A healthier way to enjoy your favorite Korean street snacks: tteokbokki and fried foods

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Spicy, sweet tteokbokki and crispy fried snacks are some of the hardest foods to resist when trying to manage weight. Cravings often grow stronger once a diet begins, so here are some tips on how to eat tteokbokki and fried foods in a way that minimizes weight gain.

A single serving of tteokbokki (300g) contains about 500 calories. But a single serving of assorted fried snacks such as glass noodle rolls, vegetables and squid can easily reach 500 to 600 calories, even with three to four pieces per serving. Because fried foods absorb oil, they tend to have higher calorie counts than an equivalent portion of tteokbokki.

The oil in fried foods also raises levels of bad cholesterol, causing inflammation in the blood vessels. Tteokbokki, made with refined carbohydrates, is high in calories as well, but fried snacks pack more calories in a smaller serving. For a slightly healthier fried option, experts recommend pumpkin fritters, as pumpkin absorbs nutrients better when cooked in oil. For tteokbokki, adding plenty of vegetables and reducing the amount of sauce can help lower calories.

Tteokbokki spikes blood sugar quickly and triggers cravings

Tteokbokki is made from refined carbohydrates, usually wheat or rice cakes. The sauce contains generous amounts of sugar, causing blood sugar to rise rapidly. Those who must manage blood sugar because of diabetes or other health issues are advised to avoid eating tteokbokki.

In terms of satiety, tteokbokki fares better. It allows you to consume vegetables rich in dietary fiber along with carbohydrates. For those dieting, eating the cabbage, onions, and other vegetables in the dish first can help. Fried foods, by contrast, tend to provide less satiety, while just a small amount can leave the stomach feeling heavy due to greasiness. This is why people often pair fried snacks with spicy tteokbokki or hot ramen.

After finishing spicy tteokbokki, many people crave something sweet and cold, such as ice cream or juice. This habit of following a snack with a dessert is a direct path to weight gain. For this reason, fried snacks may be a less favorable choice during weight control. When dieting, tteokbokki may be the better option, as long as vegetables are eaten first to increase fullness and slow the rise of blood sugar.

This article from Kormedi.com, Korea’s top health care and medical portal, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.