Hack Your Next Meal With These Simple Noodle Jar Recipes

Put the "Plant" Back in "Plant-Based"

The first of Whole Foods’ 2024 food trends predictions says “no more” to fashionably fake meats like Beyond or Impossible patties. They note that the plant-based meat category will continue to grow in the direction of actual plants.

“We’re seeing new and emerging protein-forward products with mushrooms, walnuts, tempeh, and legumes in place of complex meat alternatives,” the trend report relays. “Even plant-based milk alternatives are participating, with some brands simplifying labels to just two ingredients — perfect for the vegetarian purist.”

Though we’re admittedly behind the trend with plant-based meat alternatives, we *have* sipped our way through tons of simply-constructed plant-based milks.

Products like Minor Figures’ Barista Oat Milk, MALK Organic’s Vanilla Almond Milk, Forager Project’s Organic Unsweetened Cashewmilk, and Willa’s Barista Oat Milk make the trend tasty and accessible, too.

Final verdict? Worth it!

Shop Our Fave Plant-Based Milks

• Minor Figures Barista Oat Milk
• MALK Organics Vanilla Almond Milk
• Forager Project Organic Unsweetened Cashewmilk
• Willa’s Barista Oat Milk

Use the Whole Cacao

The craving for food production processes to be sustainable is still very strong. The latest in the no-waste realm, according to Whole Foods, is utilizing the entire cacao plant (and its by-products) to create new uses and flavors.

Though we haven't delved into the retailer's recommendations for this trend, we’re always here for anything that’s better for our planet.

Final verdict? Worth it!

Fancy Faux Fish

Whole Foods owes this 2024 food trend to the emergence of tinned fish and caviar earlier this year.

“Watch out for carrots in place of lox, trumpet mushrooms for scallops, and the root vegetable konjac getting its moment in sushi rolls and poke bowls,” the trend report says. “Whether you’re fully plant-based or looking to eat less seafood, there’s a faux fish waiting for you.”

Final verdict? Worth it!

Shop Faux Fish:

• Seed to Surf Celery Root Smoked Whitefish 3-Pack

Clean & Conserve: Water Stewardship

Regenerative agriculture will continue to grow in practice in 2024, according to the Whole Foods trend report. Some of our go-to brands like Alec’s Ice Cream and Gotham Greens have been longtime proponents of water conservation, so it’s nice to know that sustainable, earth-friendly practices will reach the mainstream.

Final verdict? Worth it!

Shop Our Water-Conscious Faves:

• Alec's Mint Chocolate Chip A2 Ice Cream
• Gotham Greens Iceberg Crunch Lettuce

Noodle News

Instant ramen hacks may be a little less potent once 2024 rolls around. A ton of noodle-forward brands are engineering products that don’t require extra prep, but are still super full on flavor.

Shop Instant Noodles:

• Omsom Coconut Lemongrass Curry Saucy Noodles

Little Luxuries

It seems like everyone is on board with having a little treat on a regular basis. Whole Foods delegates yummy drinks and sweet bites alike to the category of ‘Little Luxuries,’ noting that the food trend is distinctively marked these days by smaller servings and approachable prices.

We’ve also noticed that a ton of on-the-shelf offerings have the cutest packaging design ever. We could never say no to a treat! A few of our faves? OLIPOP cans, SmartSweets candy, and DEUX donut holes.

Final verdict? Worth it!

Shop Little Luxuries We Love:

• OLIPOP Vintage Cola Sparkling Tonic
• SmartSweets Peach Rings Sour Gummy Candy
• DEUX Glazed Donuts

Women's Health: From Taboo to Top of Mind

In addition to movement and mental health maintenance, the zeitgeist is finally acknowledging food as a certified method for supporting female health, from periods and pregnancy to postpartum and menopause. Whole Foods notes that the trend can range from recipes to supplements.

We tried the trend ourselves with the viral Sleepy Girl Mocktail that leverages magnesium, tart cherry juice, and prebiotic sodas like OLIPOP to improve the sleep cycle. Based on the level of shut-eye we got after drinking it regularly, we deem this food trend worth it.

Final verdict? Worth it!

Shop Women's Wellness:

• 365 by Whole Foods Market Organic Tart Cherry Juice
• Lemme Purr Vaginal Probiotic Gummies

A Better Boost

Caffeinated beverages and drink mixes with additional benefits from mushrooms and probiotics are slated to be big in 2024. When combined with these additives, you can diminish the crazy caffeine rush you’d get from other traditional drinking methods.

Final verdict? Worth it!

Shop These Better Boosts:

• Clevr Matcha SuperLatte

Buckle Up for Buckwheat

Buckwheat, a true ingredient underdog, has historically been leveraged to make soba noodles. Per Whole Foods, the soil health-friendly pick is on the rise in popular products like Bob’s Red Mill Buckwheat Pancake & Waffle Mix and Lil Bucks Clusterbucks Buckwheat Granola Bites Chocolate Sea Salt.

TBH, we initially thought of buckwheat as bland, or didn’t think of it at all. We really admire the fact that it’s supporting the soil, but can’t have the final say about if it’s worth it or not since we haven’t tried the trend.

Final verdict? Unclear!

Shop Buckwheat:

• Bob's Red Mill Buckwheat Pancake & Waffle Mix
• Lil Bucks Clusterbucks Grain-Free Superfood Clusters

Complex Heat

Soon, you can begin starring in your very own Hot Ones episodes at home, per Whole Foods’ trend experts. Complex heat is seriously firing up for 2024, with Scorpion, Guajillo, and Hungarian Goathorn Pepper varieties touching everything from candies and cocktails to desserts and grocery picks.

