Bibimbap is considered healthy in most cases. It’s made of vegetables, rice, and raw egg.
Experts say that bibimbap is healthy as long as you eat it in moderation. One bowl of bibimbap contains about 750 calories, which is 1/3th of a whole day of calories for most people.
So as long as you eat bibimbap in moderation, you shouldn’t have to worry about it not being healthy.
Bibimbap comes with a lot of healthy vegetables, so it comes with many health benefits.
Let’s get started.
How Often Should You Eat Bibimbap?
Bibimbap can be eaten every day.
It’s basically like eating rice with vegetables every day. Almost all Asians already do this. Most Korean households eat rice 3 times a day, which are morning, lunch, and dinner.
However, the one thing you have to consider when eating bibimbap is that it has healthy ingredients. Don’t be that person that only eats rice and meat…
Make sure to add some vegetables to the bibimbap and you’re pretty much good to go.
Now, it might get boring after a while, that’s why you can add foods like:
- Soy sauce
- Fried egg
- Pork belly
- Raw beef
- And many more
The options are endless.
As long as you follow a healthy food plate, you’re good to go.
Is Bibimbap Good for Weight Loss?
Bibimbap is good for weight loss. It doesn’t contain much fat, and because there are no oily or calorie-heavy ingredients experts consider it to be healthy.
It’s easy to make and whenever you’re on a diet it’s perfect.
I mean… can you imagine just getting back from a workout and craving Korean food. Well, then bibimbap is your perfect meal.
It doesn’t contain a lot of calories and because of the fermented vegetables you’re eating, it also comes with many health benefits.
Now, some of these only apply when you use certain ingredients such as:
- Beef strips: very rich in protein
- Sesame seeds: high in calcium
- Eggs: packed with a lot of vitamins
So, knowing that you can decide for yourself which types of ingredients you’re using.
Some say that it also lowers blood sugar, but I haven’t seen that happening. In general, Bibimbap is great for weight loss.
It’s basically a salad with some rice and meat.
Keep in mind that you shouldn’t be overeating bibimbap. Always track your calories and check your overall intake for the day.
That’s how you’ll lose weight the fastest.
Bibimbap: Hot vs. Cold
Typically bibimbap gets served hot, but you can also order it to be cold. It’s basically raw food except for the meat.
But most Korean restaurants tend to serve bibimbap with the steamed white right, which is hot in most cases.
Now, there are people that prefer cold rice because it makes them feel less sleepy after. However, the majority of people eat bibimbap hot.
I’ve seen some restaurants serve hot bibimbap during the winter and cold in the summer. This was something that I’d never seen before, which was quite surprising.
So, if you’re not sure what kind of bibimbap they serve, always ask.
4 Easy Bibimbap Recipes
1. Beef Bibimbap
Are you craving some beef bibimbap?
Well, this is it. Making beef bibimbap yourself is by far one of the most delicious dishes you can make after working out.
Not only is it very easy and fast, but it’s also very healthy. What I normally did was just order it from a Korean restaurant. But I know that not everyone has Korean restaurants nearby, so making it yourself is also very easy.
You can add any vegetables you like but the main ones are carrots, beef, eggs, kimchi, bean sprouts, and rice in the middle.
According to your own preferences, you can customize the entire dish.
2. Ssamjang Bibimbap
If you haven’t heard about ssamjang already, you’re missing out big time!
Ssamjang is a dipping sauce that gets served in almost every famous Korean restaurant. It’s a bit spicy like gochujang. But it’s not as spicy as green peppers.
Adding ssamjang to your bibimbap enhances the flavor, which makes it even better. Now, make sure you use enough steamed white rice to balance out the flavor.
If not, the taste can get very strong, which isn’t very pleasant. So, if you are going to use ssamjang, make sure to use it a little at first.
And if you like it, you can always add more. Keep in mind that you shouldn’t add a whole bottle of ssamjang because it’s not the best for weight loss.
3. Vegan Bibimbap
Or do you prefer your bibimbap to be vegan? As someone that has many friends that are vegan it’s quite easy to make vegan bibimbap.
Well… it’s basically the same, but without the meat.
Now, some restaurants don’t offer this in their standard menu. So, make sure to always ask if they have a vegan option. Sadly, even to this day, it’s quite hard to find vegan restaurants in Seoul.
Since Korean BBQ has become such a hit worldwide, you don’t see many vegan restaurants. Many Korean dishes have meat in them, including bibimbap.
4. Spicy Bibimbap
Can you handle spicy food very easily?
Then, you should try out spicy bibimbap. You can add different kinds of spices to your food like gochujang or green peppers.
Both are considered spicy for the average Korean. But I’ve seen people that handle spicy food very well feel nothing…
…that’s not me.
So, if you can handle spicy food very easily and haven’t tried spicy bibimbap yet. Make sure to give it a go, you won’t be disappointed.
Conclusion
After all, bibimbap is considered to be healthy. Experts say that bibimbap contains lots of vitamins, calcium, and magnesium, which are in general good for the health. These benefits come from the ingredients such as rice, bean sprouts, and eggs.
