I’ve been counting calories lately and overall looking for more balanced nutrition. A friend suggested I give up carbs, especially wheat, but I’m not quite ready. This afternoon I wanted something satiating, slightly comfort-foody, and of course quick. As usual I raided my pantry for what I had, which this time included one neatly wrapped bundle of Blue Dragon Soba Noodles (Japanese-style noodles made in China, but I digress). I checked the nutrition facts and a serving was a whopping 436 calories. However, the serving suggestion was 1/2 of a package, or 125 grams. Using my handy food scale, I weighed out one bundle, about 75 grams. Sounded like a better serving size to me!

Noodles alone were not going to cut it, so I wanted some sort of sauce. I do love me some peanut noodles, so I decided to modify the peanut sauce I often make when I am cooking Asian meals. I was pretty happy with the results and the whole lunch only took me about 15 minutes to prepare. Overall, I am happy with the nutrition of the dish, except it is a bit high in sodium due to the soy sauce I used. I may try to omit the soy sauce and add a bit of water to thin the sauce.

Quick Peanut Soba Noodles

406 calories, 66 gr carbs, 10 gr fat, 13 gr protein, 787 mg sodium, 11 gr sugar

• 1 bundle soba noodles (about 75 grams)
• 1 tablespoon natural peanut butter
• 1 teaspoon grated ginger
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon honey
• 1 teaspoon raw sesame seeds

1. Boil soba noodles according to package instructions, drain
2. Mix all remaining ingredients, reserving sesame seeds, until well blended
3. Mix peanut sauce with warm noodles, top with sesame seeds
4. Eat up!