Lose Weight Diet Korea

You may have noticed that Koreans do things differently. Not all of it works, but they’re ahead of the game when it comes to diet and nutrition.

Traditional Korean cuisine offers a balanced diet free of sugary or fatty foods and a low amount of red meat. It’s based on ingredients like soybean paste, fresh vegetables, garlic and chili pepper flakes.

The Korean diet has stayed mostly the same for a few thousand years. (If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!) The naughty things I mentioned above were reserved for the king, and dairy wasn’t a thing until a few decades ago.

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Most Korean dishes are based on healthy whole ingredients and a variety of low calorie spices to add flavor. (As long as you’re not allergic to garlic. We use A LOT! It’s pretty much our substitute for butter.)

You’ll frequently see this ad copy from Korean companies saying “something contains X times more vitamin C than a lemon”. And yes, green tea contains 5-8 times more vitamin C than a lemon🍋.

Green tea🍵 is most effective when it’s served warm, but you can pop it in the fridge on a hot day for a cool refreshing drink.

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All my Korean friends who hate drinking plain water but feel the need to hydrate recommend pumpkin tea. They say it tastes savory and delicious while reducing swelling and puffiness, and helping with constipation.

If you live outside Korea, you can easily make these at home with the right ingredients! Koreans make a huge pitcher of bori cha and keep it in the fridge during summer. Have a tall glass with every meal and you’ll end up eating less naturally.

Korean meals are often centered on one of the many types of hearty soups and stews. These cover all the healthy food groups and are a great way to avoid weight gain.

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My favorite is Ppeyo Haejangguk (뼈해장국), which literally means “bone hangover-cure soup“. As its name suggests, this one is perfect after a long night-out.

Miyeokguk is another healthy soup that’s easy to cook at home. All you need is dried seaweed (미역), which is available at a Korean grocery store, beef cubes, soy sauce and sesame oil!

Seaweed is also loaded with Vitamin A, C and E as well as healthy stuff like iodine which great for everything from the Thyroid to the Prostate gland.

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I love this one because it’s easy to make anywhere including western countries like the United States and Canada. Miyeokguk is also a birthday soup in Korea, so prepare it for your husband, wife or significant other when you want to impress them.

Eating one first thing in the morning keeps me full until dinner time with all the protein and carbs I need for the day. Then it’s just a light dinner and I lose tons of weight.

I love these dishes because I can stay in shape while enjoying my meals and not starving. There are so many types that you can eat them in rotation and never get bored.

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Koreans consider meat or fish a “main dish”. But you eat everything together. There’s so much variety that you’re sure to find ones you enjoy.

If you’re dieting, try a minimal version of ssam bap by placing a spoonful of brown/purple rice with a drop of Ssam Jang (쌈장) on a big leafy veggie.

One of my friend’s recipes for Tofu Ssam Jang, which is great for dieting is: Add a bit of toasted sesame oil, minced garlic, smashed tofu and chopped walnut to store-bought ssam jang. Mix it all up and eat it with ssam for a delicious low-fat dish!

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Yes… Some Koreans rely on diet pills. I haven’t seen anyone succeed with it though (they all ended up yo-yoing and gaining the weight back). My friends tried pills and the oriental medicine version. I’ve heard the oriental version works better and it doesn’t damage the body much, since it’s made of herbs and roots. If you’re curious, check out 한의원 (oriental medical clinic) at your nearby Koreatown, and ask for 다이어트 한약 (diet han-yak).

Processed foods became big in South Korea only in the last half century. You can still find tons of whole foods at a bang-at-gan (방앗간) where they sell misutgaru (미숫가루) and toasted sesame oils (참기름). They might not have the fresh-made versions in the states, but ask at your local Korean grocery store.

It’s also common for people to steam goguma (고구마)🍠 or sweet potato which is super filling and low calorie. You can find street vendors who sell steamed roots🌱, which are great when you don’t have time for a meal.

