Japanese food and carbohydrates go together like sushi and soy sauce. However, those wanting to explore different eating habits might stumble across the ketogenic (or keto for short) diet in Japan. The keto diet is high in fat and incredibly low in carbs, but it’s more than just cutting pasta and bread from your meals. The aim of keto is to keep your carbs under 20-50 grams (for reference, one medium-sized apple contains around 20 grams of carbs).
What Are The Benefits Of A Keto Diet?
While the most common reason to follow the keto diet is for weight loss, it can have multiple health benefits. Research suggests it can reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s and heart disease and help people manage diabetes by improving their insulin sensitivity and lowering cholesterol.
It’s hard to believe that these benefits could derive from such a high-fat diet. By replacing your carbohydrate intake with fat, your body is put into a metabolic state known as ketosis, in which your body produces ketones (by-products of fat breakdown) to use for fuel.
While the keto diet is much less commercialized in Japan than in the West, many traditional Japanese dishes are more keto-friendly than you might think.
Please be advised I am not a nutritionist; this content is based on my own experiences and research.
Keto-Friendly Japanese Dishes
Many Japanese dishes have an abundance of fresh vegetables with every serving, all of which change with the season. Below are a few classic Japanese dishes that are suitable or can be tweaked to match the keto lifestyle.
Yakitori
Image: iStock: kazuma seki
Fans of the beloved Japanese chicken dish will be delighted to hear that yakitori (skewered grilled chicken) remains very much on the menu. Yakitori is an ideal high-protein and low-carb dish. For flavor, choose the salt option as it contains less sugar than tare (soy basting) sauce.
Yakiniku
Image: iStock: MarsYu
Yakiniku (Japanese barbecue) boasts endless chicken, pork and beef for you to add to your personal barbecue grill alongside veggies. It’s a perfect way to stick to a keto diet while dining out. Just skip the usual dipping sauces provided and stick to soy sauce to keep carbs low.
Shabu-shabu
Image: iStock: gyro
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