By Caitlyne Nguyen | Reporter

It’s no secret that instant ramen is a staple for college students. We are all very familiar with the salty broth and noodles that take less than 30 seconds to prepare and no more than five minutes to devour. However, the same noodles and soup can get repetitive when they’re your only option.

Being in college for three years has taught me many things, the most important being the best ways to elevate a 50-cent cup of instant noodles. There are a lot of different ingredients that can be added to this staple to make it a little more interesting.

A go-to for me is simply adding an egg. Whether the egg is fried, boiled or poached, it is such an easy way to get some extra protein. A favorite trick of mine is to soft boil an egg so that the whites are solid and the yolk is still runny; the yolk might mix into the soup and bring just a touch of extra flavor. I’ve truly never been disappointed.

While I know that eggs are not the cheapest in the market right now, frozen veggies can arguably be kept forever, making them another easy ingredient to elevate ramen.

For the spice lovers out there, do what my little sister does: Add hot sauce. While I was growing up and even now, my family always had a bottle of spice in the fridge. Whether it was sriracha or Louisiana Hot Sauce, this was always her go-to.

Now, this next one is not something that I’ve done personally, but it’s a response I’ve gotten from a lot of surveying: Add cheese to your noodles. Some say it makes it creamier, and others say it just adds more flavor. Personally, I’m lactose intolerant and try my hardest to stay away from dairy, so proceed with caution.

These are just a few of the vast options there are for better ramen. If none of these seem enticing to you, do what I do and TikTok it. I find myself constantly turning to TikTok for meal ideas because of the number of people who are willing to share their amazing (and sometimes not-so-great) ideas.

I hope this provided some inspiration for your next snack break or even your dinner plans, but know that there are plenty of ways to transform a plain cup of noodles into something so much more.