Japanese diet is insane

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Love all the porker Americans (and alleged steamed veggies and fish for breakfast Americans, of which I’ve met exactly zero my entire life) pushing back on OP’s very obviously accurate point.

Japanese eat better than Americans. By a country mile. Yes it’s true the Japanese diet has become more Western/American (meaning, processed and gross) over time. But it’s still night and day. The vast majority of Japanese do NOT eat processed breakfast foods on a regular basis—no pancakes, waffles, pop tarts, sugar cereals, toaster streusels, Cinnabons, bacon egg and cheese sandwiches, biscuits and gravy, corned beef hash, bagels with cream cheese, yogurt “parfaits”, coffee cake, crumb cake, donuts, crullers, muffins, or banana bread. They also don’t drink a liter of orange juice in a sitting.

I’m sure you’ll tell me none of you eat those things either! They’re just mysteriously flying off the grocery store shelves and propping up god knows how many restaurant chains with no one eating like that. Please.

I don’t know any American who eats like that, but that’s probably because I’m UMC. Like most of DCUM.

[Anonymous]

I love Japanese food and a savory breakfast. Sign me up!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I travel a lot for work. The first thing that I realized was how trash American breakfasts were. We're practically the only country that doesn't start its day with veggies, and no, a tablespoon of onions, tomatoes, and spinach in an omelet doesn't count. Also, savory porridge is super common in most other countries. I started making my own version here and love it for breakfast.

So I guess your travels have never taken you to western europe, among other places?

Every day the idiots on here get more and more self assured, it's unbelievable...

+1
I think this person would pass out if they could see what the italians or french have for "breakfast"

My French mother has coffee, a cigarette, and then a kiwi with plain yogurt.
Then another coffee and another cigarette.
She's painfully thin and hardly eats anything.

The "continental" breakfast of pastries, or toast with butter and jam, isn't eaten by many people I know. Lots of French kids eat cereal, but often it's quite junky.

The Italians I know eat a pastry for breakfast every day with a cigarette and an espresso. Many of the things American think about other cultures are seeing things through rose colored glasses

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Love all the porker Americans (and alleged steamed veggies and fish for breakfast Americans, of which I’ve met exactly zero my entire life) pushing back on OP’s very obviously accurate point.

Japanese eat better than Americans. By a country mile. Yes it’s true the Japanese diet has become more Western/American (meaning, processed and gross) over time. But it’s still night and day. The vast majority of Japanese do NOT eat processed breakfast foods on a regular basis—no pancakes, waffles, pop tarts, sugar cereals, toaster streusels, Cinnabons, bacon egg and cheese sandwiches, biscuits and gravy, corned beef hash, bagels with cream cheese, yogurt “parfaits”, coffee cake, crumb cake, donuts, crullers, muffins, or banana bread. They also don’t drink a liter of orange juice in a sitting.

I’m sure you’ll tell me none of you eat those things either! They’re just mysteriously flying off the grocery store shelves and propping up god knows how many restaurant chains with no one eating like that. Please.

I'm not saying that MOST Americans eat super healthily for breakfast, but I am calling out OP's assertion that MOST Japanese are sitting down for a traditional spread of natto beans, miso soup, pickled vegetables and sashimi for breakfast. It's borderline absurd. Anyone who has been to Japan has seen the conbinis everywhere with more junk food than you could ever imagine. And probably less healthy options than in America, where you will often see healthy protein type or fruit bars. 7-11 is massive in Japan and no it's not converted into a juice bar when in Japan- it's the same processed junk that you see in the US, with an even bigger selection of potato chips and desserts. And the difference is, a great majority of Japanese people DO do all their shopping at convenience stores, when most Americans I know only use them infrequently.

This is not defensiveness towards Americans nor an attempt to rip down Jpan. But the fetishization and rose colored glasses which Americans seem to view every other country on earth (especially Japan!) is comical to anyone who's spent a lot of time travelling or living internationally. Actually, as someone who eats mostly organic, Japan was an utter nightmare to source organic foods. "Health food" is far easier to obtain in the states- there's not even a comparison.

But also just- judging a country by what they serve in a tourist attraction is plain stupid, period.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Love all the porker Americans (and alleged steamed veggies and fish for breakfast Americans, of which I’ve met exactly zero my entire life) pushing back on OP’s very obviously accurate point.

Japanese eat better than Americans. By a country mile. Yes it’s true the Japanese diet has become more Western/American (meaning, processed and gross) over time. But it’s still night and day. The vast majority of Japanese do NOT eat processed breakfast foods on a regular basis—no pancakes, waffles, pop tarts, sugar cereals, toaster streusels, Cinnabons, bacon egg and cheese sandwiches, biscuits and gravy, corned beef hash, bagels with cream cheese, yogurt “parfaits”, coffee cake, crumb cake, donuts, crullers, muffins, or banana bread. They also don’t drink a liter of orange juice in a sitting.

