Speaking as a broke as hell grad student and formerly a broke as hell undergrad, Nong Shim is easily my favorite instant ramen brand.
I think nowadays, green onions and some eggs are pretty standard additions to jazz up instant ramen. One time, out of desperation for protein, I tore up a few chunks of beef jerky and threw that into the bowl with the boiling water. It's fantastic if you've yet to try it.
Also, you can buy giant tubs of dehydrated vegetables on amazon (or costco) which also makes a great addition to some ramen, and can also lend some textural variety if you eat them before the thicker pieces of veggies are fully reconstituted.
Harmony House freeze dried vegetables, they have other bean and veggie options too.
> I believe that Mountain House or Backpacker's Pantry also sell dehydrated "mixed veggie" packages. Both brands can be pricy, but if you want a variety and need to keep it lightweight and durable they're solid go-to's.
Got these in my kitchen for "oh shit, I forgot to shop" days. Pretty good & reasonably priced - they're not sealed like backpacking food but you can take care of that yourself.
This, definitely. You can also find dried veggies like they have in cup o noodles.
Bacon bits
Harmony House is what I use. So far no complaints. Haven't tried other brands so I have nothing to compare it to.
I usually throw some freeze dried veggies in for variety and (some) nutrition.
I'll take this instant coffee powder over Folgers any day. It is widely available and affordable. I just transfer it into a ziplock.
I don't know if I will ever eat couscous again I've eaten so much of it, but it makes nice trail lunch. It can be cold soaked or made hot and is good with a little olive oil, nuts, pepperoni, or even dried fruit.
I think these are tastier than Knorr sides. Add mayo packets or olive oil.
Also, you could consider doing a few resupplies from Amazon. Harmony House has dehydrated veggie mixes than can be added to rice, noodles, or beans. They also sell dehydrated bean mixes that you can mix with rice and season to your liking.
If you like milk, look for Nido whole milk powder instead of nonfat milk powder. It is in most grocery stores and Walmarts, but you have to look in either the baby section or the ethnic foods aisle. It's a great way to bulk up calories in your Carnation, oatmeal, coffee, even Knorr side.
Lastly, I like these fig bars and can usually find them. This brand also makes brownies, but I had a pretty tough time finding them on the CDT.
Make them "not soupy", more like a thin sauce, and then add a slice of american cheese. Works best with "oriental" flavor (eg: soy).
I went through a period where I was too broke for anything more expensive than ramen, rice, eggs, and dried beans... occasionally I'd manage to mooch a bit of extra stuff to spice up the dry items from parents and friends or trashcans.
American cheese is great, so is chunky peanut butter with a little soy and garlic powder (kinda satay-ish), tiny bit of oil once they've softened really does wonders for their consistency too.
If you're eating them soupy then an egg in them is pretty good if you can afford it, I'd cut water in half, still leave it a bit soupy but much more concentrated flavor.
After I got older and quit having money issues and got over ramen noodles tasting like being poor, I've found a lot of things spice em up nicely-- for instance
Get creative, ramen is cheap :) Lose nothing by trying something different... just try one at a time to get an idea of what the flavor profile change is by adding that item. Learn to prepare them as both a soup and sauce. Lots of options.
I bought http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0039QXWPM?keywords=dried%20vegetables&qid=1444392955&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1 and always dump some in with the ramen..really cheap and adds a lot of flavor.
I love ramen, but not a fan of shiritaki so I just browse through the various noodles at my local Asian grocer and pick out sensible things to try. Most noodles will cook if you pour boiling over them and wait a few minutes (I was so surprised to see that ramen really isn't special!) I also add a good bit of dehydrated veggies to the mix like here and these.