Food issues in Japan (anyone currently living in Japan?)

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miss_dreamer
miss_dreamer Posts: 50 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So, as I've mentioned before I'm currently living in japan, and recently i've been finding it harder and harder to record my food down, as there are not many equivalents and alot of the food here has no nutritional info on the packaging, so that's problem number one.
Number two is the sheer amount of processed food, i've been living here (on the southern island shikoku - aka nowhere near an international city) for 8 months now and i have yet to find whole wheat, multi grain or any type of bread that isn't white cardboard...and lets not even start on the thickness (its common here to get 4 slice packs, each slice is basically akin to a small spongecake), fried food galore, packaged bento boxes and fresh produce (especially vegetables) is hard to find and if i do find it, usually expensive, so the few bits i can buy regularly i'm now sick of.

Anyone have any advice or useful tips? If you've lived or do live in Japan and have any ideas, it would an amazing help.

Replies

  • SarahofTwins
    SarahofTwins Posts: 1,169 Member
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    Sorry to hear of your issues....my sister actually lives in Misawa, Japan....however she hasnt been logging on so I hope she can get back to losing weight. Anyhow she's told me that she hasnt found that much healthy foods either (unless shes lieing lol) But she tries her best to get veggies, chicken, etc. and that she tries to eat in moderation even though she likes fast foods. I wish I could tell you of a place there :/ I hope you can find something soon!
  • kimkimchi
    kimkimchi Posts: 58
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    Do you not like Japanese food? I lived in Tokyo for 3 years, so I know it's not the same as where you are, but in general Japanese food was really, really healthy.
  • lovecola06
    lovecola06 Posts: 180 Member
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    I will be moving to Yokuska?, Japan in a few months, so I am curious to see what the responses are:smile:
  • miss_dreamer
    miss_dreamer Posts: 50 Member
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    I do love Japanese food, and lately i've been trying to eat more sashimi and just fish in general, but i'm also on a student budget (forgot to mention that >.<), am avoiding the evil that is the sticky white rice though....i've only recently started my new health kick and i have to ashamedly admit i wasn't paying a huge amount of attention to what is healthy before that, what japanese food did you find specifically good?
  • AshleyJapan
    AshleyJapan Posts: 1
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    Some possible options for finding your whole grains in Japan (online) are Tengu Natural Foods, Natural House and occasionally Flying Pig or Foreign Buyer's Club. Amazon Japan is another good site. I'm a health nut (living in Japan 3 years now) and most of the time I've found it relatively easy to eat healthy (though sometimes things cost a bit more). You can find whole grain bread and grains at the above options. Brown rice is sold in many supermarkets, though some may not carry it. You can easily find it online as well. Try looking for 玄米 and/or 発芽玄米.

    I am surprised that you can't find fresh produce though, most supermarkets have a whole section with fresh produce. It's also possibly that your area has farmer's markets. What area specifically are you in? I might be able to track something down for you.

    Generally I eat lots of veggies, fruit, plain yogurt, beans/lentils, edamame, etc. My husband and I also cook fish (which as you know is plentiful and very healthy, as long as you don't eat too much tuna). We don't really go for most packaged stuff. It's also possible to get spices and other things to flavor and cook good meals. Just fyi, we make a wide variety of dishes from Japanese to American, etc. I haven't really found that I've been that limited.

    iHerb is another great online store to order from with cheap shipping to Japan - I often order oats, luna bars, and other healthy things (though we try to limit how much we order). For links to all of the above sites, try: http://www.survivingnjapan.com/p/links.html

    Hope this is helpful - but do let me know if you need more help tracking things down. I'm happy to share everything I've learned. :)

    Ashley

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