Late Additions to Your Back-to-School List

Don't Be Square With Ramen

Ramen noodles and college students go together like fraternities and the Greek alphabet.

While bricks of the freeze-dried Japanese noodle are economical at 20 for $1 at the local Sam's Club, they're also incredibly unhealthy. To dehydrate the noodles, companies deep fry them in palm oil, imbuing ramen with massive amounts of fat and empty calories while the "flavor packets," which do little more than color the water the noodles sit in, are loaded with salt. A single serving of Nissin's Cup of Noodles chicken flavor has 6.3 grams of fat, 70% of the daily recommended value, and 1,433 mg of sodium, 60% of the daily recommended value.

There's more to ramen than flash fried square bricks and salty seasoning. In Japan, where ramen is also known as gakusei ryori or "student cuisine," ramen is like soul food -- homey cuisine that's sold in restaurants and eaten as a full meal, not just a late-night snack. While the local supermarket may not have them, there are loads of healthy and exotic ramen options available online at sites like koaMART.com, an Asian foods superstore.

To cut down on salt and calories, look for non-fried or baked ramen and cold noodles, which have not been dehydrated. And move away from the standard chicken or beef, sampling more interesting, authentic flavors like kimchi, black bean, cuttlefish and soba. With prices between 40 cents and $1.80 per packet, these options will cost a lot more than the ramen usually sold on shelves, but buying by the case can save you 20% to 30%.