[Balanced Meals Note #03] My Rules 2 & 3: Seasonal Ingredients & Plenty of Vegetables!

"Balanced meals" are not about working hard.
Keep it easy, keep it balanced, and while you're at it, make it delicious and good for your body.
I'm introducing my own personal rules for maintaining that kind of lifestyle.

Last time, I talked about My Rule 1: "The time limit is within 60 minutes".
Have you read it yet?

This time, out of my five personal rules, I will be sharing about these two:

• Incorporating seasonal ingredients

• Plenty of vegetables, and being "vaguely" conscious of nutritional balance

These are just things that "I do," but I hope you find them helpful.
I hope you find them helpful.
I hope you find them helpful.

My Rule 2: Incorporate seasonal ingredients

Seasonal ingredients are cheap, delicious, and highly nutritious! These three points alone are reason enough, but actually, what's even more important is that they are
what your body needs.

Nowadays, all kinds of vegetables are lined up in supermarkets all year round.
But based on my own experience,

• I naturally want to eat eggplant and cucumbers when summer comes

• I never run out of daikon radish and Chinese cabbage in winter

• Conversely, if it's out of season, I won't buy it unless there's a very good reason

This shows that our bodies really know what they "want right now."

"I want to eat eggplant," or "I want to simmer some daikon and blow on it to cool it down."
When I cherish those feelings, I end up choosing seasonal ingredients.

Since we were born in Japan, which has four seasons, it's a luxury to be conscious of eating seasonally.
And since it's also easy on the wallet, there's no reason not to eat them.

My Rule 3: Plenty of vegetables, and being "vaguely" conscious of nutritional balance

I started being conscious of eating plenty of vegetables during my pregnancy and breastfeeding period.

During pregnancy, weight management was strict, and I got a red stamp at every checkup,
wandering around the bread aisle looking suspicious, thinking, "I want to eat an anpan... but I'll gain weight..." (laughs)
In the end, I just ate vegetables and tokoroten (agar noodles).

After giving birth, I had dietary restrictions for breastfeeding.
With the words from my midwife, "Cows eat grass to make delicious milk. You should eat plenty of vegetables too, Mom," I started being conscious of eating three times more vegetables than meat.

To eat plenty of vegetables, salad alone wasn't enough, so my repertoire naturally increased with ohitashi (blanched greens), stir-fries, and steamed dishes.

Don't forget the "protein"

For a while, I thought "as long as there are plenty of vegetables, it's fine," but as I've aged, I've realized the importance of protein.
Now, I check to make sure there is enough protein in every meal.

• When it's lacking, I add natto, or add tofu and bonito flakes to my salad

• Add thick fried tofu, fu (wheat gluten), or eggs to stir-fries

• I also keep freeze-dried tofu on hand (it becomes fluffy when cooked in a pressure cooker!)

• If it's still not enough, I add a baby cheese after the meal

By doing this, I can achieve both the satisfaction of vegetables and the peace of mind of protein.
Processed fish products like chikuwa and kamaboko are rich in protein, but
I don't eat them very actively because I'm concerned about the salt and additives.

Summary

"Balanced meals" are the accumulation of these small experiences and ingenuity.
Enjoy the seasons, eat plenty of vegetables, and be "vaguely" conscious of nutritional balance.
After continuing this for over 30 years, I ended up with a body that doesn't need dieting and has no major illnesses.

Even though I was on a diet full of restrictions when I was a college student...
Now, I live a life that naturally stays balanced while eating what I want.
Don't you think "staying balanced with ease" is the best?

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