Japanese Food — A Good Diet Choice

By Jane Kirby, RD and The American Dietetic Association from Dieting For Dummies, 2nd Edition

Japanese food is a nutritious, low-calorie choice for dieters. Japanese can be one of the most nutritional and healthy cuisines, with only a few fattening dishes, such as tempura, teriyaki, katso, and sukiyaki. If eaten in the balance that the Japanese apply — heavy on the vegetables and light on the fats and meats — Japanese food can be a dieter’s dream.

Portions are small in Japanese restaurants, and rice and noodles are the foundation. Cooking techniques are most often broiling, steaming, braising, or simmering — all of which generally produce low-calorie and lowfat dishes.

Choose more of these:

• Clear broth
• Miso (fermented soy)
• Miso dressing
• Mushimono (steamed)
• Nabemono (a one-pot dish)
• Nimono (simmered)
• Sashimi
• Sushi
• Udon (noodles)
• Yaki (broiled)
• Yakimono (grilled)

Eat less of these:

• Agemono (deep-fried)
• Katsu (fried pork cutlet)
• Sukiyaki (a one-dish meal made with fatty beef)
• Tempura (batter-fried)