A night craving for delivery tteokbokki... Try ordering with this

Most delivered foods have a high glycemic index. The glycemic index quantifies the effect of carbohydrate-containing foods on blood sugar levels. The lower the number, the slower it raises blood sugar. Foods with a glycemic index of 55 or below are classified as 'low glycemic index' foods, while those with 70 or above are classified as 'high glycemic index' foods.

Chicken, pizza, hamburgers, jjajangmyeon, and tteokbokki are representative delivery foods with high glycemic indices. This is because the ingredients themselves have high glycemic indices: fried chicken batter (74), pizza dough (80), hamburger buns (94), jjajangmyeon noodles (80), and tteok (rice cakes) in tteokbokki (85). Since they are delivered already cooked, it is also difficult to lower the glycemic index by changing ingredients.

How about Vietnamese spring rolls filled with lots of vegetables? They are better than the previously mentioned delivery foods, but they are not at a level where you can eat them without worry. The glycemic index of the ingredients used in Vietnamese spring rolls, such as shrimp (40), paprika (26), cucumber (23), onion (30), and bean sprouts (24), is low. However, the rice paper wrapping them has a glycemic index of 80. If you really want to eat Vietnamese spring rolls, it is advisable to cut the rice paper in half before eating.

The glycemic index increases the more the food is cooked and cut into small pieces. It is preferable to choose foods that are less cooked. For people managing blood sugar levels, when craving takeout, the best options are oven-roasted chicken or sashimi.

Oven-roasted whole chicken does not have a batter coating, so its carbohydrate content and calorie count are lower than fried chicken. However, the dipping sauces for the chicken contain a significant amount of carbohydrates, so it is best not to dip the chicken in them as much as possible. Sashimi is an excellent source of protein and is not prepared with seasonings, so even diabetics can eat it. However, it is not recommended to dip sashimi in very sweet gochujang (red pepper paste). It is better to dip it lightly in soy sauce mixed with wasabi. The carbohydrate content in soy sauce is about one-third of that in gochujang.