Japanese diet(cereal and sushi)

I have two japanese friends(both teenaged), and one of them I asked about if she ate sushi that morning(the other day) and she said sushi was mostly a lunch/dinner kind of thing.

Also my other Japanese friend did the reverse and asked what I ate that morning(the other day), and I said I mostly ate cereal, and after awhile he said(I don't know sincerely or sarcasticly) that cereal was going to make me fat. I asked what he ate in the morning and he said he usually had some kind of soup bowl or rice bowl.

I was just wondering if Japanese don't really engage in a set pattern of meals(cereal for breakfast, etc).

Brian,

I don't really understand your question, but eating cereal for breakfast does not seem to be very common in Japan. Eating sushi for breakfast is even less common , though - unless you are talking about Tsukiji.

It's really up to the individuals. Some people eat bread or cereal in the morning, some people eat a bowl of rice (with some soup and some vegetable/grilled fish maybe) in the morning.
As Dave in Saitama said, we don't eat sushi in the morning.

When we think of cereal, well, my husband eats muesli in the morning, but the more common types are sweetened corn flakes and such; I find it too sweet, and THAT can be fattening (considered to be kids' stuff).

Many Japanese people aren't really aware of the range of cereals available in other countries, or that there are extremely healthy cereals (natural muesli for example, which is only available in import shops here), so your Japanese friend was probably thinking of something like Cocoa Pops or Froot Loops.

A bowl of non-toasted muesli with skim milk would probably have a similar amount of calories, and certainly a whole lot more fibre than a bowl of white rice and a piece of cooked fish.

Toast and fruit or salad are quite a common breakfast here as well, not everyone eats a Japanese-style breakfast.

thanks for the answers!

Actually Cocoa Pops or Froot Loops aren't that common in Japan. If you name those two, people wouldn't understand.

On the other hand, as mentioned, the Japanese have been eating "corn flakes" for decades, and mostly plain types I would say. It is very commonly consumed, and if it were to be consumed it will be eaten for breakfast in a bowl with milk poured over.

I'm not sure what the friend meant by saying that cereal will make someone fat. I have the impression that very few Japanese people think that cereal or cornflakes or that sort of thing is fattening. Buttered toast or pasteries can be fattening, but not cereal. Maybe the friend wanted to say that Japanese food is healthier than western cereal, which is not necessarily true but a lot of people prefer to believe so.

Typically, breakfast in Japan is expected to be (A) a combination of cornflakes with milk and fruit, (B) a combination of fried eggs, ham, salad and toast, or (C) a Japanese combination of rice, miso soup, egg, dried fish, seaweed and vegetables. But nowadays a lot of people eat junk food and enjoy a variety of bizaare dished in the morning.

I know that those two cereals aren't usually found in Japan, in fact I've never seen them here, but if someone says "cereal will make you fat" I assume that is the kind they are thinking of, even if they don't know the name, as cornflakes and muesli aren't especially fattening.

Japan seems to be obsessed with "metabo" these days. As I understand it, the origin of this word is "metabolic syndrome," but in common usage it basically implies obesity. Carbohydrates are seen as a main cause of the problem, and probably western-style carbohydrates are considered to be more ominous than good old Japanese white rice. This could be a reason why some people think that cereal (sweetened or not) will make you fat. There is a more than a "grain" of truth in this, but of course, it's all much more complicated than "this food is good and that food is bad."

At any rate, it is kind of interesting to watch how Japan as a society tries to come to terms with this health issue.

As a somewhat related question, does anyone know why it is practically impossible to find diet soda in Japan? Except for water, I sometimes have the hardest time finding bottled drinks that have no calories but also no caffeine. There are plenty of nonsweet tea drinks but except for mugicha most of them have caffeine in them and I avoid this like the plague when I'm in Japan (jet-lag). I've always wondered why artificial sweeteners haven't caught on there despite so many women being obsessed with their figures; obviously these substances are not illegal. Is it just a perception that they are "bad" for you?

Metabolic Syndrome is linked to Diabetes, though not everyone with these two health issues have to obese, but staying in shape and having good diet habits usually helps prevent it.

It's rare to see women in their 20s and 30s drinking soda, diet or otherwise- if they are watching their figures, they drink tea. The amounts of caffeine in some like the popular Sokembicha are quite small. There is one called "Juurokucha" (��Z��) which says on the packaging that it contains no caffeine.

There is usually maybe one diet version of soda in each convenience store- Coke zero is being heavily advertised right now, and I saw Fanta zero yesterday.

The reason you don't see them so much here I think is not so much a perception that they are bad for you, but that people just don't have a taste for them. I personally can't stand the taste of diet sodas and would rather have a bottle of tea any day.

Have you tried the flavoured sparkling waters like Kirin Nuda?

I've seen Coke Zero and Diet Pepsi, but not Fanta Zero. I would buy that. I sort of hope it's a trend, like the way the light beer market has just exploded in the last couple of years.

I enjoy trying all kinds of Japanese beverages, but oddly, I often find myself looking at a vast array of options in a bank of vending machines, and except for water they all seem to have either calories or caffeine. Water is okay but for some irrational reason I just don't like to pay for it.

I tried a new zero-caffeine tea drink the last time I was there. I think maybe it was juurokucha. It was pretty good, and I was happy to see it. Even a little caffeine scares me, so I like to know there is none at all.

Uma, I hope I understand your concern correctly, but I have no problem finding plain, non-sweet soda water sold next to alcoholic beverages (otherwise, how would you make whiskey and soda?). You can go to a liquor store and ask, "soda, no sugar?" You will typically find a clear 500ml-ish bottle with "SODA" written on a blue label.

Btw, it is indeed interesting how the Japanese (or even the whole world) is now viewing Japanese cuisine as something healthy, when right after WW2, American diet was appreciated in Japan as the most healthiest thing you can get. Butter, bread and milk, I suppose, was important for the skinny short children who had lacked nutrition during the war. Now that Japan is full of big chubby "mayo-lers," people are looking into alternatives. All in all, a balanced diet is what counts, if you ask me.

Ah, we are talking about different things. The word "soda"(short for "soda pop") in American English often refers to sweetened carbonated beverages, but I sort of forgot that this is a regional meaning. Even within the U.S. you hear different usage (they call it "pop" instead of "soda" some places). That's what I meant, rather than soda water.

It is indeed interesting to watch diet trends and attitudes. People always seem to want to simplify things and categorize things as "good" or "bad" for you, or "healthy" or "unhealthy." I agree that balance is most sensible. And of course, moderation!

Uma, thank you for clearing that up. So I assume you are looking for a somewhat sweat soda, but not sweatened by sugar.

In that case, I'm afraid I would truly agree with Sira's theory. A lot of Japanese people are perfectly okay with or even prefer non-sweat tea, so if one is seeking non-fattening beverages, a choice between tea and diet Pepsi is enough.

Back to the topic of breakfast, I remember that once my friend and I, both Japanese, were suffering hangovers the morning after a big party at someone's home in London. We treated ourselves to a breakfast of plain toast, no butter nor jam. The London-er hostesses of the house who were putting butter on their toasts couldn't believe this. But we, probably being used to plain rice, couldn't believe that they could eat anything as heavy as butter while having a hangover. We were most happy to enjoy heavy feast last night, but not now.