A Kpop diet is known to be extreme, how else can idols keep their slim figures? See what your favorite idols eat when dieting.
The unmistakable beauty of a Kpop idol– you know it when you see it. Flawless, porcelain skin, impeccable makeup, glossy hair, and of course, their almost impossibly skinny physiques. It’s no secret that being skinny is seen as being beautiful in South Korea, and Kpop idols take it to the next level.
Fortunately for us, it’s a topic that isn’t regarded as taboo and idols are pretty open to when they’re dieting and that their crazy diets consist of. While many idols share healthy diets that include a healthy amount of calories, there are some diets that leave us wondering how some of them are able to dance and perform on stage without passing out (although any Kpop fan knows this does happen!).
And while we in no way endorse or recommend some of the intense calorie-cutting diets of Kpop idols, they’re still fun to look at and feel shock and awe at what some of our favorite idols will endure for to be at the top. Let’s take a look at the craziest Kpop diets of some of the top idols and see a bit healthier Kpop diet plans.
The Kpop Diet of Top Idols
We’ve gathered information on your favorite Kpop idol’s diets based off information they’ve given during TV appearances, interviews, and social media. Most of these diets were only done for a short period of time when the idol had to lose weight quickly. Eating a restricted diet where you’re not getting enough calories on a regular basis is unhealthy and dangerous. These Kpop diet plans are not recommendations in anyway, just information on the typical Kpop idol diet.
IU
IU is known for her “IU Diet,” where she ate 1 apple for breakfast, 2 sweet potatos for lunch, and a protein shake for dinner. She also limited her daily calorie intake to around 500-600 a day when her diet was at its most extreme. The famous IU diet is one she undertook for a short period. Typically she enjoys more of a balanced diet of lean proteins and fruits/veggies.
Jimin – BTS
Jimin is known for undergoing a huge transformation from his pre-debut years losing a ton of weight in a short amount of time. He mentioned that he went through a 10 day diet of only eating one meal day, which left him dizzy and fatigued. It was shown that during this time the BTS refrigerator was only filled with raw chicken breast and vegetables.
Seulgi – Red Velvet
Seulgi has revealed that she enjoys eating salads with lean proteins and prefers to avoid high-calorie foods. She also includes fruits and vegetables in her diet. Seulgi has discussed a time when she had to do a quick crash diet that only contained drinking 500 calories of soy milk all day until she lost 4.4 pounds, an experience she described as unbearable and excruciating.
Jackson Wang – GOT7
Jackson often talks about his fitness and diet routine as he’s often asked to give the breakdown of how he maintains his ripped physique. He believes in having a clean and natural diet, doing fruit and veggie shakes for breakfast and salads for lunch. He enjoys a high-protein diet of chicken breast, fish, and eggs, and tries to avoid carbs. He’s also a fan of supplements like Vitamin C and Omega 3 to keep his body healthy from within.
Lalisa Manobal – Blackpink
Lisa has stated she eats a healthy and balanced diet while limiting processed foods and sweets. She enjoys lean proteins like chicken and beef and snacks on fruits and veggies throughout the day. She has a naturally tall and slender frame that doesn’t require too much calorie restriction but has stated when she needs to drop a few pounds she uses detox juices to replace a meal or two for a few days.
Wendy – Red Velvet
Wendy has talked about her love for fruits and vegetables, and she tries to maintain a balanced diet. She also practices portion control and avoids late-night snacking. During her most severe diets she has stated she would blend black beans, milk, cabbage, and an apple for breakfast, and only eat one packet of pumpkin juice for lunch/dinner.
Jennie Kim – Blackpink
Jennie has shared that she enjoys eating a variety of foods and tries not to restrict her diet or deny herself treats. She does make sure to practice portion control and not over-eating. Her typical diet includes a balance meal plan of lean proteins, vegetables, and healthy fats. She also does her best to stay away from salty foods to prevent bloating in her face.
