I’m not going to tell you exactly how old I am, but here’s a hint: I’m just hitting that age when you stop having your birthday parties at nightclubs and your GP starts telling you things like, “You should really consider adding more protein to your diet.” And then they give you that booklet of high-protein foods you should consider eating more of, and you stare at it and think, “Okay, I’m a little older, but I still need something more exciting than this.”
I did briefly consider the protein shake route. On paper it made sense: you’re supposed to maintain steady protein intake throughout the day, and this seemed like a pretty easy way to do it. I like to cook sometimes, but I’m just never going to be that woman who walks into the office packing a tupperware full of meal-I-made-myself. It’s not that I’m not disciplined, but I apply my discipline elsewhere, like maintaining active friendships, and making sure I’m always reading a book (even if it’s a beach read, and let’s be honest, a lot of times it’s a beach read). I just don’t feel like making lunch at 10pm the night before, or 7am the day of, or whenever it is my coworkers manage to fit that in. I admire it but I’ll never do it.
There was a hitch though: it turns out I don’t really like protein shakes. Mostly because they taste like chalk. Also because there’s a guy in my office who keeps two jars of whey under his desk, and the jars are so big they look like mini beer barrels. It’s ridiculous. I’m sorry. I’m just not a protein shake person. What I am, really, is a ramen person, but you can’t exactly get your ever-increasing recommended daily allowance of protein from a cup of ramen.
OR CAN YOU? Ha. Sorry, I tried not to use all-caps, but I did say “unexpected,” and this is the unexpected part: there is a ramen out there that’s not only delicious, it’s also actually healthy – and it comes packed with as much or more protein than a protein shake. It’s called immi. I’ll give you the nutritional details, and tell you exactly why the nutritional details aren’t the only exciting part about this little discovery.
💡 In this article
1. How to get a protein-packed meal in under 10 minutes
2. How to add even more protein
How to get a protein-packed meal in under 10 minutes
Everybody has one of those friends who spends a lot of time on the Internet so you don’t have to. They send you all the best TikToks of dogs acting like humans, the magazine articles everyone’s going to be talking about, and the new food trends everyone’s going to try. Sometimes the culinary trends aren’t super helpful. I love “The Stew,” but I’m probably not going to make “The Stew” even though that viral recipe’s chickpeas are a phenomenal source of, you guessed it, protein. But sometimes the food suggestions are really, really helpful. Never more so than when my friend messengered me a post about immi – a company that’s pretty much reinvented ramen by making it entirely from plant-based ingredients.
Here’s why this stuff is perfect for anyone looking to pack their diet with protein (but not looking to pack their schedule with kitchen prep): every serving packs 21 grams of protein, and only 6 net carbs. Protein shakes generally contain anywhere from 10 to 30 grams, begging the obvious question: would you rather get your protein from a delicious meal, or a boring meal substitute? For about six months now, I’ve chosen to go the delicious meal route. Why would I chug powder when I could have ramen noodles made from pumpkin seed protein? (Pumpkin seed protein is a key ingredient, a surprise discovery the founders made while they were experimenting with hundreds of different formulas.)
The other thing is, you can make immi ramen in under 10 minutes. It’s a serious time-saver in addition to being a serious source for all these macronutrients my body has apparently started to demand. I’ve been keeping things fresh with variety packs that come with flavors like Black Garlic “Chicken” and Spicy Red Miso. There are six styles total. If you put them into a rotation, you’ll never get bored.
How to add even more protein
Just eating these noodles as they come will dramatically change your diet for the better. That being said, there are really easy add-ins that taste amazing and won’t add much or any time to your preparation. Basically, you can treat immi like a completed masterpiece, or like a blank canvas.
There are a ton of recipes on the site (and even more on TikTok), but I’ve been focusing on simple augmentations that up the protein levels without much effort. The website has a broad range of suggested toppings for each flavor. These are some of the more proteinaceous (real word, I looked it up):
- Fried tofu
- Boiled eggs
- Bamboo shoots
- Seaweed sheets (these go great with the Roasted “Pork” Tonkotsu)
- Sesame seeds (shocking amounts of protein in those little guys)
But wait, there’s more. Not only is immi loaded with protein, it’s also loaded with something else we’re supposed to consume more and more of as we get older. And, like plant protein, it’s also something that helps keep us looking and feeling young. Can you guess what it is?
Correct. I’m talking about fiber. While most ramens have around 2 grams of fiber, immi servings come with 18 grams of fiber – kind of a miracle considering these noodles still have the taste and texture of the ramen you know and love. So now in addition to all that protein, you get fiberiffic benefits like:
- Blood sugar control
- Improved digestion
- Better gut health
- An invaluable assist in maintaining a healthy body weight
A lot of protein shakes have basically no fiber. Some brands have tried to change that, but even the ones that market themselves as fiber-rich only come with around 6 grams. You’d have to drink three of them to equal one serving of immi ramen. My rule of life is – and I don’t think I’m alone here – is: “If you don’t want to drink one protein shake, why would you drink three protein shakes.”
So that’s my big secret: if you want shake levels of protein without the shake – and a ton of fiber too – ramen is the answer. Not just any ramen, though. This ramen. The reinvented one that gives you hardcore nostalgia for the ramen you loved growing up, but isn’t like any ramen that’s ever been made. Okay, there. I’ve paid my friend’s advice forward. All you have to do is order some immi.
