Wondering whether Ramen is a good survival food is a common question. The noodles are popular and widely available all over the world at grocery stores and even in new specialty noodle shops. Initially available in 1958, ramen has surged in popularity in recent years due to the flexibility of the noodles, which allow for simple and easy creative cooking.
Due to the widespread availability of ramen and the fact that it is so easily prepared with boiled water, it makes it a good survival food. However, ramen is extremely high in sodium and should only be eaten in moderation to add variety as a supply of basic carbohydrates.
Since we know that ramen is a good source of simple carbohydrates, let’s evaluate the viability of this quick-cooking food as a survival food.
What is the Shelf Life of Ramen Noodles?
The preparation of instant noodles prior to packaging involves extensive dehydration of the product that almost totally halts the ability for the noodles to spoil and cause food poisoning issues.
Additionally, in almost every form of instant ramen noodles available, you will find a cost of preservatives and chemicals that will both increase the best-by-date for a consistent texture and flavor experience as well as the overall shelf life and safety of the product.
In order to maintain the best flavor and texture experience, you should consume your ramen noodles within a few months of the consumption-by date, also known as the best-by date. Commonly best before dates are between 2 to 12 months on most commercial packages.
If you are simply concerned with spoilage and are not concerned with the eating experience itself. Due to the nature of the preparation of the heavily dehydrated noodles, you can store them for many years. People have consumed ramen years after the expiration date with no ill effects.
How To Store Ramen For The Long-Term
Storage for ramen noodles is a rather simple affair. Due to the dehydration and packaging used for ramen noodles, you simply need to store it in a moisture-controlled environment.
To maximize the storage of your ramen noodles, ensure there are no holes in the packages or opportunities for moisture to accumulate in and around the packaging. Storage in a pantry or in a sealed-off moisture-controlled environment maximizes the chances for your ramen to avoid potential spoilage. Using airtight containers, like these found on Amazon, would do nicely.
How Much Ramen Should I Store?
Ramen has an indefinite shelf life, so you can store as many noodles as you would like. If you are preparing for a survival situation, you can certainly include this simple comfort food as a part of your emergency food stockpile.
Since the noodles are extremely lightweight and essentially a source of pure carbohydrates for quick energy, you should store a week’s worth of the stuff. With 380 calories per package weighing only three ounces each, you can justify including up to two dozen packages per person, assuming you get at least some calories from other sources.
For two people, you can easily store enough with one 48-count bulk purchase from a store like Costco or BJ’s.
Related Where Smart Preppers Store Survival Supplies.
How Long Can A Person Live On Ramen Noodles Alone?
Ramen is extremely sodium-saturated and chemically-laden processed food. The inclusion of a plethora of preservatives can easily cause health problems in the human body. Long-term high consumption of the food is linked to cancer, brain damage, and other negative effects.
As a simple carbohydrate with so many preservatives and high sodium, we don’t want to consume it exclusively for long periods of time, but you could theoretically live on the stuff for several months before your body started to have major problems associated with poor unbalanced nutrition.
Avoiding the use of the flavoring and simply utilizing the noodles can offset many of the studied health issues due to the long-term consumption of ramen.
Simply adding some preserved vegetables or including some meat in your diet alongside ramen will allow a greater level of health than subsisting on ramen noodles alone.
Final Thoughts
Due to its widespread availability and ease of preparation, ramen can easily be integrated into a well-thought-out emergency food stockpile as a calorie source.
Quick sources of carbohydrates and sodium are vital to any survival situation, and ramen helps address both of those needs in the short term. In order to achieve better health and long-term nutritional balance, you need to ensure that you also store sources of protein, fats, fibers, and other vitamins and minerals through canned or dried fruits, vegetables, and beans or meats.
If you are looking for an easy-to-store and inexpensive food, something like rice and beans might be a better option for you. Be sure to check out my article on the subject for more info.
Related Questions
Is eating dry ramen bad for you? Due to the fact that noodles are cooked before they are dehydrated, there is no reason you can’t eat dry ramen noodles. It is a common practice for people to snack on them like chips or sprinkle the noodles on their salads.
Can raw ramen give you worms? Getting worms from ramen is highly unlikely since the noodles are cooked before dehydration. Contamination and moisture would need to be present in order to have a risk of worms.
For more, don’t miss Is Pasta a Good Survival Food? How Should It Be Stored?
Anne James has a wealth of experience in a wide array of interests and is an expert in quilting, cooking, gardening, camping, mixing drinks (worked as a professional bartender), and making jelly.
Anne has a professional canning business, has been featured in the local newspaper as well as on the Hershey website, and has been her family canner for decades. Anyone growing up in the South knows that there is always a person in the family who has knowledge of the “old ways,” and this is exactly what Anne is.
With over 55 years of experience in these endeavors, she brings a level of hands-on knowledge that is hard to surpass. Amazingly, she doesn’t need to reference many resources due to her vast wealth of experience. She IS the source.
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