Quick Answer
A single pack of Maruchan ramen noodles contains between 350-400 calories. The exact calorie count varies slightly between the different flavors, but a standard 3 ounce brick of ramen noodles contains around 380 calories on average.
Calories in Different Flavors of Maruchan Ramen
Maruchan ramen noodles come in a variety of different flavors, each with their own calorie count:
| Flavor | Calories per 3 oz brick (85g) |
|---|---|
| Beef | 380 |
| Chicken | 360 |
| Shrimp | 400 |
| Oriental | 380 |
| Chili | 370 |
| Roasted Chicken | 360 |
| Pork | 380 |
| Vegetable | 350 |
| Picante Beef | 370 |
As you can see, shrimp flavored Maruchan ramen contains the most calories at 400 per 85g brick, while the vegetable flavor has the least at 350 calories. But overall the calorie counts are fairly comparable across the different varieties.
Calories from Carbohydrates, Protein, and Fat
The calories in Maruchan ramen noodles come predominantly from carbohydrates. Here is the nutritional breakdown for a standard 380 calorie brick of ramen noodles:
- Total Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 2.5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
- Sodium: 1570mg
- Total Carbohydrates: 56g
- Dietary Fiber: 2g
- Total Sugars: 2g
- Includes 0g Added Sugars
- Protein: 8g
From these nutritional facts, we can see that the majority of the calories come from the 56g of total carbohydrate. Each gram of carbohydrate contains approximately 4 calories, so 56g x 4 calories/gram = 224 calories from carbohydrates.
Protein accounts for 8g in a brick of ramen. With 4 calories per gram of protein, this equals 32 calories from protein.
Finally, the 7g of fat provides the remaining calories. With 9 calories per gram of fat, 7g of fat equals 63 calories.
In total:
- 224 calories from carbohydrates
- 32 calories from protein
- 63 calories from fat
- Total = 319 calories
So the large majority of the 380 calories per brick comes from the carbohydrate content, with smaller amounts coming from protein and fat.
Calories from Flavor Packet
The nutrition information provided above is just for the dried ramen noodles. The flavor packet that comes with Maruchan ramen also contains additional calories:
- Beef flavor packet: 20 calories
- Chicken flavor packet: 20 calories
- Shrimp flavor packet: 20 calories
- Oriental flavor packet: 20 calories
- Chili flavor packet: 20 calories
- Roasted chicken flavor packet: 15 calories
- Pork flavor packet: 20 calories
- Picante beef flavor packet: 20 calories
- Vegetable flavor packet: 15 calories
So the flavor packets add approximately 15-20 additional calories to the total calories per brick of ramen.
Calories for Prepared Maruchan Ramen
The nutrition information provided so far has been for the dry ramen noodles before cooking. When you prepare Maruchan ramen by boiling the noodles and adding the flavor packet, the calorie count remains very similar.
According to the prepared nutrition facts on Maruchan’s website, a serving of prepared ramen contains the following calories:
- Beef: 380 calories
- Chicken: 360 calories
- Shrimp: 400 calories
- Oriental: 380 calories
- Chili: 370 calories
- Roasted chicken: 360 calories
- Pork: 380 calories
- Vegetable: 350 calories
- Picante beef: 370 calories
These numbers match up almost exactly with the calories for the dry bricks. The noodles absorb water when cooking, but this does not significantly alter the calorie density. The prepared noodles contain slightly fewer calories by weight since they absorb water, but Maruchan lists the nutrition facts for prepared ramen based on the equivalent dry noodle serving size.
Ways to Increase or Reduce Calories in Ramen
There are several different ways to increase or decrease the calories when eating Maruchan ramen or other instant noodles:
Ways to Increase Calories
- Add protein ingredients like eggs, chicken, beef, shrimp, tofu, etc.
- Use higher calorie cooking oils like sesame oil instead of water
- Add high-calorie vegetables like corn, peas, carrots
- Add calorie-dense sauces like peanut sauce, coconut milk, or cream-based sauces
- Add dried fruits, nuts, seeds, or avocado
- Mix in white or brown rice
- Top with cheese, croutons, crushed tortilla chips
Ways to Reduce Calories
- Use less than the entire seasoning packet
- Increase portion of vegetables like mushrooms, cabbage, spinach, etc.
