Unraveling the Calorie Count of Drunken Noodles with Chicken

Drunken noodles with chicken is a delicious Thai dish that is becoming more and more popular around the world. There’s a delicious mix of spices in this dish with rice noodles, vegetables, and chicken. It’s easy to see why everyone wants more. But if you’re trying to watch how many calories you eat, you might be curious about how many calories are in this tasty dish. This article will show you how many calories are in drunken noodles with chicken and give you tips on how to make it healthier without giving up any of the bold Thai flavor.

Determining the Calorie Count

When examining the calorie content of drunken noodles with chicken, there are a few key factors to consider:

• Noodles—Steamed rice noodles are the main source of carbs in the dish. One cup of cooked rice noodles has about 200 calories.

• Protein – Chicken breast is commonly used and a 3 ounce portion of cooked chicken breast has around 140 calories

• Vegetables – Bell peppers, onions, broccoli and other veggies add volume, nutrients and about 50-60 calories per cup.

• Sauce—The sauce has a lot of calories because it has oil, soy sauce, fish sauce, and oyster sauce in it. A couple tablespoons can tally 200+ calories.

With all of these things in mind, a typical restaurant serving of drunken noodles with chicken can have around 700 to 800 calories. If you make it at home with less sauce and oil, though, each serving might have around 500 to 600 calories.

According to Nutritionix, 1 bag of Ling Ling drunken noodles with chicken contains 420 Calories. The macronutrient breakdown is 58% carbs, 26% fat, and 16% protein. This is a good source of protein (30% of your Daily Value), iron (45% of your Daily Value), and vitamin A (50% of your Daily Value).

Tips for Lightening Up Drunken Noodles

If you want to enjoy drunken noodles while keeping calories in check, here are some easy tips:

• Use less oil when stir-frying. Skip deep-frying and keep the oil to 1-2 teaspoons.

• Load up on veggies like broccoli, carrots, spinach and mushrooms to add volume and nutrients.

• Choose chicken breast over fatty thigh or pork meat. And limit the portion to 3-4 ounces cooked.

• Use reduced-sodium soy sauce and limit salty condiments like fish sauce.

• Boost flavor with extra garlic, ginger, basil, cilantro and a squeeze of lime.

• Request your noodles made “small” or appetizer-sized at restaurants.

• Stir in cauliflower rice or zucchini noodles to lower the calorie count.

• Skip the fatty coconut milk and cream to make a lighter curry sauce.

• Build your bowl over a base of crisp lettuce rather than just noodles.

With a few simple tweaks, you can customize your drunken noodles to be a lighter yet still delectable 300-400 calorie meal.

The Bottom Line

Drunken noodles with chicken can range widely in calories depending on the recipe and ingredients used. Restaurant versions tend to be heavier while homemade allows more control over calories. Focus on using lean proteins, loading up on low cal veggies, limiting oils and salty sauces, and controlling portions to keep your bowl in a calorie sweet spot. With the right balance, you can savor the mouthwatering Thai flavors of this popular noodle dish without going overboard on calories.