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For those who live outside Korea, just buy some in bulk and throw them in a rice cooker after washing them. You can also use a brown paper bag and microwave goguma and potatoes.

Carbs being the enemy is the mantra of this century. But not all carbs are created equal. Some are full of fiber and will fill you up to prevent you from eating high calorie foods or snacking.

As I mention elsewhere, rice can be substituted with whole grains. You can even mix white rice with other grains. Fiber is your friend and whole foods are full of them.

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Interestingly enough, these grains were for commoners during the feudalism period in Korea. Only nobles could afford white rice. Now, the tables have turned and whole grains are more expensive because they’re healthier and in demand. ( •̀ ω •́ )✧

It’s totally fine if you don’t have a rice cooker. One of the life hacks I’ve learned while traveling is that you can simply microwave a covered bowl of rice with water.

Put a plate underneath to catch any overflow! (Make sure to wash the rice and soak it for at least an hour before cooking.)

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When you’re on a diet, the Korean way is to substitute a bowl of white rice with either mixed grain or brown/purple rice, while cutting the portion to half (1/2 bowl).

Korean cuisine has heaps of probiotics from fermented dishes like Kimchi, which has hundreds of types. Even the simple meals in the pictures above came with at least 3 types of kimchi.

Don’t worry if you can’t eat spicy food, I can’t either (I know.. I’m a Korean who can’t eat spicy food. I always introduce myself as a 맵찔이 or map-jji-ri (T_T)). There’s a non-spicy version: Baek-kimchi (백김치 or white kimchi)!

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These are all flavorful and low-calorie. Koreans also eat fermented fish called hongeo (홍어), but it’s super pungent and intense. They make it easier to consume in Jeolla province though with the right seasoning.

Most of the fermented ingredients like soy sauce, ssamjang, gochujang, doenjang and cheongkukjang come from meju (메주), which are bricks of dried soybeans. It serves as the base for all of these which are stored and fermented in separate jangdokdae (장독대). Talk about versatility!

These bricks were the lifeblood of Koreans for hundreds of years and helped them survive the winter. My great grandma used to make it at her traditional Korean house. Store-bought ingredients are fine, but nothing beats homemade.

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Koreans eat fruit pretty much after every meal. Some fruit may be high in calories, but they’re still better than cookies and cupcakes (I love them too though! 🍪🧁).

As featured in the K-drama, Kingdom, only kings or royal family members got to eat gotgam from Sangju, and others could only dream of them (they’re so good, the prince’s guard risked his life by taking one for his pregnant wife).

A little tip to enjoy gotgam in a modern way is to make a 호두곶감말이 (walnut – dried persimmon roll) by slicing dried persimmons open, spreading cream cheese, adding a walnut, rolling and cutting them!

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These still have nutritional value and fill you up, so you won’t crave higher calorie sweets or be tempted to snack later.

The easiest way to eat clean and healthy is to control your sodium and sugar intake. Many Koreans cook most meals at home because it’s cheaper and healthier.

The trick is to meal prep and cook in bulk. You can make a huge pot of doenjang jjiggae, which is similar to miso soup, with delicious ingredients like pork belly and hard tofu.

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Hiking is a cornerstone of Korean culture. This is no surprise since the country is covered with mountains. You don’t need to drive hours to go hiking in Korea. Locals have 뒷산 (small backyard mountain or hill) in their neighborhoods.

You can still do the same if you live elsewhere, say in the U.S., where public parks and green spaces are abundant.

Misutgaru (미숫가루) is a nutty and savory powder you can turn into shake or drink! I’m still wondering why it hasn’t taken off everywhere. It’s the perfect meal replacement drink at night when you don’t want to have a big dinner.

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You can get the best ones by visiting a local mill and ordering fresh misutgaru. (They normally put 10-20 different roasted grains and beans, but you can ask for specific types! They’ll freshly roast and grind them for you in 5 minutes.)

Deodeok (더덕) juice is so yum and healthy. It recently became more famous by Son Dam-bi.