Healthy Fast Food
Posted on 15. Apr, 2006 @ 6:45 am by harvey in Food
Most Americans have an extremely unhealthy diet. Most Japanese are alright. I’m not a nutritionist, but I think most will agree.
Want to know one of the reasons why?
Here it is.
This is an “ekiben” or, a obento you buy in the train station before going a long trip. When on a business trip to Tokyo, I usually end up heading back to Osaka after the work day is over. The trip by Shinkansen (bullet train) is about 2.5~3 hours from Tokyo station to Shin-Osaka, and work is usually over at about 6:30~7:30pm.
So, if I plan to eat dinner at a reasonable time, I’ll have to rely on one of these ekiben’s. Hundreds of salary-men everyday do the same. When you’re on the run, you grab some fast food at the eki and eat it while traveling on the bullet train.
It’s fast food.
Look at the picture closely. We’ve got rice, shrimp, vegetables, carrots, mushrooms, can’t see it but under the “dango” there is fish, even some tempura up there, and other kinds of seafood I can’t identify.
This is probably more healthy than food I ate back in the US when I wasn’t in a rush at all…
Most restaurants in Japan also have decently healthy and well-balanced meals. Of course McDonald’s is here as well, and also a wide variety of Japanese fast-food restaurants such as MOS Burger, Fast Kitchen and Freshness Burger, but these options are generally not seen as regular “dinner substitute” as often as we do (or at least I did) while living in the US. A few people in my office seem to rely on Cup Noodle too often… Anyway…
It’s just so much easier to be a slacker and eat healthy in Japan than it is in the US. Personally I haven’t lost weight since moving here, but when I go back to the States it takes me a while to get adjusted to the new eating environment again. My guess is that I would gain a few pounds pretty quickly if I ever move back.
- Harvey
10 Responses to “Healthy Fast Food”
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toorisugari
Apr 15th, 2006
at 09:36
Hi Harvey,
Allow me to post a reply to your question about PDF and Palm in the forum (http://www.japannewbie.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=1001), because I hesitate to register.
I am using Palm TX, which bundles Adobe Reader for Palm OS. This software transforms PDF files into a Palm-specified format.
If you want to read an original PDF file, try PalmPDF (http://www.metaviewsoft.de/en/Software/PalmOS/Freeware/PalmPDF/index.html).
Both works well. But, unfortunately, if the PDF file contains Japanese, the file would be garbled in many cases.
harvey
Apr 15th, 2006
at 09:42
Thanks toorisugari!
I’m diappointed that Japanese text can not be read… Hrm… I don’t read TONS of Japanese documents, but sometimes I do, and it would suck not to be able to with my Palm.
Do you have J-OS installed on your PALM? That CJK OS Software thing that allows it to display Japanese Chinese and Korean Characters… woudl this fix the problem?
Shay
Apr 16th, 2006
at 18:53
Japan may too be getting ‘bigger’ as long as Japanese diets don’t totally replicate American diets (which will never happen of course), Japan real remain very healthy. Hey, Japan have longest life expenctancy is no fluke. I’m hungry :P
harvey
Apr 17th, 2006
at 20:29
That’s right Shay.
Also, there is a major issue with the portion size of meals in the States. Not only the content of the food. Even I can hardly finish a meal at a shop when I go back to the States these days.
one time, I orded a meal, and the main dish was TWO fully loaded backed potatoes. Two potatoes! And BIG ones.
Incredible.
Vince
Apr 18th, 2006
at 19:38
Interesting. What’s the quality of these boxes? (freshness, etc). Well I guess even if they are rotten they are better than Buger King.-…
harvey
Apr 18th, 2006
at 20:31
Super fresh.And actually not cheap. This one was over1500 yen. About 15USD. I think the expiration date on most ekiben is the date of purchase.
karth
Apr 20th, 2006
at 23:23
Very interesting…No wonder most japanese look so fit!
Compared to Indian food, it REALLY IS a very healthy cuisine..It sure is good to ur health, but is it good enough to appease your taste buds??
MILLY
Feb 13th, 2008
at 04:28
Most of us in the US grow up adapting to those unhealthy eating habits.. =(
Zaty
Mar 2nd, 2008
at 10:52
“if I ever move back.”
any plans to, so far? =)
Jessica
Dec 9th, 2008
at 06:33
Oh it looks so cute but I don’t think I’ll ever be able to finish eating all that ^_^