Taeyang – BIGBANG
Taeyang has mentioned that he follows a diet rich in lean proteins. Since he is in the gym daily, he eats mostly to sustain his energy and shape. He avoids salty foods and alcohol. When he is dieting or preparing for a shoot, he’ll often only eat a bowl of rice with beef for breakfast/lunch and completely skip dinner.
Momo – TWICE
Momo has talked about the impossible diet she had undergone to lose about 15 pounds before she joined TWICE. She stated she pretty much stopped eating and drinking and only sucked on ice cubes, leaving her lifeless and hardly able to move. Nowadays she doesn’t restrict herself to that extent and eats a balanced meal of lean proteins, fruits, and veggies. She has stated she eats when she is hungry but is guilty of often only eating one meal a day.
Irene – Red Velvet
Irene has been vocal about her dieting secret that helps her keep her slender figure. While she typically enjoys a balanced diet of fruits, veggie, grains, and lean proteins, when she is trying to shed a few pounds she will restrict her calories and drink a glass of pumpkin juice along with a slight breakfast as well as dinner. Pumpkin juice is light on calories and leaves you feeling full making it easier to handle hunger pangs.
RM – BTS
RM has mentioned that he aims to eat 3 balanced meals with healthy snacks to help sustain his high calorie burning activities at the gym and while dancing. Although he doesn’t like to restrict his diet from foods he wants to eat, he does not eat over 2000 calories in a day. He also emphasizes the importance of staying hydrated and drinks a ton of water throughout the day.
Hyuna
Hyuna is known as the portion queen. She has mentioned that she stays away from junk food, carbs, and processed foods and eats what she enjoys, just in very small portions. She enjoys spicy foods and noodles and tries not to restrict or starve herself since she has a very active, calorie-burning lifestyle of dancing and working out.
Suga – BTS
Suga has also had a lot of buzz around his extreme dieting routine. When he is trying to cut wait, he practices intermittent fasting where he fasts for 18 hours a day and only allows himself to eat in the rest of the 6 hours out of the day. When he does eat, he enjoys lean proteins like grilled chicken breast, low-carbs, and doesn’t eat more than 1,800 calories per day.
Taeyeon – Girls’ Generation
Taeyeon has discussed her diet on several occasions and has stated she enjoys eating clean, natural foods like fruit and salads. She stays away from processed foods and carbs and only eats ramen a few times a year. She attributes her slender frame to simply eating less with 3-4 small portioned meals a day.
Changmin – TVXQ
Changmin is known for his lean, muscular body and of course, his 6 packs abs. He has stated he stays on a lean protein diet and stays away from carbs and salty foods. He has discussed a time where he had undergone an extreme diet of 2 blocks of tofu a day when he needed to lose weight quickly but now enjoys a more regular, balanced diet along with a rigorous work out routine.
Hwasa – Mamamoo
Hwasa is known for her delicious mukbang shows as she is not shy about her love of food. She has stated many times she hates dieting but tries to stick to a low carb, lean protein diet of eggs, chicken, turkey, fish, and fruits and veggies. She seems to yo-yo diet where she’ll indulge in her favorite foods like her famed favorite dish of gopchang (cow intestines), and then change to a healthier, restricted calorie diet before she makes an appearance.
Mark – GOT7
Mark is another Kpop idol that is know for their love of food as he’s even know for his own dish known as ‘The Mark Meal’ including sausage and cheese on rabokki noodles. Mark has a naturally slender figure which he maintains with regular exercise and a diet that consists of mostly meat, especially beef. He stays away from junk foods and sweets and tries to limit salty foods.
Nayeon – TWICE
Nayeon has stated she doesn’t like to restrict herself when it comes to her diet and just tries to eat what she likes in moderation so long as she doesn’t surpass 1200 calories per day. She enjoys a diet of eggs and toast for breakfast, chicken and green veggies for lunch, and a lean protein like beef or chicken and a sweet potato for dinner.
