About Hazel Ng Hazel Ng, RD is the director of DSC Weight Management Program www.dscwellness.com who has helped thousands of people to regain their shape.  DSC is located at 889 San Gabriel Blvd., Sn Gabriel, CA 91776. She enjoys dining out with family and friends and she teaches her clients how to enjoy foods in a healthy way.  She strongly believes that sensible eating, not restrictive diets, is the key to a healthy and happy life.

Korean cuisine is a cultural food with many strong flavors and they are often very tasty to the Asian palate. Among all the Korean dishes in the menu, tofu pot (soon tofu) is the healthiest choice. The Korean tofu in the small hot pot is silky and soft. Tofu is a high quality protein food which is comparable to meat, but without the cholesterol. Bear in mind that all plant foods have no cholesterol. Tofu is also a low fat food with plant estrogen which can help post-menopausal women reduce the chance of getting osteoporosis and maintain heart health. Korean tofu pot usually comes with rice and a variety of cold small dishes such as spinach, bean sprouts, kimchi, cucumbers in vinegar, and seaweed, which makes for a healthy and balanced meal.  It also comes with a raw egg for you to put in your tofu pot. You can omit that if you want to have a very low fat and cholesterol meal.   

Generally, Korean BBQ targets meat lovers.  If it is served all-you-can-eat, you will need to pay special attention to the choice of meat.  Calbee (short ribs), pork belly, beef brisket, and beef tongue are all considered as high fat meat choices.  They are also very high in cholesterol.  Chicken will be a better choice if you are a weight and cholesterol watcher.

Although the healthier choice of fish is not very common on the Korean menu, there are still some available. If you like spicy and strong flavor, the stewed black cod in special seasoning soy sauce will be a dish you want to try.  However, if you are concerned about the fat and sugar in your diet, you might want to choose the pan fried Yellow Covina fish instead because black cod is higher in fat and the seasoning consists of more sugar and salt

Bibimbab

Another healthy choice from the Korean menu would be Bibimbab, which is a rice dish in a stone pot with meat, usually lean beef, and mixed vegetables: mushroom, carrots, bean sprouts, seaweed, and cucumbers.  The rice at the bottom of the pot is usually a little overcooked and the crispiness gives a special texture and flavor to this dish.  Other noodle dishes also consist of meat or egg and vegetables which makes the dishes itself a balanced meal.

The Korean way of serving food is pretty healthy as they always serve you a variety of vegetables dishes first, a bowl of clear soup, and then meat/seafood with rice.  Keep in mind that you can ask for seconds of the appetizers, so you can make sure you have enough veggies before you get to your main course.  If you get into a habit of eating your courses of menu in this order, chances are you will be able to avoid overeating and maintain your healthy weight while enjoying the food that you like.