One of the reasons why Japanese people are so healthy has to do with the amount of food they eat per serving. If you have ever eaten out in Japan, you may have been surprised at how small the portions are. In this article,I will talk about the standard amount of food in Japan for dieters. Let’s explore the secret of being able to fill your stomach even with a small meal!
Meal Amounts Defined by the National Dietary Guidelines
The Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) has established a “Dietary Balance Guide” to determine the amount of energy required and the guidelines for daily intake. The “Dietary Balance Guide” is an illustration of “what” and “how much” one should eat in a day, expressed in the form of panels and illustrations of dishes. The size of the panels (appropriate amount) varies depending on the target person’s gender, age, physical activity level, and other factors. This way, people can learn about the proper amount of food to eat for each individual and lead a healthy dietary life.
Since this Dietary Balance Guide is taught in elementary and junior high school classes, Japanese people have had knowledge of the nutritional balance of their diets since childhood.
Many products based on this nutritional balance are sold at restaurants, convenience stores, and supermarkets.
What do we actually eat?
Japan has a culture of “washoku” (Japanese food). The “wa” in Japanese food means “Japan” and “shoku” means “to eat.” It is a meal combining side dishes cooked with seasonal vegetables, fish, and other ingredients, white rice, soup, and pickles. Many families prepare Japanese food using a variety of ingredients and eat it with their families.
A typical Japanese meal eaten at home consists of a bowl of rice (about 150g), a side dish of protein such as meat or fish (a palm-sized portion), a side dish made of vegetables (one or two small dishes in a small bowl), and miso soup. You can get the right amount of carbohydrates, protein, fat, and fiber without considering a detailed nutritional balance. Even if the quantity of each dish is small, the number of dishes makes them look voluminous and visually satisfying, and the number of times you chew them increases, making you feel full. This is the merit of Japanese food, which satisfies the stomach with a small amount of food while maintaining a healthy diet.
However, these meal guides are only a guide, and not all Japanese people are able to eat a healthy and well-balanced diet. For example, busy office workers drink only coffee in the morning and have a quick lunch at a ramen shop near their workplace. If they work overtime, they come home late and do not have time to cook a meal. Therefore, on their way home from work, they buy prepared foods and beer at a convenience store or supermarket and have a late dinner, or eat a quick meal at a beef bowl restaurant on their way home. Many people have such a lifestyle. On weekends, they will go to an izakaya with their colleagues after work and get drunk.
Meal amounts of Japanese dieters
Let’s take a deeper look at the meal amounts of Japanese dieters.
As a personal trainer, I have coached many dieters.
Many people who have dieted in the past tend to follow diets that cut out carbohydrates or eat only vegetables. However, this diet can lead to poor health due to nutritional deficiencies, and stress builds up due to an unsustainable diet, which leads to rebounding. In order to succeed in a healthy diet without rebounding, “continuity” is important. Therefore, at my gym, I suggest three meals that are nutritionally balanced according to the calorie intake of each client. The key is not to reduce the volume of your meals! To eat a satisfying meal, you should eat less fat, which has the highest calorie content among carbohydrates, fats, and proteins.
Here are some photos of customers who have actually lost weight by eating three meals.
How do you think? They are not only eating salads and chicken, but also enjoying a variety of meals and working on weight loss without any stress.
Japanese Washoku is often low in fat and uses a variety of vegetables, so it is possible to maintain a good nutritional balance.
Let’s try Japanese food and aim for a nutritionally balanced diet!
I hope this blog has been of some help to all of you. Thank you for reading until the end.