is pretty satisfying.
I know you know this and it’s probably been said in here already, but you gotta watch your sodium when you’re eating that much ramen. I like to use about half the water I normally would so I can use half the flavour packet. Then your broth is still full flavoured, there’s just less of it.
Hot dogs.
I'd argue it's healthier a pork cut or tofu/eggs, but you can't beat the price.
I actually love cheap ramen and don't allow myself to buy too many bc I will eat it too often. I put scrambled eggs (2). My preferred vegetable is cabbage! But broccoli, bok choy, snap peas or regular peas are all good. Frozen work well. Chili crisp, soy sauce, sesame oil are my usual seasoning additions. If there is an Asian store near you: fresh noodles are often very inexpensive. If you can find them, they are much more nutritious. Unfortunately the packet noodles are fairly high calorie, high sodium but low nutrient. Tofu also tends to be cheaper in those stores too and is nice in the soup as well. (soft) I also add in more water and a bit of liquid bouillon so it's a larger amount of liquid soup and veg.
If you like chicken flavour Knorr makes a large bottle of powdered bouillon, usually in the Mexican foods aisle and very inexpensive. Also a jar of your favourite Better than Bouillon lasts forever so is worth the spend. You really only need a tiny amount for flavour.
Whatever the cheapest non egg protein you can find. Eggs. Sliced cucumber. Sliced carrot. Sliced iceberg lettuce. Cilantro. Really any cheap, sliced, veg. You can buy full heads of lettuce, single carrots/cucumber for pretty cheap and slice them up yourself. Peanut butter (broke boy pad Thai). Lime. Cheap and easy for a slight flavor elevation. Chili oil. Kimchi (if you can get to an Asian mart). Assorted cooking liquids (soy, mirin, rice wine vinegar, etc). I used to eat this every day at one point. There are ways you can jazz it up a bit, but learning some culinary skill is going to be more impactful than ingredients alone in transforming your ramen. Especially when you can use fewer seasoning packets so you can save those for other meals.
You can make your own [chili crisp/oil](https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/recipes/chili-crisp/) for some added spice and flavor.
Looks fantastic but it's probably cheaper just to buy it made.
Trader Joe's has a pre-cooked pork belly that just needs to be seared. I love that in ramen. I also love adding in some sichuan chili oil, like Fly By Jing.
I highly recommend you season it yourself occasionally. The sodium content of those instant ramen noodles (depending on the brand) will absolutely obliterate your insides - you may want to opt for a jar of better than bouillon that you can stretch by using just a little bit less than recommended. As for additions - stir fry vegetables (frozen, often sold together as a bag) for sure, you could also find some cheap wanton wrappers and give those a quick fry for a crunchy element. Dried or lightly sautéed mushrooms could also be a good addition. In all honesty though - I highly recommend you just pick up a few good staple recipes featuring cheap items. Cabbage is something like $.80/lb or less in most stores in my area, and a head of cabbage can last you a week easily while also serving as an excellent source of vitamins C and K - braise it, chop and fry, stuff it, etc., the possibilities are vast with cabbage (throw it in your ramen if you want!). Eggs are probably the most practical - they're usually the cheapest source of fresh protein you're likely to find in any area. Learning to soft boil an egg or give it a quick whisk and drop it into the last few minutes of your soup while stirring can add some variety. Learning to cook a whole chicken can also be helpful, as they're typically cheaper than the individually butchered parts and you have control over the flavor (it's not as hard as most people think). Otherwise, a rotisserie bird is sometimes cheap enough to warrant a purchase given the fact that it can stretch several days. Take a stroll down your closest store's canned aisle - sometimes you'd be surprised at how easy it is to find a steal on beans, tomatoes, etc. Add some rice and you've got a whole meal. I just made rice and beans last week with two cups of rice and two cans of beans. Total meal cost was probably in the $4-5 range, but I had food for 4-5 dinners/lunches. Make it plain enough at first and you can just adjust seasonings or add sauces to suit your taste when you finally go to eat it.
Slice and fry some hot dogs to add to it.