JB – GOT7
JB has talked about his preference for eating meat and Korean soups. He prefers a balanced diet of lean meats and vegetables as well as cheat days once a week to indulge in his favorite, sweets. He has stated a typical daily diet includes fruits and chicken breast for breakfast, a Korean soup and salad for lunch, and a larger splurge meal for dinner including his favorite meats like Korean BBQ.
Idols Favorite Picks:
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Healthier Weekly Diet Plan
If you’re set on losing weight to look like your favorite Kpop idols, it’s best to do it in a healthier way that will give you longer lasting results while not harming your body. An extreme, Kpop diet may get you quick results but often result in distorted binge eating which will make you gain more weight and ruin your health in the long run.
Creating a healthy weekly diet plan that includes calorie restriction without being dangerous requires careful consideration of nutritional needs and portion control. It’s important to focus on nutrient-dense foods and maintain a balanced intake of macro-nutrients (carbohydrates, protein, and fats) while ensuring you’re meeting your body’s energy demands.
Here’s a sample diet plan for moderately active women in their 20s-30s that will help you lose weight quickly while still meeting your body’s energy needs.
Day 1:
- Breakfast: Greek yogurt with mixed berries and a sprinkle of granola.
- Mid-morning snack: Carrot sticks with hummus.
- Lunch: Grilled chicken salad with mixed greens, vegetables, and vinaigrette dressing.
- Afternoon snack: Apple slices with a small handful of almonds.
- Dinner: Baked salmon with quinoa and steamed broccoli.
Day 2:
- Breakfast: Scrambled eggs with spinach and whole-grain toast.
- Mid-morning snack: Cottage cheese with sliced peaches.
- Lunch: Turkey and avocado wrap with whole-grain tortilla.
- Afternoon snack: Celery sticks with peanut butter.
- Dinner: Stir-fried tofu with brown rice and mixed vegetables.
Day 3:
- Breakfast: Oatmeal topped with sliced banana, chopped nuts, and a drizzle of honey.
- Mid-morning snack: A handful of grapes and a small piece of cheese.
- Lunch: Lentil soup with a side of whole-grain crackers.
- Afternoon snack: Trail mix with dried fruits and nuts (portioned).
- Dinner: Grilled lean steak with sweet potato and asparagus.
Day 4:
- Breakfast: Smoothie with spinach, banana, protein powder, almond milk, and a spoonful of nut butter.
- Mid-morning snack: A small handful of mixed nuts.
- Lunch: Quinoa salad with chickpeas, cucumbers, tomatoes, and feta cheese.
- Afternoon snack: Sliced bell peppers with guacamole.
- Dinner: Baked chicken breast with roasted Brussels sprouts and a side salad.
Day 5:
- Breakfast: Whole-grain waffles with berries and a dollop of Greek yogurt.
- Mid-morning snack: Hard-boiled egg and a handful of baby carrots.
- Lunch: Grilled vegetable wrap with hummus in a whole-grain wrap.
- Afternoon snack: Sliced pear with cottage cheese.
- Dinner: Broiled fish with steamed green beans and quinoa.
Day 6:
- Breakfast: Avocado toast on whole-grain bread with a poached egg.
- Mid-morning snack: A small handful of trail mix.
- Lunch: Spinach and arugula salad with grilled chicken, strawberries, and balsamic vinaigrette.
- Afternoon snack: Baby tomatoes with mozzarella cheese.
- Dinner: Stir-fried shrimp with broccoli and brown rice.
Day 7:
- Breakfast: Cottage cheese with pineapple chunks and a sprinkle of sunflower seeds.
- Mid-morning snack: Rice cakes with almond butter.
- Lunch: Turkey and vegetable stir-fry with quinoa.
- Afternoon snack: A small bowl of mixed fruit salad.
- Dinner: Baked tofu with roasted vegetables and a side of mixed greens.
Remember to stay hydrated throughout the day by drinking plenty of water and adjusting portion sizes based on your individual calorie needs and activity level. Variety, balance, and portion control are key to a sustainable and healthy calorie-restricted diet.
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