There are so many Korean dishes to choose from that do not include rice or noodles, that it would seem easy to cut out carbs while eating Korean food. But I know a few Korean people who have tried a South Beach or Atkins type diet, and they have found it difficult to go without a bowl of rice or noodles while enjoying the strong spicy, salty, or sour flavors in Korean food.
I’ve put together a list of the top three ways to eat low-carb Korean meals, which can be so delicious that you don’t feel like you’re missing a thing.
1. Use Low Carb Tofu Noodles
House Foods America
These Japanese noodles are almost too good to be true, as they are both low in calories AND low in carbohydrates. Made from Japanese yam and tofu, they have only 20 calories per serving and are delicious in everything from soups to stir fries. I've never used them in place of pasta for Italian or American dishes (I'm not sure if their texture would make them good replacements), but I have used them for Korean and Japanese noodle dishes and I'm now a big fan. You can order them online, probably at your local Asian market, or at select stores nationwide.
You can use them in:
2. Enjoy Korean Grilled Meat
Naomi Imatome Yun
Most Korean marinades contain sugar, honey, or fruit juice, which all help to make the meat tender and delicious. Not helpful, however, if you're on a low carb diet. Instead of the sugar, you can use 3 Tbsp of a sweetener like Splenda. If you're like me and you can detect an aftertaste in sugar substitutes, then I suggest Smart Sweet Xylitol. It's an all-natural sweetener that has no carbs or aftertaste, and its only downside is that it's a bit expensive.
Once you make the marinade, you can use it on beef, chicken, and pork. You can do everything from chicken drumsticks to bulgogi to shish kebabs to a grilled steak salad. Although this marinade is meant for meat that is to be grilled or broiled, you can also use it to pan-fry.
3. Replace the Rice
Naomi Imatome Yun
The wonderful thing about rice (or pasta or bread), is that it provides the perfect counterpoint to savory food. You can replace the bowl of rice in a Korean meal with a few soft and slightly bland dishes like Korean steamed eggs, steamed tofu, or pan-fried white fish. By replacing instead of eliminating the carbs, it'll be easier to begin and sustain a low-carb diet. As always, it's about balancing the textures and flavors of your meal.
Replace the rice with:
- Korean Steamed Tofu with a splash of soy sauce
- Steamed Eggs with little or no salt
- Sauteed Fish Fillets (reduce the amount of flour and salt in the recipe)
