An abundance of recent research shows that ramen noodles, while a convenient way to sneak in a quick meal, can harm health. A favorite website newsletter, Care2, sent me this information along with some suggestions for healthier alternatives.

The testing and researching started in 2007 and has continued, with data being collected from over 10,000 case studies of people aged 19-64. The shocking results showed that folks eating instant noodles more than twice a week displayed metabolic syndrome, no matter what their other lifestyle habits (diet and exercise, for instance) were.

Metabolic syndrome is a group of symptoms that increase risk of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. You might think that maybe these health problems were less about the instant noodles and more about other foods these people were eating, but studies soundly show that ramen noodles are particularly unhealthy because they are loaded with a food additive that is a petroleum byproduct, tertiary-butyl hydroquinone (TBHQ).

And adding injury to harm is the fact that even the styrofoam containers the beloved cup 'o noodles come in are nasty. They contain the chemical bisphenol-A (BPA). BPA is a known carcinogen, a hormone disruptor that negatively affects natural hormones such as estrogen.

As you can imagine, generations of ramen eaters have given some backlash to this news. Who wants to be told what you love and do is killing you? No one. But please don't shoot the messenger. I don't make the news, I'm just reporting it. Whether you can embrace this news or not, it's hard to argue that those disposable cups are full of healthy food. And other facts figure in as well: Instant noodles are also high in salt, and all of those empty styrofoam cups pile up in our landfills, going nowhere for at least 100 years.

And so in that light, I thought I'd temper the blow with ways to go beyond instant noodles. Instead of giving them up entirely, why not cook up a big batch of plain noodles on the weekend so you could dish up lunches and late night snacks whenever you want? Care2 suggests we:

Try kelp noodles. They're made from mineral-rich sea kelp and are low in carbohydrates and calories. Kelp noodles cook up instantly and are free of all the additives and chemicals. They can be cooked in broth (which creates an almost-instant soup), or be folded into a salad.

Then using kelp noodles we can make bona-fide noodle soup in a batch large enough that we can eat from it all week. Chicken, ham, ground beef, or vegan-broth-based noodle soup is good for the body.

Try soba noodles. They also cook up relatively quickly. Soba noodles are delicious in curry soup, and warm curry spices give simple soups deliciously complex flavors.

And of course, there's always simple and readily available whole grain noodles. The point is to switch from the instant ramen to other healthy alternatives. And whatever noodle route we choose to take, the results can be as tasty and as convenient as that BPA-loaded styrofoam cup of chemicals and mystery ingredients much of the world has come to rely on. Here's opting out of the ramen race!