Snacking Habits

When I look at how my eating habits have changed since I’ve been in South Korea, one thing really stands out – I snack less often.  Over the years, I got in the habit of eating small amounts throughout the day, but I don’t do that over here.  Part of the reason for that is a fear of overeating (I haven’t figured out the calories of the foods and not sure I ever will).  Another reason is the availability of healthy snacks.

It seems like snacks for Koreans are more like “treats.”  They’re not necessarily healthy, nutritious and satisfying.  They get away with that, though, because their meals are insanely healthy…scientifically healthy (just read one of my earlier blogs about the science behind Korean food).  One of the problems with having healthy snacks on hand is the expense.  Produce is quite expensive over here, and it doesn’t seem to last long.  Some of my vegetables turn bad pretty quickly, so I need to be careful.

And I suppose another reason Koreans tend to have treats instead of snacks in between meals is that they just have some AMAZING tasting desserts and treats.  Desserts are big because, like much of the 

Korean food, they are meant to be shared.  My new favorite treat is bingsu.  Bingsu is essentially frozen milk that is shaved like a snow cone, but has a delightful velvety texture.  Traditional bingsu is topped with a Korean traditional rice cake that has a nutty flavor (kind of reminds me of powdered peanut butter…thank you PB2).  It also comes with other toppings like strawberry or coffee.  And…don’t forget red beans.  I know…it doesn’t sound very appetizing, but trust me when I say Koreans know how to do red bean paste.  This yummy dessert is going to be very dangerous for me as the summer gets hotter…I may have found a new trigger food!

 

Snack vs. Treat

Satisfiying

Nutritious

Appetizing

Carefully chosen

Kick of energy

Tempting

Rarely healthy

Empty calories

And at times...

Totally worth it (in small portions)