Households looking to cut down on preparation
A ready-made frozen noodle dish saves you from preparing the noodles and sides separately. Before choosing one for Sunday, check the pack weight, the label and whether it’s available at your store.
Who are these options for?
Families cooking for several people
A large pack of dried noodles lets you adjust the base of the meal to suit the number of guests. You’ll still need to plan and prepare the other ingredients.
Anyone looking for a quick, convenient portion
Instant noodles are a quick option when you need a meal for one. For a meal to share, work out how many packs you’ll need and which ingredients to add.
What should you look for?
For Sunday lunch, start by deciding between a ready-made dish and a base you can add to. Pack weight alone won’t tell you how many people it will serve.
Frozen noodle dish
Choose this: if you want to heat up a ready-made recipe and your store stocks the product you’re looking for.
Bear in mind: a 300 g pack, such as the one listed by Carrefour Sensation, may need to be supplemented with extra portions or sides for a group meal.
Dried noodles to build your meal around
Choose this: if you’d like to control the amount of noodles and put together the rest of the meal yourself for several guests.
Bear in mind: you’ll need to cook the noodles and prepare the vegetables, sauce or other sides.
Instant noodles
Choose these: for individual portions you can prepare quickly.
Bear in mind: you may need several packs to feed a group, and they won’t automatically replace a ready-made dish.
| What to consider | What to check | Who this matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Quantity to serve | Compare the net weight, any stated portions and the sides you plan to serve. Carrefour lists a 300 g frozen dish, E.Leclerc a 900 g dish, and Auchan a 1 kg pack of dried noodles. | When several people are sitting down to eat, I want to know how many packs or how much pasta to allow for. Around 33% of consumers would make this their priority. |
| Preparation time | Check whether the product is a dish to heat, a base to cook or an instant portion, then factor in any ingredients you’ll need to prepare separately. | If I have little time to cook on Sunday, I mainly want to cut down on the steps involved. This would be a priority for around 42% of consumers. |
| Ingredients and storage | Read the ingredients, allergen information and nutritional values on the pack you’ve chosen. For a frozen dish, also follow its storage instructions. | I want to choose the ingredients and store the product as directed until mealtime. Around 25% of consumers would put these checks first. |
Mistakes to avoid
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Choosing a pack without working out how much you need
A 300 g frozen dish and a 1 kg pack of dried noodles aren’t the same quantity, and they don’t involve the same amount of preparation.
Count your guests and consider the sides before deciding how many packs or how much dried pasta to buy.
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Assuming a listed product is in stock
E.Leclerc advises customers to contact their local store to check whether its frozen chicken noodles are available. Other products may also be out of stock when you shop.
Check your chosen store or click-and-collect service before planning the meal, and have another option in mind.
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Assuming every recipe contains the same allergens
The ingredients in a seasoned dish aren’t interchangeable with those in dried noodles. Another recipe, variant or version of a product may have a different composition.
Check the ingredients list and allergen information on the pack you’re buying.
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Ignoring frozen food storage instructions
The Directorate-General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control reminds shoppers that food carrying a use-by date must be stored under the right conditions.
Follow the pack instructions during transport and storage. Don’t refreeze a product after thawing if the packaging says not to.
Brands and retailers to know
Carrefour Sensation
Carrefour lists frozen beef and onion stir-fried noodles in a 300 g pack, as well as other types of noodles in its range.
- The frozen dish listing lets you check its ingredients and storage instructions.
- Another noodle dish is listed as unavailable, so check the specific product at your store.
Tables du Monde / Marque Repère
E.Leclerc lists a 900 g frozen chicken noodle dish under its Tables du Monde brand.
- The 900 g pack is worth considering for a group meal, but it doesn’t guarantee a particular number of portions.
- E.Leclerc advises customers to contact their local store to check availability.
Auchan
Auchan lists a 1 kg pack of dried noodles to cook, as well as other noodle-based products.
- The 1 kg pack gives you a base you can portion and add to, depending on the meal you have in mind.
- Check the ingredients in the pack you choose, as they may vary between products or batches.
Lidl
Lidl France has featured instant noodles in its supermarkets, a separate category from frozen noodle dishes.
- The individual format is handy for a quick, convenient meal.
- For a group meal, check your store’s range and how many packs you’ll need.
ALDI
ALDI lists Apollo prepared noodles in a multipack of ten, which is different from a family-sized frozen dish.
- The multipack could be useful for preparing several individual portions.
- This product is listed as unavailable. Check your store’s range before planning to include it on the menu.
Noodles to cook and instant noodles on Joybuy
These products are noodles to cook or instant noodles to consider for Sunday lunch. They aren’t a like-for-like replacement for a ready-made frozen noodle dish: choose them according to the quantity you want and what you plan to add.
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Zhenla Belt Noodles 800 g
Worth considering if you want to portion out noodles for several guests and prepare the sides yourself.
800 g pack; check how many portions will suit your meal.
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Unif 100 Instant Noodles, artificial braised pork flavour, 24 × 105 g
Worth considering for individual portions. Plan separately for anything you’d like to serve with the noodles.
Box of 24 packs of 105 g.
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Wang Buckwheat Cold Noodles with Seasoning 624 g
Worth considering if you’d like noodles with seasoning rather than a base you need to flavour entirely yourself.
624 g pack; check the portions and preparation instructions on the packaging.
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Samyang Buldak Jajang Stir-Fried Noodles, 5 × 140 g
Worth considering for several portions of seasoned noodles. Plan separately for the other parts of the meal.
Pack of five 140 g packets; follow the preparation instructions on the packaging.
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MAMA Instant Noodle Chicken, 30 × 55 g
Worth considering for convenient individual portions rather than a ready-made Sunday lunch dish.
Box of 30 sachets of 55 g; work out how many sachets you’ll need for your guests.
Frequently asked questions
How can I tell if one pack of frozen noodles will be enough for Sunday?
Check the weight, any stated portions and what you plan to serve alongside it. Carrefour lists a 300 g frozen beef dish, while E.Leclerc lists 900 g of frozen chicken noodles. Neither weight alone tells you how many people the dish will serve.
Can you refreeze frozen noodles after thawing them?
Follow any instruction on the product packaging not to refreeze after thawing, including the guidance on the Carrefour dish mentioned here. Also follow its storage instructions during transport and before cooking.
Are frozen noodles suitable if I need to avoid certain allergens?
It depends on the recipe and the specific pack you buy. Read its ingredients list and allergen declaration rather than relying on the word “noodles” or the ingredients in a different product.
Can instant noodles replace a frozen dish for several people?
Not automatically. Instant noodles usually come in individual portions, while the frozen dishes mentioned here are ready-made recipes. Before choosing them for a group meal, work out how many packs you’ll need and which sides you’d like to serve.