Ramen noodles are the college student's best friend -- they're cheap, filling and taste great. But what happens when you graduate from college and want to start making smarter, and even better-tasting choices?

The old college girl in me just can't get over the crush I used to have on the 33-cents-a-pop ramen noodle package. (Beef was my favorite flavor.) So now that my budget has grown and my waistline has shrunk, I still like to make room for ramen noodles in my kitchen.

Get the recipe for healthier ramen after the jump.

Making typically pre-packaged foods at home with unprocessed ingredients is the best way to eat well while infusing nutrition. So toss the flavor packets and check out how these nutritional numbers compare for the packaged versions compared to the homemade ones:

A 1 1/2 cup cooked serving of packaged ramen made with one tablespoon of butter:
371 calories, 13 grams fat and 1702 mg of sodium (a whopping 71 percent of your daily recommended intake), 1 percent vitamin C, 0 percent vitamin A, 3 percent calcium and 10 percent iron.

A 1 1/2 cup serving of my ramen recipe:
206 calories, 6 grams fat, 362 mg sodium, 35 percent vitamin C, 79 percent vitamin A, 25 percent vitamin K, 8 percent calcium, 18 percent iron and 12 percent niacin.

Homemade Ramen Noodles

Serves 4

Nonstick cooking spray
7 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1-inch piece ginger, peeled, minced
1 finely minced hot chile pepper (with or without seeds, depending in how spicy you like it)
1/4 teaspoon Chinese five spice
5-ounce package Japanese curly noodles or Chuka soba
1 cup reduced-sodium beef broth
4 cups baby spinach
1 tablespoon butter
2 scallions
1/4 cup cilantro leaves

Heat a large skillet over high heat. Coat with a layer of cooking spray. Add the mushrooms and cook 1 to 2 minutes, stirring once or twice until the mushrooms start to soften (add one tablespoon of water if they begin to stick).

Add the garlic, ginger and chile, and reduce heat to medium. Cook another 1 to 2 minutes until the mushrooms are cooked and the garlic is fragrant.

Sprinkle over the Chinese five spice and stir to coat. Add the noodles and broth. Cover and reduce heat. Simmer 4 to 5 minutes until the noodles are tender.

Add the spinach and butter, and cook 1 to 2 minutes more until the spinach is wilted. Garnish with scallions and cilantro and serve immediately.

Learn more about Jennifer at skinnychef.com, and read her exclusive Slashfood blogs every Monday and Friday.