Standard
Dietary Recommendations

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Whole Cereal Grains
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The
principal food of each meal is whole grains, comprising at least half the
total volume of the meal. Cooked whole grains are preferable to flour
products, as they are more nutritionally complete. Whole cereal grains and
whole grain products include
Regular
use
Short-grain
brown rice
Medium
grain brown rice
Millet
Barley,
pearl
barley
Buckwheat
Corn
Rye
Wheat
berries
Whole
oats
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Occasional
Sweet
brown rice, mochi
(pounded
sweet brown rice)
Long-grain
brown rice
Rice
cakes
Noodles
(whole-wheat, udon, soba,
somen, quinoa, rice, spelt)
Unyeasted
whole-wheat or rye bread
Cracked
wheat, bulgur, couscous
Steel-cut
oats, rolled oats
Corn
grits, corn meal, polenta
Amaranth
Quinoa
Rye
flakes
Spelt
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Soups
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One
or two bowls of soup seasoned with miso or tamari soy sauce is recommended
every day (approximately 510% of daily intake). The flavor should be
mild; not too salty and not too bland. Prepare soups with a variety of
ingredients, changing them daily. Include a variety of seasonal
vegetables, seaweed (especially wakame or kombu) and occasionally add
grains and/or beans. Daily soups can include genmai (brown rice) miso,
hatcho (soybean) miso, mugi (barley) miso, or tamari soy sauce. Kome
(rice), red, white, and yellow miso may be used on occasion.

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Vegetables
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One-quarter
or more (2530%) of daily meals includes fresh vegetables prepared in a
variety of ways, including steaming, boiling,
baking, pressure cooking or sauteing (with a small amount of sesame, corn,
or other vegetable oil). In general, some smaller portion of vegetable
intake may be eaten in the form of pickles or salad. Commercial mayonnaise
and dressings should be avoided.
Green
and white leafy vegetables for regular use
Bok
choy
Carrot
tops
Chinese
cabbage
Collard
greens
Daikon
greens
Dandelion
greens
Kale
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Leeks
Mustard
greens
Parsley
Scallion
Turnip
greens
Watercress
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Stem/root
vegetables for regular use
Burdock
Carrots
Daikon
(long white radish)
Dandelion
root
Jinenjo
(mountain potato)
Lotus
root
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Onion
Parsnip
Radish
Rutabaga
Turnip
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Ground
vegetables for regular use
Acorn
squash
Broccoli
Brussels
sprouts
Butternut
squash
Cabbage
Cauliflower
Hubbard
squash
Hokkaido
pumpkin
Pumpkin
Red
cabbage
String
beans
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Butternut squash |
Vegetables
for occasional use
Celery
Chives
Coltsfoot
Cucumber
Endive
Escarole
Green
peas
Iceberg
lettuce
Jerusalem
artichoke
Kohlrabi
Lamb's-quarters
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Mushrooms
Patty
pan squash
Romaine
lettuce
Salsify
Shiitake
mushrooms
Snap
beans
Snow
peas
Sprouts
Summer
squash
Swiss
chard
Wax
or yellow beans
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Beans
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A
small portion (10%) of daily meals include cooked beans. The most suitable
beans may include
Regular
Use
Aduki
beans
Black
soy beans
Chickpeas
(garbanzos)
Lentils
(green)

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Occasional
Black-eyed
peas
Black
turtle beans
Kidney
beans
Great
northern beans
Lima
beans
Navy
beans
Pinto
beans
Soybeans
Split
peas
Whole
dried peas
Chickpeas,
lentils, and aduki beans
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Bean
and Wheat Products
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A
few times a week, the following foods may be added to vegetable dishes or
soups, as a substitute for bean dishes:
Tempeh:
a pressed soybean cake made from split soybeans, water, and a special
enzyme
Seitan:
wheat gluten, prepared from whole-wheat flour
Tofu:
fresh soybean curd, made from soybeans and nigari (a natural sea salt
coagulant); used in soups, vegetable dishes, and dressings
Dried
tofu: dried soybean curd used in soups and vegetable dishes
Natto:
whole cooked soybeans fermented with beneficial enzymes; served with
whole grains
Fu:
dried, puffed, and baked wheat gluten or seitan used in soups or stews

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Sea
Vegetables
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These
important foods are served in small quantities and comprise a few percent
of daily intake. Sea vegetables are prepared in a variety of ways
for example, in soups, with beans (kombu is especially recommended), or as
side dishes. Sea vegetable dishes may be flavored with a moderate amount
of tamari soy sauce and brown rice vinegar. Sea vegetables for regular use
include
Agar
agar
(for gelatin molds)
Arame
(as a side dish)
Dulse
(in soups, as a part of side dish, or condiment)
Kombu
(for soup stocks, as a side dish, or condiment)
Hiziki
(as a side dish)
Irish
moss (in soups or as aspic)
Mekabu
(as a side dish)
Nori
(as a garnish, condiment, or used for rice balls, etc.)
Sea
palm (as a side dish)
Wakame
(in soups, especially miso soup, as a side dish, or condiment)

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Additional
Foods
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Once
or twice a week, a small amount of fresh white-meat fish or seafood may be
eaten, if ones condition allows. These varieties include
Carp
Clams
Cod
Flounder
Haddock
Halibut
Herring
(fresh)
Mahi
mahi
Oysters
Red
snapper
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Scallops
Sea
bass
Shrimp
Sole
Smelt
Tile
fish
Trout
Iriko
(small dried fish)
Chirimen
Iriko (very tiny dried fish)
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Roasted
seeds and nuts, lightly salted with sea salt or seasoned with tamari,
may be enjoyed as snacks. Roasted seeds are used occasionally, whereas
roasted nuts are consumed much less often. It
is preferable to minimize the use of nuts and nut butters, as they are
high in fats and difficult to digest.
Occasional
Pumpkin
seeds
Sesame
seeds
Sunflower
seeds
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Less
often
Almonds
Peanuts
Pecans
Walnuts
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Other
snacks may include rice cakes,
popcorn, puffed grains, roasted beans, and grains.
Desserts
are best when sweetened with a high-quality sweetener, especially those
made from grain, such as rice syrup, barley malt, and amasake, and may be
enjoyed in small amounts. Dried fruit and fresh fruit may be eaten on
occasion by those in good health. Fruit juice is not recommended as a
regular beverage. Only locally grown fruits are recommended. Thus, if you
live in a temperature zone, avoid tropical and semitropical fruit.

