The Study
The Role of High-Protein Instant Ramen Noodles in Inducing and Maintaining Satiety: Acute, Randomized, Crossover Study
This study showed that if you eat a high-protein ramen noodle breakfast, you might eat a little less at lunch — but only in this one meal. It doesn't prove that eating this kind of ramen every day will help you lose weight, just that it might make you feel less hungry right after.
Analysis score
Maximum 90 for a randomized controlled trial.
Where the score came from
Scientists gave people two kinds of instant ramen for breakfast—one with lots of protein, one with less—and then let them eat as much lunch as they wanted.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 580 / 100
Quality score
Participants are randomly assigned to treatment or control groups, minimizing bias. The gold standard for testing whether an intervention causes an effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1That’s like skipping a small cookie or a few chips at lunch—small, but could add up over time if done daily.
- 2People who ate the high-protein noodles (20g) ate 94 fewer calories at lunch than those who ate the low-protein noodles (6g), even though they felt just as hungry and just as full.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Nutrition & Diabetes
Year
2026
Authors
P. U. Ozioma, G. Kudchadkar, Sara Ranjbar, M. Hefner, Tanvi Kale, Raksa Andalib Hia, M. Zaroudi, S. Niraula, N. Dhurandhar
Related Content
Claims (6)
Eating a high-protein instant ramen breakfast does not change blood sugar, insulin, or hunger hormone levels more than a low-protein version, and people eat less at lunch regardless of these hormone changes.
A breakfast made with high-protein instant ramen leads to stronger cravings for savory or sweet foods after eating, even though people eat less at lunch.
Among healthy adults aged 25–45 with a normal weight, eating a breakfast with 20 grams of protein from instant ramen leads to about 10% less food consumed at lunch compared to eating a breakfast with 6 grams of protein from instant ramen, without changing feelings of hunger, fullness, or cravings for fatty or salty foods.
Eating a breakfast with 20 grams of protein from high-protein instant ramen reduces the amount of food eaten at lunch by 94 calories on average, compared to a breakfast with 6 grams of protein, even when hunger and fullness feelings are unchanged.
Eating a high-protein instant ramen breakfast does not result in different levels of fullness or hunger compared to a standard-protein version, and this does not lead to less food being eaten later.
Eating a diet high in protein leads to greater feelings of fullness and lower hunger afterward than eating a diet high in carbohydrates.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.