Healthy Korean Food Choices, According to a Dietitian

Korean tradition emphasizes meals as a supply of nourishment and therapeutic. All through its historical past, meals has been seen as medication (1).

Consequently, Korean delicacies is mostly wholesome. For instance, a conventional Korean meal generally known as bapsang options rice (bap), a number of facet dishes (banchan), soups or stew (kuk), fermented greens, and generally grilled meats or seafood (2).

Many Korean facet dishes embody greens. These may be seasoned with fermented sauces and condiments like soybean paste (doenjang), soy sauce (ganjang), and scorching pepper paste (gochujang) (1).

Different widespread fermented meals embody salted seafood (jeotgal) and cabbage. Kimchi may be seasoned in numerous methods, normally with salt, ginger, garlic, and/or pink pepper flakes (gochugaru) (1).

Moreover fermentation, widespread cooking strategies embody blanching, boiling, pickling, and grilling. Baking and frying are much less widespread, though some well-liked meals like Korean fried hen are fried (2).

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Korean meals sometimes characteristic seasoned vegetable sides, rice, soup, kimchi, and meat or seafood. Grilling, fermenting, boiling, pickling, and blanching are widespread cooking strategies.

Contemplating the components and cooking strategies of the standard Korean weight loss program, it’s usually thought-about wholesome. As a result of they’re usually excessive in greens and cooked with out a lot oil, Korean meals are sometimes decrease in energy than conventional American meals (2, 3).

One observational examine related consuming a conventional Korean weight loss program with a decreased danger of metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome is a gaggle of situations that will increase your danger of coronary heart illness, sort 2 diabetes, and stroke (3).

What’s extra, fermented meals — like these featured in Korean delicacies — provide well being advantages because of their content material of gut-friendly micro organism known as probiotics (4).

Kimchi, for instance, is made by way of lacto-fermentation. This implies it incorporates Lactobacillus micro organism. Based on test-tube and animal research, these micro organism might assist your immune system (5, 6).

Older research in people additionally recommend that consuming kimchi decreases physique weight and danger elements for coronary heart illness. Though the precise mechanisms are unknown, compounds in kimchi might assist regulate weight, blood strain, blood sugar, and blood fats ranges (7, 8).

Scorching pepper paste and pink pepper flakes are different widespread components in Korean meals. The compound that makes these meals spicy known as capsaicin. It might assist a wholesome metabolism, blood strain, and weight (9, 10).

Nonetheless, some facets of Korean meals might not be so wholesome.

First, pickled and fermented meals, Korean-style soups, and Korean condiments like BBQ sauces are typically excessive in salt. Consuming an excessive amount of salt has been linked to hypertension, a danger issue for coronary heart and kidney illnesses (11).

Second, Korean eating places might serve their meals family-style reasonably than plated as single serves. When you’re watching your weight, it may be exhausting to stay to applicable portion sizes with this type of consuming.

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Most Korean meals is wholesome and stuffed with nutritious meals like greens and kimchi. Nonetheless, some widespread meals may be excessive in salt, and it may be straightforward to overeat if meals are served family-style.

Many Korean dishes are wholesome. Right here’s an inventory of among the finest choices.

• Fermented cabbage. Reap the advantages of kimchi by consuming this fermented cabbage seasoned with garlic, ginger, and pink pepper flakes along with your meals.
• Korean rice bowl (bibimbap). Made with rice, greens, meat, and egg, this bowl is a balanced and nutritious meal. You may skip the meat or change it with tofu in case you comply with a vegetarian weight loss program.
• Seaweed and rice rolls (kimbap/gimbap). These rolls resemble sushi and may be made with greens, meat, eggs, and/or fish, amongst many different variations. They make a superb on-the-go meal or snack.
• Chilly soy milk noodle soup (konggusku). This chilled noodle soup options wheat noodles in a soy milk broth. It’s usually topped with cucumbers and tomatoes and makes a scrumptious, mild meal.
• Sliced beef with greens and rice (bulgolgi). This is likely one of the hottest Korean dishes. It’s excessive in protein and gives micronutrients, although it may be excessive in fats relying on the minimize of meat that’s used. Add vegetable sides to spherical out your meal.
• Smooth tofu stew (soondubu jjigae). Made with delicate tofu, mushrooms and different greens, and generally meat, this spicy stew is an entire meal in a single bowl.
• Steamed, stir-fried, and seasoned vegetable dishes. Steamed eggplant, stir-fried zucchini, seasoned bean sprouts, and seasoned spinach are among the many many wholesome vegetable sides served in Korean delicacies.

