Lunch Box Ramen

In any given school year, I estimate that our household alone will have churned out somewhere in the neighborhood of 500 lunches.

Can that be right?

No wonder it can get a little old.

Talking to other moms, it seems one of the biggest challenges in packing lunches isn’t necessarily having the time or the right ingredients, it’s finding inspiration. Once we’re on about lunch number 50, it’s hard to get enthusiastic about the whole thing. Which is why, when I hit on a new lunch box idea, we get a little excited around here.

Take this Lunch Box Ramen.

Why is this option so appealing?

• It’s perfect thermos food.
• Prep involves little more than boiling a pot of water along with a teensy bit of chopping and measuring.
• You can make it while you pull together breakfast or even the night before, reheating it in the morning.

Choosing the Right Ramen.

The noodles in standard supermarket brands — appealing because they’re dirt cheap — are deep fried and include seasoning packets chock full of artificial flavorings and other mystery ingredients. Not good. If you opt for organic ramen it’s likely to be air-dried, so less added fat, and seasoned largely with, well, seasonings –- herbs and spices.

The one downside to ramen is that it’s high in sodium. You can opt to use less of the spice packet, which may work just fine if your household favors their food mildly flavored. Mine do not (I spied Mr. Mom’s Kitchen salting his already salty baked beans during a recent meal).

Give your Ramen a Boost

The other trick to a healthful pot of ramen is embellishing it with nutrient-rich goodies. Here, I add edamame, baked tofu, and a generous helping of spinach. The spinach may seem like a lot at first, but it melts right into the soup so as not frighten any green food-phobic children. As for the baked tofu, feel free to substitute leftover cooked chicken, pork, or beef.

So…one lunch down. 499 to go. I’d love some help. What inspired lunch box ideas do you have?

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Lunch Box Ramen

Be sure to opt for organic ramen when making this to avoid the deep-fried noodles and artificial ingredients in conventional ramen. You can find organic ramen in specialty markets and the natural foods section of some supermarkets. Baked and smoked tofu is sold in the refrigerated section of the market near other types of tofu. To reduce the amount of sodium, start with one seasoning packet instead of two. Taste and adjust as needed.

Course Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Cuisine Japanese

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes

Servings 2 lunch box servings

Author Katie Morford

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 cups water
• 2 two-ounce packages organic ramen noodles, any flavor
• 1/2 cup cooked edamame (or another cooked chopped vegetable)
• 1/2 cup cubed baked or smoked tofu (or cooked chicken, beef or pork)
• 2 gently packed cups baby spinach

Instructions

1. Pour the water into a medium pot and bring to a boil. Add the ramen seasoning packet and stir. Break up the ramen noodles as you add them to the boiling broth. Add the edamame, tofu, and spinach. Remove from heat and immediately use tongs to break up the noodles. Stir and transfer immediately to thermoses (tongs can be useful to transfer the noodles).