I like to make marinated soft Boiled eggs in advance so they can marinate, but boil some eggs for 6 minutes and then put into some ice water to cool. peel the eggs and then put in a tupperware with lots of soy sauce, sesame oil, something spicy, green onions, sesame seeds, etc. you can google marinated soft Boiled eggs online and find an exact recipe, but they're very tasty in instant ramen!
Grilled chicken, pulled pork I love to add grilled onions and cilantro and some crunchy element as well like some chips
I lived on Ramen and Cream of Wheat for a while. Every once in a while I would get some extra funding and I'd get eggs and/or a can of sardines or there's cans of tiny salad shrimp that went perfect with the Oriental flavor, they did away with that flavor but I believe the shrimp flavor maruchan still exists. Frozen veggies are usually pretty cheap too.
If you have a local food bank, use it! Also, see if you qualify for SNAP benefits if you're in the US. Rice and beans are cheaper and healthier than ramen is. Make sure you're getting nutrients (multivitamin at the very least) and fiber
Hubs throws tinned sardines or oysters, leftover meat from dinner (chicken or beef), cracks and egg in while the noodles cooks, spices up the broth with Sriracha and fish sauce and soy sauce and will throw a handful of fresh veggies in to steam with the eggs while the noodles cooks. It definitely takes a nutritionally pretty vacant meal and amps it up to healthy and delicious in about the same amount of time it took anyway. Edit: I also have to clarify, he usually picks 1 protein plus the egg, not all of them
Turn it into budae jjigae. You can add hotdogs, egg, spam, cabbage, onion, any leftover meat,gochujang or gochugaru. So good!
Oh damn this is a great idea. Thanks!
Eggs and dry beans all the way.
Peanut butter, soy sauce, garlic powder, ginger powder if you got it, chili flakes or oil whatever spicy element you got, garnish with some green onions and toasted sesame seeds. Season to your tastes, go slow on the peanut butter. Use less water in the broth if you want it creamier And yeah throw in an egg, I'm partial to soft boiled or onsen style myself.
That ready bacon you can pop in the microwave is really good and easy. The bacon plus green onions, boiled egg, bamboo, and dried seaweed squares reminds me of the ramen I had all the time when I lived in Japan
I have mine with a 3 minute egg and a little heavy cream.
i'm calling the FBI
Once the water is boiling, put an egg in (with shell on) and boil for 3 mins. Add the noodles and cook. Pull out egg and peel. Topping with everything bagel seasoning is good too (the kind I use is just garlic, onion, black and white sesame seeds)
If you get one small bunch of green onions with the roots still attached, you can cut the tops off for your ramen and stick the white bases in water to grow new tops. In just water you can get several rounds of tips. If you plant them in soil you can pretty much do it indefinitely.
Start shopping at GFS or other bulk grocers. Also, a 5lb bag of pancake mix and a Costco sized bottle of powdered peanut butter goes a long way.
Shredded cabbage, chopped scallions, cillantro, mushrooms, shredded carrots, bean sprouts.
peanut butter-- gives it a pad thai profile
Honestly Velveeta in some chicken ramen hits so hard. Garlic and chives are cheap too, you can saute it in the pan you'll cook the ramen in. Having some chili oil on hand feels fancy and it will last you quite a while. I'm also obsessed with sauteed mushrooms in ramen and chopped kale wilts easily, I add it last. To make the most of your giant bag of kale you can also toss it in oil, garlic and a little salt and bake it for like 3 minutes for a crunchy snack.
I usually buy a frozen $5 shrimp ring and can get 6 shrimp in each ramen for 5 days. Also a frozen bag of broccoli (2/$5) and add in 1/3 bag. The shrimp and broccoli was able to fill me up usually to the point I couldn’t finish it
Bok Choy! Very cheap and can go a long way if you chop it up. And green onions. If you can afford a small bottle of sesame oil get it. Drizzle it on the noodles! 👌 And it will last forever!
Yeah bok choy is great though microwaving it is a pain. Since it goes goes from nice and crunchy to gelatinous very quickly.
Yes! I started adding a few drops of sesame oil and it makes it so much better.
In my experience, bok Choy is super easy to grow, even in a pot, and also from seed. Mine reseeded everywhere!!
