Thai Kitchen brand instant noodles and how to make them healthier

I recently had to get an emergency dental procedure done.  By the time it was over my jaw and left side were sore and I had trouble opening my mouth and chewing so I could only eat very soft things. 

For a gluten-free person, enter a quick and easy solution: Thai Kitchen noodles!

Thai Kitchen gluten-free dinners

They come in a cute little Asian take-out style box and take minutes to cook and prepare.  There are a few different gluten-free flavors to choose from but make sure you read the box carefully because not all of them are gluten-free.
Thai Kitchen also makes little packages of gluten-free instant noodle soup reminiscent of the Ramen noodles with a little package of flavored powdered seasoning.
This particular package, Thai Basil and Chili, comes with gluten-free rice noodles, sauce, peanuts, freeze dried vegetable bits and a fork (how convenient!)  The instructions are easy to follow and fool proof because the noodles come out precisely cooked.
I actually overcooked the noodles and my veggies a bit so they'd be softer for me.
However at 250 calories and 730 mg of sodium (!!!) this is a meal absolutely meant for two.  In fact the serving size is actually half the carton!  It doesn't look like much in the box but just take a look at the serving on my plate!

I was sore so I wasn't up to styling this more appealingly!

And this is actually about a third of a serving!  It actually ended up being more than I could eat so my little box of noodles fed me three times.
So don't worry you will not go hungry with this meal; you can feed two easily and even three (or have left overs) if you accompany it with fresh veggies and a little protein.
Here are my tips to making this and any boxed meal more filling and figure friendly.  You can follow these tips with any instant noodle package, even soups.

1. These boxed meals usually come with packaged powdered flavorings and oil.  Skip the oil and put in only half of the seasoning and you've saved yourself loads of sodium, not to mention calories.  I promise you won't be skimping on taste but if you want more flavor add things that will complement the label description, such as a squeeze of lime, some chopped fresh basil or chili flakes.
2. Add protein.  These meals are usually just pasta so they need some lean protein to make it more filling. A few pieces of shrimp or chicken and you're set.
3. Add veggies.   The dehydrated veggies that come with the package don't count.   Veggies are part of any well balanced meal so roast complimentary veggies or anything you have in your fridge like I did.  Sautee or roast them until they are cooked to your liking and drizzle with a bit of sesame oil (if you want to be authentic) or olive oil or hey, put that oil pouch that's included to good use!  Sprinkle on a little salt, pepper and lime if desired.  Better yet, chop them veggies up and mix them in with the pasta.

Now you have a full meal fit for two and probably still have leftovers for lunch!