Korean Food: The Good vs. the Bad.
I love Korean food! I have always love Authentic Asian food in general, but Kpop has open up the door to my new found love of Korean food. I even try to attempt to make some yummy Korean dishes or sides at home. Before, I began diving into Korean Cuisine I thought all authentic Korean food was healthy. Since, I'm in the process of changing my lifestyle I considered making Korean dishes for most of my meals. Then the light bulb came on!! While there are many healthy Korean dishes just like any type of food there are unhealthy dishes. I will share a list of healthy and unhealthy Korean dishes. Keep in mind by unhealthy I am referring to high calorie meals. You don't want to deprive yourself it's fine to eat some of these meals once in a while. We are human and love yummy things!
One thing that I noticed is that Korean meals are high in rich red meats. Some meals may contain high amounts of sodium and sugar. This can be found in the sauces. If you don't want to pass up on these dishes that have salty or sugary sauces try to eat a healthy portion and balance it with lots of good veggies (Bellatti, 2015).
Some Korean Meals to Eat in Moderation!!
Samgyupsal: Although samgyupsal is cooked on a grill at your table, what you are grilling is pork belly meat (Bellatti, 2015).
Bulgogi: Red meat shows up again, this time grilled after being marinated in soy sauce (sodium), sugar, and spices. While it's better than a deep-fried entrée, there isn't much healthfulness to be found in a dish with beef as its focus (Bellatti, 2015). Mulnaengmyeon: This cold noodle soup can pack anywhere from half to three quarters of the sodium you should have in an entire day (Bellatti, 2015).
For more information check out this article. This article is a good read and where I got all my information from.
Healthy Korean Dishes!!
Kimchi: The national dish of Korea, this fermented spicy cabbage delivers a wallop of nutrition both from the cabbage—related to broccoli and kale—and the good bacteria that keep our intestinal health in check (Bellatti, 2015). Saengchae: Thinly sliced radish is combined with a dressing that contains red chili pepper, garlic, sesame seeds, and scallions (Bellatti, 2015). Kongnamul muchim: This popular side dish consists of mineral-rich soybean sprouts mixed with garlic, hot pepper flakes, green onions, and a small amount of sesame oil (Bellatti, 2015). Most of these are veggie side dishes that use non-sodium seasonings like garlic, hot pepper flakes, sesame seeds, etc.
This is a video by Maangchi. She makes make Korean dishes and share her recipes with viewers on youtube. You can tell she loves cooking. I love watching her because of her funny and warm personality. I follow her recipe when making kimichi and most of my Korean dishes at home.
Other tips
Many Korean dishes are soup base or include soup. Just make sure to watch for sodium. Koreans dishes do include meat, but usually the meats not the star of the dish. Try to eat lean cuts if meats or use small amount in a dish. Personally, I use a little bit of meat and add tofu. Koreans are big eaters of seafood too. When making a dish consider using some type of seafood instead of pork. THE BIG THING IS EAT IN MODERATION!! Sometimes Koreans eat with friends and families. They share food. This can cause a person to be aware of how much food they are putting on their plates. Food is great when you can share the calories!
