Can I eat stews and soup dishes while on a diet? How much should I have?
Yes, you can eat them. However, I recommend focusing on the solid ingredients rather than the broth. Soup dishes with reduced salt and plenty of vegetables can actually provide satiety and help you stick to your diet. A reasonable amount would be about half of what you normally eat.
For Koreans, a meal simply doesn't feel complete without soup dishes. I personally learned this the hard way when I tried eating only chicken breast for my diet—quickly realized that wasn't sustainable. In the end, the best approach is one you can actually maintain long-term.
In TKM, we pay close attention to the state of your digestive organs. For those with Pi-hyeo (脾虛, spleen deficiency)—meaning weakened spleen function—eating only cold salads can make your abdomen feel colder and actually impair digestion. In such cases, warm soup dishes can help activate Qi and support metabolism instead.
However, there are two key concerns: 'salt intake' and 'uyeol (瘀血, blood stasis).' Consuming overly salty broths can lead to fluid retention and trigger blood stasis, making your body feel swollen and heavy. This can also contribute to da-eum (痰飮, phlegm-dampness)—the accumulation of waste products in the body.
My recommended approach is 'solid-ingredient-centered cooking.' Load your pot with vegetables like radish, cabbage, and mushrooms, and treat the broth more as a taste enhancer rather than the main focus.
During the first week, practice reducing your usual soup portion by half. From the second week onward, gradually adjust to a lighter seasoning. By progressing through these stages, you'll notice reduced swelling and feel much lighter. If you're curious about diet plans tailored to your specific body type, feel free to visit for a consultation so we can work through it together.
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