- Use lower-sodium seasoning or seasoning blends
- Choose unflavored/plain ramen and season it yourself
- Replace some noodles with shirataki noodles or zucchini noodles
- Use water instead of oil when cooking
- Skip added oils, nuts, seeds, cheese, and other high-fat toppings
Getting creative with add-in ingredients and toppings makes it easy to either stick to the 380 calories in a pack of ramen, or adjust the calories up or down based on your nutritional needs.
Daily Calorie Needs
When considering the calories in a pack of Maruchan ramen noodles, it helps to understand general daily calorie needs. Here are some estimates for daily calorie requirements based on age, gender, and activity level:
| Age | Sedentary | Moderately Active | Active |
|---|---|---|---|
| Child (4-8 years) | 1,200-1,400 calories | 1,400-1,600 calories | 1,400-1,800 calories |
| Child (9-13 years) | 1,400-1,600 calories | 1,600-2,000 calories | 1,800-2,200 calories |
| Teen Girl (14-18 years) | 1,800 calories | 2,000 calories | 2,400 calories |
| Teen Boy (14-18 years) | 2,000 calories | 2,400-2,800 calories | 2,800-3,200 calories |
| Adult Man | 2,400-2,600 calories | 2,600-2,800 calories | 3,000 calories |
| Adult Woman | 1,800-2,000 calories | 2,000-2,200 calories | 2,400 calories |
Based on these estimates, a single pack of Maruchan ramen provides between 15-25% of calories needed for a day for most children, teens, and adults. For very active teens and adults or larger individuals, one pack may provide 10-15% of daily needs.
Micronutrients in Maruchan Ramen
Aside from calories, Maruchan ramen also provides a range of vitamins and minerals, although in fairly small amounts compared to daily nutritional needs. Here are some of the main micronutrients provided in a standard chicken or beef flavored pack of ramen noodles:
- Thiamin: 15% DV
- Riboflavin: 10% DV
- Niacin: 15% DV
- Folate: 10% DV
- Iron: 10-15% DV
- Magnesium: 5-10% DV
- Phosphorus: 10-15% DV
- Zinc: 15-20% DV
- Copper: 10-15% DV
DV stands for Daily Value, which is the recommended daily intake level for each nutrient. As you can see, a single pack of ramen provides a meaningful amount of vitamins and minerals, though not exceeding daily needs on its own. The flavored seasoning packets enhance the vitamin and mineral content.
Health Considerations
Despite providing a decent number of calories and nutrients, there are some health considerations around consuming Maruchan ramen noodles and instant noodles in general:
- High sodium content – A single pack contains over 1,500mg of sodium, which is over half the recommended daily limit of 2,300mg. Too much sodium intake is associated with increased hypertension risk.
- Refinded carbohydrates – While ramen contains calories and carbs, the noodles are fairly nutritionally empty aside from added vitamins and minerals. Whole food carb sources provide more nutritional benefit.
- Preservative content – Ramen noodles contain the preservative TBHQ to help maintain freshness. Some health concerns have been raised around TBHQ consumption.
- Lack of protein, healthy fats – Ramen is not a balanced meal on its own, and lacks protein, healthy fats, and fiber that are part of a well-rounded diet.
For these reasons, Maruchan ramen and other instant noodles are best consumed in moderation as part of an overall healthy diet, rather than relying on them as a staple food source. They can provide a convenient meal or snack, but shouldn’t replace healthier whole food options.
Conclusions
- A standard 3 oz brick of Maruchan ramen noodles contains around 380 calories, with some variance between flavors.
- The calories come predominantly from carbohydrate content, with smaller amounts from protein and fat.
- Flavor packets add approximately 15-20 calories in addition to the brick.
- Cooking the noodles does not significantly change their calorie content by weight.
- Add-ins and toppings can easily increase or reduce calories.
- A single pack provides around 15-25% of calories needed for most people in a day.
- Ramen also provides vitamins, minerals, though not a full daily requirement.
- Consuming instant noodles like ramen in moderation is recommended as part of a balanced diet.
In summary, Maruchan ramen noodles deliver around 380 calories per standard 3 oz brick, with the exact amount varying slightly by flavor. While providing useful calories and some micronutrients, ramen is best eaten in moderation as part of an overall nutritious diet given its high sodium, refined carbs, and lack of balanced nutrition.
