Noodles are affordable and easy to make food. They’re also good for bulking as they come with a decent calorie count, fat, and carbohydrates per serving.
This nutritional value is the reason why noodles aren’t a good food option for people who are trying to lose weight. Let’s discuss the nutritional profile of this food in detail, along with its benefits for people who are bulking.
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Table of Contents
Overview of the Nutritional Value of Noodles
Different noodle products come with different nutritional profiles. So, the following numbers can vary from product to product. But they’ll give a general idea about the overall nutritional value of noodles.
Calories
Most instant noodles offer a decent number of calories ranging from 100 to 200 calories on average. The calorie content is usually high in noodles because they contain higher amounts of fat and carbohydrates.
For example, chicken-flavored instant noodles offer 190 calories, 26 grams of carbs, and 7 grams of fat. If you eat more than one serving, the calorie count will add up quickly. It’ll be helpful if you’re bulking as you’ll have a higher daily need for calories.
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Macronutrients
The best thing about noodles is that they offer all three macronutrients. However, the amount of protein is less than fat and carbohydrates. It’s good for people who are bulking, but it’s not ideal to gain lean mass.
You’ll need to manage your other food sources to ensure you consume the required amount of protein. Additionally, you’ll also need to make sure that other food that you eat is low in carbs and fat.
The low protein content is the biggest downside of this food, as it’s one of the most critical nutrients for all bodybuilders to gain muscle. But you can increase the protein content by adding legumes, grains, fish, or other types of meat to noodles to increase your protein intake.
Some companies also offer noodles flavored with chicken or beef stock to increase the protein content. You can opt for those if you don’t have enough time to customize and come up with your own recipe.
Micronutrients
Noodles are not a great food option when it comes to micronutrients. That’s because they don’t offer any significant amount of micronutrients other than sodium. It’s also important to note that we consume sodium through many other food items. So, the sodium content can be overkill, and it can also lead to some health problems with time, including upset stomach, osteoporosis, kidney issues, and high blood pressure.
Noodles are also not a balanced and complete diet; consuming them in excess can increase the risk of hypertension. In the worst cases, it can also lead to heart stroke and diseases. That’s why you should eat this food in moderation, even if you’re bulking. It’s not one of those food items that you should include in your daily diet plan.
On top of that, most noodles contain MSG (Monosodium Glutamate), which can be addictive because it’s known for being hyper-palatable. Some health experts believe that it can cause health problems but others say that there is just not enough information and literature that support those claims.
Related: Are bananas good for bulking
Eating Instant Noodles Before Exercise
As mentioned earlier, instant noodles have a high amount of carbs that you can consume before a workout. At the same time, noodles are also high in fat content, which can slow down your digestion system. So, you should eat them a couple of hours before you start working out because you don’t want to compromise your training performance.
Otherwise, your body won’t allow you to exert the effort and energy necessary for exercise because it’ll be busy trying to digest fat. Resultantly, you can experience digestive discomfort.
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Eating Instant Noodles After Exercise
Again, high carbohydrate content makes noodles a good food option for post-workouts. It’ll accelerate the recovery process of your body by replenishing the energy you consumed, and it’ll also promote muscle growth.
But if you want to achieve the best results, consider using noodles that contain beef or chicken stock. You can also pair your noodles with the protein source of your choices like legumes, grains, beef, or chicken.
Related: Are Nuts good for Bulking?
Benefits of Noodles for Bulking
High in Carbohydrates: Noodles give your body a decent amount of carbs that work as the main energy source while working out. The major part of calories that this food offers comes from carbohydrates which are great for bulking.
High in Calories: The high-calorie count of noodles benefits bulking people. The best thing about these calories is that their main source is carbohydrates. It’s great for gym-goers who perform intense exercise regularly. The high-calorie content will not be counted as a benefit for people trying to lose weight.
Drawbacks of Noodles for Bulking
Low in Protein: The biggest downside of eating noodles for bulking is that they are very low in protein. The amount of protein this food offers isn’t enough to build or even retain muscles. So, they won’t support or promote your bulking goals on their own.
Low in Micronutrients: Other than sodium, noodles are extremely low in essential micronutrients. They offer sodium in excess, which can bring harmful effects to your body. You can pair them with vegetables if you want to improve their micronutrient content.
Remember that micronutrient content is extremely important for your body to achieve long-term health and short-term bulking goals.
Can Cause Health Problems: If you eat noodles in excess, it can lead to many health problems. That’s why it’s important to eat a balanced diet as your main source of energy instead of this food.
So, Should You Eat Noodles for Bulking?
Eating noodles occasionally won’t bring harmful effects to your body. According to a study, people who eat this food regularly usually consume fewer seeds, nuts, fruits, vegetables, fish, and meat. Resultantly, their intake of vitamins, niacin, potassium, iron, calcium, phosphorus, and protein decreases significantly.
All these nutrients are essential for your body to ensure health. Excessive consumption of this food can also increase the risk of metabolic syndrome. It’s a group of multiple health problems, including abnormal blood lipid levels, high blood sugar levels, high blood pressure, and excess abdominal fat.
That’s why you should limit your noodles intake and not consider them an alternative to other healthy foods.
Related: Bagels for bulking
Can You Make Noodles Healthier?
Yes, there are many different ways you can make your noodles a healthy food option. We have compiled a list of the easiest ones you can easily follow at home.
Add Vegetables
Adding cooked or fresh vegetables to your noodles is a great way to improve their nutritional value. You can use vegetables such as mushrooms, onions, broccoli, and carrots to add essential and healthy nutrients that noodles don’t offer.
Add Protein
Poling on protein is the best method for bodybuilders who are bulking to make noodles healthier. You can use eggs, meat, tofu, grains, legumes, and fish products in your noodles. It might take some time to change your noodle recipe by adding protein, but it’ll significantly improve the nutritional profile of your food.
Use Low-Sodium Noodles
We have already discussed the health problems that can occur due to high amounts of sodium in your body. Using low-sodium noodles will allow you to make sure that you don’t consume sodium more than the daily recommended value. We recommend you also opt for MSG-free noodles because it’s also associated with health issues.
Don’t Use the Flavored Packs
Lastly, use fresh spices and herbs and mix them with low-sodium chicken stock to make your own broth. It’s the best way to make your noodles healthier. You can also add as many other healthy ingredients as you want to improve the nutritional value of your recipe further.
FAQs
Are Noodles Good for Building Muscles?
Noodles offer high carbohydrate content and calorie count that can help you with bulking. Bear in mind that they lack protein and micronutrients essential for bodybuilders. Therefore, eating noodles will not be enough if you want to achieve your bulking goals.
Are Noodles Good After Workout?
Yes, noodles are good after workouts as they are loaded with carbohydrates. It’ll replenish your body’s energy to accelerate the recovery process. Products that contain beef or chicken stock are the best option for post-workout as they’ll also help in muscle growth. You can also add foods high in protein content to your noodles to enjoy the best results.
Final Words
Noodles make for a cheap and easy-to-consume source of carbs and calories. That’s why it’s safe to say they are good for bulking. However, you must note that it’s not a well-rounded food, so you should avoid eating it excessively.
So, ensure you eat them in moderation to enjoy the benefits they bring to the table. You can minimize the health problems linked to noodles by improving their nutritional profile using the different methods discussed above.
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