McDougall Big Cup VS. Maruchan Instant Lunch

I think all of us have eaten ramen at some point in our lives. Some of us had to eat it because it was cheap and easy to get but I also think some of us just enjoyed it. However, I think most of us have come to terms with the fact that the cheap ones are a sodium nightmare and shouldn't be consumed at all. 

AT ALL.

Well, I have good news! There exists a good ramen! It's full of fiber and protein. It has half the sodium of the cheap kind. It has organic noodles and it doesn't have any of the yucky ingredients like MSG. It is also vegan, fat free, oil free, dairy free and cholesterol free!

They also taste good! 

The other good news is that McDougall's has a variety of flavors and they even have soups that all fit into the healthy slot and come in the single cups. You'll also find gluten free options and oatmeal. I love the Black Bean with Lime soup. 

Now, I suppose if there is any bad news, it is that they aren't as cheap as the Maruchan cups. I can find them online in 6 packs for around $10 to $12, so they average anywhere from $1.40 to $2 a piece depending on where you get them and what sort of discounts you can get but it's still affordable and your health is worth paying for better ingredients. They can be made with boiling water or in the microwave and are perfect to take to work.

Check out Jet.com, Amazon.com and McDougall's own website, rightfoods.com but also research to find other places. Many local supermarkets will carry them as well in their health sections but you'll pay a closer to retail price. McDougall's has a variety of foods that you might want to check out!

Here is a run down of their ingredients and a chart comparing their nutritional details. 



McDougall Vegan Chicken Soup with Organic Ramen Noodles Big Cup

Organic Baked Ramen Noodles (Organic Wheat Flour, Brine, Salt), Yeast Extract, Vegetables* (Carrots, Garlic, Onion, Corn, Spinach), Organic Potato Starch, Organic Cane Sugar, Spices, Lime. *Dried.

Maruchan Instant Lunch, Chicken Flavor 

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, Dehydrated Vegetables (Carrot, Corn, Green Peas, Onion, Garlic, Celery Stalk), Salt, Powdered Cooked Chicken, Chicken Fat, Monosodium Glutamate, Hydrolyzed Corn, Wheat and Soy Protein, Maltodextrin, Sugar, Dehydrated Soy Sauce (Wheat, Soybeans, Salt), Spices, Yeast Extract, Chicken Broth, Soya Lecithin, Potassium Carbonate, Sodium (Mono, Hexameta, and/or Tripoly) Phosphate, Sodium Carbonate, Turmeric, Silicon Dioxide (Anticaking Agent), Disodium Inosinate, Disodium Guanylate, Lactose.

How do they compare?

The Instant Lunch cups are listed as one serving while the McDougall's Big Cups are listed as two so I posted the McDougall's as one serving and adjusted the numbers so it's a fair comparison. Let's be honest.. we're gonna eat the whole cup. Keep in mind, your total sodium intake for the day should be kept under 2,300 mg. 

	McDougall	Maruchan
Serving size	50 gr	64 gr
Calories	180	290
Sodium	580 mg	1,190 mg
Protein	8 g	7 gr
Fat	1 gr	12 gr
Saturated Fat	0 gr	6 gr
Fiber	4 gr	2 gr
Organic Ramen?	Yes	No
Vegan?	Yes	No