[michael_h]

I don't think prepackaged noodles with soup flavoring can get much quicker or cheaper...and 'quality' is not something I'd associate with them. Have a look at the nutritional information on a pack - it's horrifying even before you realize that the package contains two servings.

[OhhHeyTyler]

Wow, I've eaten a lot of maruchen in my life, and i feel like a pretty healthy guy, but man that reads like poison. I wonder if there is a difference in quality/nutrition between american/western instant noodles and Chinese.

[michael_h]

They are virtually identical, bar the packaging. Any fried noodle is going to be nutritionally atrocious.

EDIT: for the curious, a package of instant ramen has 14g of fat (7 saturated) and 1660mg of sodium. Somewhat surprisingly, it has ~8g of protein. For comparison, that's half the fat of a big mac, but twice the sodium.

[w1ntermute]

> American/Western instant noodles

If you're referring to Maruchan, it's actually a subsidiary of a Japanese company. Instant noodles were invented in post-WW2 Japan by a Taiwanese immigrant.