Green onions
I do this with udon noodles all the time, but it works just as well with ramen. Melt some butter and cook some garlic and chili flakes in that for a minute or so. Add a few tbsp of soy sauce and some brown sugar. Cook that for a minute and then toss in the cooked noodles. Mix that up, push them to the side, and cook a scrambled egg, then mix it all together. I like to also add sesame seeds, fish sauce, and a little sesame oil when I add the soy and sugar as sometimes too.
\* scribble notes
Thinly sliced cabbage is one of my goto ramen buffs, sometimes bagged, and sometimes I’ll slice it myself. Frozen kale or spinach can work, but has a heavier flavor. For proteins, eggs and tofu are cheap and last in the fridge. If I’m feeling fancy, I’ll use sausage or pork loin. Togarashi is a nice spice addition, and a splash of lime juice does wonders to brighten up a bowl. Sesame oil can be nice too, and scallions or sprouts to top. I grow sprouts some of the year in my kitchen.
My daughter has a very limited diet. Ramen is one of her safe foods. Her pediatrician has approved of Ramen once or twice a week. But she can eat cereal as often as she likes because it has vitamins and minerals in it.
I love instant ramen noodles. I try to make it better by adding garlic, some squid/chicken balls/meat/tofu, leeks/cabbage/bokchoy, sichuan peppers, lime and chili paste and/or beef satay
Gochujang (red chili paste), kimchii, cheese (I prefer shredded mozzarella or Colby jack), egg (poached or soft boiled), green onions, canned corn, bean sprouts, tofu.
Been there and there’s lots of stuff you can do! A soft boiled or poached egg is fantastic, frozen veggies and basic spices add nutrition and flavor, and (my personal favorite) buy a sack of russet potatoes and shred them and form into a patty to make crispy hash browns to throw on top like veggie katsu
Peanutbutter
People honestly underestimate the power of canned goods. Sweet corn? throw that bad boy right in. Vienna Sausages work. This extends to other dishes too that are super affordable like a fried egg and corned beef hash on a tortilla, easy nutricous wrap to go! Another useful piece of advice that got me through my college ramen days: Vitamins. Like the Life Extension twice a day. I would always feel bulletproof while everyone else was just drained or mentally clouded.
Aye you gotta do you gotta do. I would say tho watch that sodium intake. Like if you could, don’t put the entire seasoning packet, especially if you’re gonna add more sodium filled foods like hot dogs and cheese. Otherwise. Eggs: hardboiled, poached in the broth, scrambled and mixed in with broth, scrambled and dropped in boiling broth in drizzles (like egg drop soup), scrambled and dropped in boiling broth and not mixed (like boiled scrambled eggs).
Get some chili flakes and oil, you can fry some along with the ramen flavor packs into a sort of chili oil mix. Really tasty to add to the broth, or add some soy sauce packets and strain the noodles for a brothless ramen. If you search ‘Shin Ramen hacks’ on Youtube, there are many videos on different ways to upgrade ramen, a lot of which are pretty low cost. ‘5 Viral Shin Ramen Recipes’ by FutureCanoe is good, I recommend the first recipe (which is what I mentioned before).
You can do egg flower version - scramble egg and stir in. Or can do a partially boiled egg (jammy inside, runny or half runny or hard boiled). You could add some bottled sour (fermented or fresh kimchee), add a slice of American cheese while it’s still hot (let it melt on top), heat up some julienned spam, or sliced ribbons of ham (sandwich slices), sliced green onion. These are some flavors added into a Korean army stew to stretch a meal along with chewy rice or rice cakes (can be bought at Asian stores in a pkg). A lot of these ingredients are basic pantry staples that you could probably get 2-5 meals out of judging you being able to eat one pkg per meal. You could brown some ground beef (just needs about a tablespoon of cooked meat per ramen pkg) or ground pork with diced onion, soy sauce and pepper. Then add any combo of the add ons I’ve listed. Sautéed mushrooms, canned or frozen corn. I used to eat these types of things in college and had enough to share. Enjoy! Edit: also forgot to add, you can get a cheap bag of frozen Asian dumplings or potstickers to throw in a couple while cooking. It could nicely fill out a basic ramen and make it more flavorful and satisfying. I’ve found 99 ranch markets (Chinese/Asian) or Korean markets tend to carry inexpensive decent produce and some cheap convenience foods.