Honestly, we are spice lovers through and through. We’ve taken part in this trend category with buzzy products like Fly by Jing’s Sichuan Gold and the Banza x Tabasco Hotter by the Bite Pizza, but can’t quite confidently recommend it to everyone since each person will have varying tolerance for spice – because with this trend, we’re talking hotter than hot.

Final verdict? Not for everyone!

Shop Complex Heat:

• Fly by Jing Sichuan Gold
• Banza x Tabasco Hotter by the Bite Pizza

If you want to chow down on a hearty (and often cheesy!) meal at the end of your week, you’ll need to be a Noodles & Company rewards member. The $5 bowl offer is exclusive to members only – but don’t fret, it’s super easy to sign up, and it really pays off to be a member.

You can sign up for Noodles & Company rewards via the Noodles mobile app, or on noodles.com. It’s free, plus you’ll receive a complimentary regular-sized entrée after your first purchase! This rewards access also grants you easy access to pickup and delivery services for all those noodles-on-demand needs.

In case you were hesitant about signing up for Noodle rewards, I promise it’s *so* worth it. There are more deals coming your way that will last throughout the entire month of October! Rewards members can continue to enjoy these offers on yummy dishes:

• October 13-15: 20% off classic and stuffed pasta entrees
• October 20-22: 20% off LEANguini and Asian noodle bowls
• October 27-29: 20% off World Famous Macs and all Zoodle dishes

The $5 bowl offer for National Noodle Day is valid just one time per reward members on October 6, 2023 only, and proteins, add-ons, and customizations to the bowl are not included in the promotion. Exclusions to the offer include the chain’s new Chicken Parmesan, soups, salads, and the $10 Mac & Cheese meal deal.

As a Power of Women honoree, Mariska was recognized in regards to her work as an advocate for sexual assault survivors. She took the stage and used her platform to discuss rape and assault conviction reversals, shining a light on the recent overturned ruling in Harvey Weinstein's landmark NYC case. Here's what she said:

Today I want to talk about reversing convictions, and more specifically I want to talk to you about how impossible it is to reverse mine. It’s impossible to reverse my conviction that survivors matter. It is impossible to reverse my conviction that what happens to us matters, and that our society must respond to survivors with a more a compassionate, holistically, deeper, and more nuanced understanding of what healing means.

It is impossible to reverse my conviction that after a trauma, survivors can reclaim lives of hope, of possibility, of audacious risk, beautiful intimacy, and glorious, glorious abundant joy. And I stand before you as evidence of that statement.

It is impossible to reverse my conviction that we must listen to survivors as experts on what justice means. It is extraordinary how little their voices are consulted, let alone incorporated, in the process of deciding how to repair harm. Justice is not a one-size-fits-all journey.

It is impossible to reverse my conviction that patriarchal impunity has to end. Patriarchal impunity is when a male-dominated system exempts perpetrators from punishment. Studies show that only 20% of all rape cases in the U.S. are reported to the police, and that between 5 and 0% of all rapes result in a guilty plea or a conviction. So why do 80% of victims not report? Because they're met with a system that grants impunity to perpetrators; a system that blames victims; a system that accepts only those victims who are experienced as "real" rape; a system that completely misunderstands the neurobiology of trauma, which causes behavior in women that doesn't fit the picture of how a "real victim" would act.

Is that change needed that victims should just pull themselves together? Just buck up and report anyway? No. No, it's the system that receives them that needs to change

It is impossible to reverse my conviction — and the conviction of my extraordinary team, The Joyful Heart — that the backlog of untested rape kits can be brought to zero; that the testing of all new kits must be mandated; that we need a statewide kit tracking system; and that survivors have the right to access the status of their kits.

It is impossible to reverse my conviction that grammar — yes, grammar — that we use when we speak about rape must change. In the sentence, "A woman is raped," there's a crime and there's a victim, but there's no perpetrator. Where's the perpetrator? Where is he? Statistically, as we know, most likely he's walking free. He's so free that he doesn't even appear in the language about the crime that he committed. Is that not extraordinary? It's extraordinary that in the very grammar, the perpetrator goes free. Reintroducing perpetrators in the language of rape will make some very unwieldy grammar, but that's the nature of change. It's unwieldy, it's messy, it's uncomfortable, but it's necessary.

Hargitay continued on in her prolific speech to describe that rape shouldn't be considered a "crime of passion" because it's "not simply the next step in the trajectory of his passion" when a man takes a consensual hookup too far and assaults a woman against her will. She stated that it's "an exercise of power," doubling down that the language we use is important.

The speech went on to address that rape is both about power and control, as a "construct" that was "built, and assembled, and reinforced over time." She noted that there are people with these positions of power — and she specifically called out those in the entertainment industry — that could make a difference and aligned themselves to victims and survivors.

After this and some other remarks, Hargitay specifically called out the Weinstein conviction reversal. She said:

I do want to say something about the Harvey Weinstein conviction, specifically about the reason that it was overturned: too many women's voices. Too many women's voices were allowed to speak. Hallelujah! Amen! I can't imagine anything more beautiful than that. The Daily podcast episode talked about how it was so risky for the prosecution to have that many women testify. Risky to let women speak? You're damn right it is!

Too many women speaking brings change. Too many women speaking shakes the establishment. Too many women means we get listened to more, and people might actually hear what we have to say. Look what happened when women started saying just two words, right? Me too — just as an example — a tidal wave of change. Me too.

And then of course, there was the response: the Me Too Movement. The backlash. The examination of whether the changes that have come are lasting, or are even positive. Of course there's a backlash! What did they expect? For women to speak repeatedly, loudly, together, with a purpose — for there to be no backlash? The backlash is evidence of how powerful those voices were, how powerful those voices ARE.

Watch Mariska Hargitay's Full Speech Here

Turns out that your TV heroes really can be your IRL heroes after all. Long live Olivia Benson! Long live Mariska Hargitay!