Making a meal of noodles

Making a meal of noodles

After reading the article on instant noodles in the Feb. 11
The Jakarta Post, I was interested in the idea that consuming
instant noodles as part of our daily dietary menu "will be good
for us not only because of its convenience, price and taste, but
also because eating outside of the house is usually
prohibitively costly for those who always have to tighten their
belts". Instead, food stalls selling instant noodles are probably
the best place for them to frequent.

I have some comments on this from the health point of view.
First, instant noodles are high in carbohydrates, although not as
rich as rice. Indeed, rice is only next to sugar in terms of
glucose. This means eating too much rice, especially for
sedentary people, will only invite diabetes.

Why then do we strive for rice as our main course every day?

Second, in her book Trim the Fat off Your Tummy and Tush, Lynn
Allison points out: "A gram of fat has a whopping nine calories,
while protein and carbohydrates only have four calories per
gram." Since noodles are high in carbohydrates and less in fat
(compared to eating rice along with meat or eggs), consuming two
cups of instant noodles a day may not send us into the realm of
obesity, particularly when we exercise regularly.

Finally, buying instant noodles in my view will not bite too
much into our pocketbooks compared to beef or chicken whose
prices are huge. Besides, consuming instant noodles in moderation
may help us stay slim and reduce body fat. Given all these
aspects, it would be wise to think instant noodles are among the
best alternatives to rice.

ODO FADLOELI

Cimahi, West Java