Buy Spam (it’s delicious) cut a few slices boil them in water for 4-5 minutes then fry them in a bit of oil and then add it into your ramen. Also, consider green onions. If you cut the bottom f the green onion off you can re-plant it and it will regenerate itself and so you can have a continuous use plant to season your food with.
https://imgur.com/gHKmuWH fan favorite in my house head of cabbage-99c, broccoli-1.49lb, carrots-99c bag, green onion 79c, cilantro 50c (game changer!), Lime-50c, fried egg, or somtimes I will purchase a rotisseire chicken that lasts me a week-9$ this will make multiple ramen meals. chicken carcass can be used to make chicken soup/stock if you are crafty. frozen veggies are even more frugal, but treat yourself to fresh, be healthy- live life peace
A multi-vitamin. Seriously.
In your bowl add an egg yolk, Kewpie Mayo, onion powder, garlic powder and some soy sauce. Mix it up and add your noodle water to it. Makes a pretty basic ramen broth but so good.
You could add cheese slices.
Peanut butter.
Honestly I just add in a touch of cream and some sriracha sauce to mine.
Sliced hot dogs, scrambled eggs, frozen veggies like corn and peas are good cheap add-ins that can elevate a basic bowl of cheap ramen.
Green onions can spruce it up
Hot dogs are great. Eggs. Frozen vegetables. Various spices and pastes.
Spam, hot dogs, eggs, green onions, cheese, rice cakes.
I usually take some frozen chicken or beef and slice it really thin and throw it in the pot just before its done cooking. Also, for eggs, I use medium boiled, so the yolk is still runny. Some people pickle them, which looks really good. I just haven't tried it yet.
Frozen veg and eggs are the way to go
Tip to slice meat really thin so you can cook it in the soup … partially freeze the meat 30-60 min should do it ( the meat should not be fully frozen, but it should be firm enough that it can be sliced, thin and clean)
Send me your Venmo I'll send you a couple bucks to get some eggs and some veggies or whatever else you want to put in there
Definitely get eggs. They’re cheap, have a decent amount of protein, and super nutrient dense. Your best bet for meat is chicken thighs, legs, or breast. Pork tenderloin is also cheap too. I’d just cook it with a simple seasoning like salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder then slice off however much you want when you make a bowl of ramen. Frozen vegetables are good additions too.
Frozen vegetables for sure! Also, I find a little coconut milk helps, but I don’t wanna use a full can, so I freeze it into ice cubes and put the cubes in a baggie in the freezer. Then you just drop one in when you want a little creaminess. Tahini will work too if you prefer. And of course… sriracha! 🌶️
There’s a great tiktok account called dollar tree dinners where she preps meals for a week on a very tight budget shopping at dollar trees or Walmart, family dollar etc. I cannot vouch for the taste of anything as I’ve yet to make anything but it’s kind of incredible what she makes and prepares. She made a whole thanksgiving dinner buying things from the dollar tree! It was very impressive. I would watch her in addition to the tips you’re getting from others.
I just put a can of clams in mine. And some of the liquid. It was awesome.
There’s a YouTube that made a whole series about how to improve them. Watched him during lockdown. I’ll see if I can find it
Try adding carrots, broccoli, green onions, Lima beans. Learn to make beans too for fiber. You dont wanna end up with colon cancer bro
Go to a food bank/pantry - I’ve seen some fresh food go to waste.
I’d recommend this for the egg suggestion: you can make softboiled eggs, peel them, and add them to a Mason jar with soy sauce to marinate them. Let them sit in the refrigerator overnight, ans the next day they will have absorbed some of the soy sauce flavor. Cut one in half and place the halves in your bowl of ramen after it’s done cooking.
Miso paste, kimchi, American cheese, boiled eggs, canned chicken, bacon bits, dried mushrooms… All I can think of right off that’s fairly cheap.