I’m sure you’ll tell me none of you eat those things either! They’re just mysteriously flying off the grocery store shelves and propping up god knows how many restaurant chains with no one eating like that. Please.

I'm not saying that MOST Americans eat super healthily for breakfast, but I am calling out OP's assertion that MOST Japanese are sitting down for a traditional spread of natto beans, miso soup, pickled vegetables and sashimi for breakfast. It's borderline absurd. Anyone who has been to Japan has seen the conbinis everywhere with more junk food than you could ever imagine. And probably less healthy options than in America, where you will often see healthy protein type or fruit bars. 7-11 is massive in Japan and no it's not converted into a juice bar when in Japan- it's the same processed junk that you see in the US, with an even bigger selection of potato chips and desserts. And the difference is, a great majority of Japanese people DO do all their shopping at convenience stores, when most Americans I know only use them infrequently.

This is not defensiveness towards Americans nor an attempt to rip down Jpan. But the fetishization and rose colored glasses which Americans seem to view every other country on earth (especially Japan!) is comical to anyone who's spent a lot of time travelling or living internationally. Actually, as someone who eats mostly organic, Japan was an utter nightmare to source organic foods. "Health food" is far easier to obtain in the states- there's not even a comparison.

But also just- judging a country by what they serve in a tourist attraction is plain stupid, period.

[Anonymous]

I was in the Jet Programme teaching for 2 years nearly decades ago and I agree with OP assessment. I have been back to Japan a few times for work and leisure, and still think it's more healthy than the West. Though young people are now gravitating towards western diet such as sweet pastry more and more.

What I hate about the US is that there no healthy convenient breakfast like other parts of the world. It's all fast food and convenience stores, and sweet shops. I wish there was more options.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was in the Jet Programme teaching for 2 years nearly decades ago and I agree with OP assessment. I have been back to Japan a few times for work and leisure, and still think it's more healthy than the West. Though young people are now gravitating towards western diet such as sweet pastry more and more.

What I hate about the US is that there no healthy convenient breakfast like other parts of the world. It's all fast food and convenience stores, and sweet shops. I wish there was more options.

Another lie. Convenience stores in the USA often have hard boiled eggs and fruit in various forms- that's about as healthy as it gets for a quick meal. I guarantee you the Europeans quaffing down a croissant for breakfast or the Japanese grabbing an energy drink are no healthier than most Americans.

[Anonymous]

Japanese don't eat excessively like us Americans. They do have a sense of proportion control though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Rice makes many people’s blood sugar spike much higher than many other carbohydrates.

+1
I enjoy rice but avoid it like the plague. It is future hunger.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Japanese don't eat excessively like us Americans. They do have a sense of proportion control though.

The Chinese laugh at their tiny portions! This is definitely the real reason they’re thin. Not pickled vegetables.

[Anonymous]

We're already fishing the oceans bare, and the average American probably eats fish once a fortnight or less.

If we all start eating fish twice a day our grandchildren will have no idea what a fish even is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Traveling through Japan and eating at a Ryokan for 2 meals - dinner and breakfast - and you really recognize how our food in the west is poison. For breakfast, the traditional Japanese course was basically all vegetables of some sort, plus one tiny bit of fish, and a little bit of rice. Dinner was fish, nearly all vegetables and one course of beef that was probably less than 3 ounces. No wonder Japanese people love forever and with relatively good health. And here I'm thinking about the breakfast we'd consume back home, which would be something like pancakes, bacon, eggs, sausage, refined cereals, and so much other sugar laced foods full of carbs and fat. I almost felt like my body was detoxing after two weeks on a traditional Japanese diet. So much lighter feeling.

Enjoy your mercury poisoning, though. (Since you used the word poison).

[Anonymous]

Gosh I love the Japanese diet. My pale imitation of it is sushi whenever I can find it and lots of sencha tea.

[Anonymous]

If I have Japanese meals often my Mediterranean genes kick me on the gut and instruct me to come back home.
I can’t tolerate soy sauce, mercury contaminated raw salmon and other fish.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I travel a lot for work. The first thing that I realized was how trash American breakfasts were. We're practically the only country that doesn't start its day with veggies, and no, a tablespoon of onions, tomatoes, and spinach in an omelet doesn't count. Also, savory porridge is super common in most other countries. I started making my own version here and love it for breakfast.

So I guess your travels have never taken you to western europe, among other places?

Every day the idiots on here get more and more self assured, it's unbelievable...

+1
I think this person would pass out if they could see what the italians or french have for "breakfast"

My French mother has coffee, a cigarette, and then a kiwi with plain yogurt.
Then another coffee and another cigarette.
She's painfully thin and hardly eats anything.

The "continental" breakfast of pastries, or toast with butter and jam, isn't eaten by many people I know. Lots of French kids eat cereal, but often it's quite junky.

My French mother has coffee for breakfast. And that's it. She'll say she makes up for it at lunch, but her lunch is just a croissant. She is also painfully thin and now approaching 80, not in great health.