For the last year, Hubby and I have eaten mostly Japanese cuisine (with the occasional Korean or Chinese dish thrown in there as well). It wasn’t a conscience decision. Like we didn’t sit down on day and say, “Okay, let’s start only eating Japanese food.” It was more that we both really like Japanese food and Hubby—who does the majority of the cooking these days—found a few recipes he wanted to try. Those few turned into a few more and then he started making sushi and before we knew it we were eating Japanese food six out of seven nights a week.

But here’s the thing, once we started eating less and less American food, we both lost weight and started feeling better. As I started to research more on the Japanese diet I learned that it’s one of the healthiest diets in the world and that Japan has the largest population of octogenarians in the world. So they clearly must be doing something right.

Another thing I’ve recently noticed; on the nights when we do eat something other than Japanese or Asian cuisine, I wake up the next morning practically starving. My stomach will be growling and I can’t wait to eat. Not to mention I usually end up eating more than normal. That’s not the case after a Japanese meal. 

Usually in the mornings I’ll wake up and it will be an hour or two before I start to get hungry. I will make myself something like bacon, eggs, and toast or oatmeal. Which aren’t typical Japanese breakfast dishes but they are a lot smaller portions than I used to have.

Then for lunch I’ll have noodles, or rice and some kind of fish usually. Occasionally I’ll have leftovers, although these days there are a lot less leftovers than there used to be since it’s easier to cook for that meal only. Unless we intentionally want leftovers. (I sometimes make extra rice so I don’t have to make it for lunch the next day.)

Another thing is, it doesn’t take nearly as much to make me feel full. Not only do a feel full but I stay full throughout the day. No more being hungry an hour after I eat. I believe it’s because of the umami found in most Japanese dishes. Something that isn’t really found in other cuisine.

With almost every meal we have a bowl of miso soup—miso is a fermented soy bean paste—the fermentation is good for gut health and it tastes good. In a traditional Japanese meal you don’t serve drinks with your meal. I used to drink a glass or two of water with each meal. Now, I don’t even take a cup to the dinner table with me anymore. 

When I show people pictures of a typical meal at my house I usually get one of two responses: I’d need bigger portions or I don’t like vegetables.

When it comes to food in America portions are huge—especially the meat portion. Everything is supersized and overly large or else we don’t feel like we’re getting enough for the hard earned money we’re paying. But all of that supersizing has led to the obesity epidemic that plagues this country. Or at least greatly contributed to it. Whereas, a typical Japanese meal is made up of several small portions, the meat isn’t typically the main focus of the meal. And the meats used are usually healthier than what the average American meal uses. Lots of fish, chicken, and pork.

We eat a lot of vegetables; cooked, raw, pickled. We always have but it seems like we eat even more now and a wider range of them. We also make and eat a lot of pickles. Now when I say pickles I’m not just talking about pickled cucumbers. We’ve tried pickling a few different veggies. Some were successful, others… not so much. Cucumbers are of course the obvious choice and a favorite of ours. We have several different pickling recipes we do so that even with pickled cucumbers we still have a variety of flavors. 

As the weather starts to get colder I’m looking forward to more ramen, golden curry, and wonton soups. I love soups and stews in the winter. I’m hoping to talk Hubby into doing a hot pot again as well. (I love interactive foods)

I’m not saying everyone should switch to a Japanese diet, but I think we could learn a lot from the foods they eat and the way they eat it; smaller portions, less sugar, more fermented foods, and fresher ingredients.