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Sweets
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Sweet
vegetables
Cabbage
Carrot
Daikon
Onion
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Parsnip
Pumpkin
Squash
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Sweeteners
Amasake
Apple
juice or cider
Barley
malt
Chestnuts
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Dried
local fruit
Raisins
Rice
syrup
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Temperate-
climate fruit
Apples
Apricots
Blueberries
Cantaloupe
Cherries
Grapes
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Peaches
Pears
Plums
Raspberries
Strawberries
Watermelon
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Beverages
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Please
use spring or well water for teas. It is best to drink only when thirsty.
Recommended beverages may include
Regular
use
Bancha
twig tea (kukicha)
Bancha
stem tea
Boiled
water
Roasted
barley tea
Roasted
rice tea
Spring
or well water
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Occasional
Dandelion
tea
Grain
coffee
Kombu
tea
Mu
tea
Umeboshi
tea
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Less
often
Barley
green tea
Beer
Local
fruit juice
Nachi
green tea
Sake
Soymilk
Vegetable
juices

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Condiments
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The
following condiments are recommended for daily or special uses:

Tamari
soy sauce: Use mostly in cooking. Please normally refrain from using tamari
soy sauce on rice or vegetables at the table.
Sesame
salt (gomashio): 1020 parts
roasted sesame seeds to 1 part roasted sea salt. Wash and dry roasted
seeds. Grind seeds together with sea salt in a small earthenware bowl
called a suribachi, until about two-thirds of the seeds are crushed.
Roasted
seaweed powder: Use either wakame,
kombu, dulse, or kelp. Roast seaweed in the oven until nearly charred
(approximately 350° for 510 minutes) and crush in a suribachi.
Sesame
seaweed powder: 16
parts sesame seeds to 1 part seaweed [kombu wakame, nori, or ao-nori
(green nori)]. Prepare as you would sesame salt.
Umeboshi
plum: Plums that have been dried and pickled for over one year with
sea salt are called ume (plum) boshi (dry) in Japanese.
Shiso
leaves: Usually added to umeboshi plums to impart a reddish color and
natural flavoring. Umeboshi stimulates the appetite and digestion and aids
in maintaining an alkaline blood quality.
Shio
(salt) kombu: Soak 1 cup of kombu until soft and cut into 2" square pieces.
Add to 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup tamari, bring to a boil and simmer until
the liquid evaporates. Cool and put in a covered jar to keep. One to two
pieces may be used on occasion as needed.
Nori
condiment: Place dried nori or several sheets of fresh nori in approximately 1
cup of water and enough tamari soy sauce for a moderate salty taste.
Simmer until most of the water cooks down to a thick paste.
Tekka:
This condiment is made from 1 cup of minced burdock, lotus root,
carrot, miso, sesame oil, and ginger flavor. It can be made at home or
bought ready-made. Use sparingly due to its strong contracting nature.
Sauerkraut: Made
from cabbage and sea salt, this can be eaten sparingly with a meal.
Other
condiments for occasional use:
Takuan
daikon pickle: A dried long pickle that can be taken in small amounts,
with or after a meal.
Vinegar:
Grain vinegar and umeboshi vinegar may be used moderately.
Ginger:
May be used occasionally in a small volume as a garnish or flavoring
in vegetable dishes, soups, pickled vegetables, and especially in fish and
seafood dishes.
Horseradish
or grated fresh daikon: May
be used occasionally as a garnish to aid digestion, especially served with
fish and seafood.
Pickles:
Made with rice bran, brine, or other naturally pickled vegetables may
be used in small amounts with or after meals.
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Oil
and Seasoning in Cooking
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For
cooking oil, only high-quality, cold-pressed vegetable oil is recommended.
Oil should be used in moderation for fried rice, fried noodles, and
sauteing vegetables. Generally two to three times a week is reasonable.
Occasionally, oil may be used for deep-frying grains, vegetables, fish,
and seafood.
Regular
use
Corn
oil
Dark
sesame oil
Mustard
seed oil
Sesame
oil |
Occasional
Safflower
oil
Sunflower
oil |
Less
often
Olive
oil |
Avoid
Commercially
processed oils
Canola
Cottonseed
Peanut
oil
Soybean
oil
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Naturally
processed, unrefined sea salt is preferable to other varieties. Miso (soy
paste) and tamari soy sauce (both containing sea salt) may also be used as
seasonings. Use only naturally processed, non-chemicalized varieties. In
general, seasonings are used moderately.
Regular
use
Ginger
Miso
Sauerkraut
Tamari
Tamari
(shoyu) soy sauce
Unrefined
white or light grey sea salt
Umeboshi
plum
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Occasional
Horseradish
Mirin
Oil
Rice
or other grain vinegar
Umeboshi
vinegar
Umeboshi
paste
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Avoid
All
commercial seasonings
All
spices
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