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Wholesome Korean dishes incorporate a lot of greens and at the very least one protein supply. Kimchi is a wholesome addition to meals.

When you’re attempting to reduce weight or have a well being situation that you just handle by way of your weight loss program, chances are you’ll need to be conscious of sure Korean dishes. For instance, some meals are excessive in salt and/or energy.

• Korean fried hen. Korean fried hen is thought for its skinny, crunchy exterior that surrounds tender, juicy hen. Nevertheless, because it’s fried and sometimes coated in a salty, sugary sauce, it’s not all the time essentially the most nutritious alternative.
• Noodles in black bean sauce (jajangmyeon). Topped with a thick sauce made out of black bean paste, pork, and greens, these noodles are a preferred takeout dish in Korea. Nevertheless, it’s sometimes excessive in energy from carbs and fats.
• Korean noodles (ramyun). That is the title for Korean prompt noodles just like Japanese ramen. They’re well-liked, and many individuals improve them with healthful veggies and an egg. Nonetheless, they’re excessive in sodium, which some individuals might must be conscious of.

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Dishes which can be excessive in fats, salt, or energy exist in each sort of delicacies. These Korean meals are scrumptious however contemplate selecting them much less usually than different dishes.

When eating at a Korean restaurant

When you’re consuming at a Korean restaurant, contemplate selecting a meal from the above listing of wholesome meals.

When you’re eating with a gaggle and the meals is served family-style, assess all of the choices earlier than plating up.

Goal to fill half your plate with vegetable facet dishes, 1 / 4 of your plate with a protein supply, and add only a small portion of rice or noodles. Do your finest to eat slowly and mindfully, and wait a short while earlier than reaching for extra meals to see whether or not you’re nonetheless hungry.

When you’re watching your weight, select leaner proteins like legume- and soy-based choices like tofu. Go for seafood over fattier cuts of meat and keep away from deep-fried meals.

You probably have diabetes or must handle your blood sugar for different causes, watch out to not load up on rice or noodles. There are normally loads of scrumptious dishes with non-starchy greens to get pleasure from as a substitute.

Lastly, restrict the kimchi, pickled veggies, sauces, and excessive sodium soups in case you’re watching your sodium intake.

When cooking Korean meals at dwelling

You may apply comparable ideas when attempting to cook dinner wholesome Korean meals at dwelling.

Search for recipes which have a stability of protein, fats, carbs, and non-starchy greens. Don’t go overboard on fatty meats or carb-heavy rice.

When making recipes that decision for fermented sauces or different condiments, be cautious of the salt content material. Add a small quantity first, then give the dish a style. Solely then do you have to alter the seasonings to keep away from including an excessive amount of sodium.

When you’re utilizing beef or pork in a recipe however need to scale back the fats content material, ask a butcher for a leaner minimize. Alternatively, serve the dish with extra veggies and a smaller portion of meat.

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When consuming at a Korean restaurant or cooking Korean meals at dwelling, be cautious of the salt and fats content material of meals, in addition to your portion sizes.

The normal Korean weight loss program is wholesome. It’s centered round greens, fermented meals like kimchi, soups, rice, and meat or seafood.

Wholesome Korean meals decisions embody kimchi, seasoned or steamed vegetable facet dishes, bibimbap, and konggusku, amongst many others.

Nevertheless, Korean meals tends to be excessive in salt. Plus, some dishes are excessive in fats and/or calories.