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Nutrients Explained

A short guide to the 10 nutrients shown with our recipes. The unit is shown at the top right of each card.

1

Protein

g

What it does

Protein is the material your body uses to build muscles, skin, hair and blood. It is also used to make many of the substances that keep your body working. Because the body uses it every day, it is important to eat some at each meal.

Foods that contain a lot

  • chicken
  • pork
  • cooked fish such as grilled salmon
  • tofu
  • natto (fermented soybeans)
  • boiled eggs or tamagoyaki (Japanese rolled omelet)

Cooking tip

Spreading it over breakfast, lunch and dinner is easier on your body than eating it all at once. Cook meat and fish all the way through.

2

Fat

g

What it does

Fat is a source of energy for moving your body. It is also used to build cells, and it helps your body absorb fat-soluble vitamins such as vitamins A and D.

Foods that contain a lot

  • cooking oil and sesame oil
  • butter
  • cooked mackerel or saury
  • sesame seeds and nuts
  • aburaage (deep-fried tofu)
  • pork belly

Cooking tip

A small amount of fat has a lot of energy, so measure the oil when you stir-fry. Cooking carrots in a little oil makes their vitamin A easier for the body to absorb.

3

Carbohydrate

g

What it does

Carbohydrate is the main source of energy for your body and brain. It is found in rice, bread and similar foods, and the body turns it into glucose to use as fuel.

Foods that contain a lot

  • rice
  • bread
  • udon and somen noodles
  • potatoes
  • sweet potatoes
  • oatmeal

Cooking tip

Skipping the staple food can leave you short of energy. Mixing barley or mixed grains into white rice adds dietary fiber as well.

4

Dietary fiber

g

What it does

Dietary fiber is hard to digest, so it travels through your gut and helps keep your bowels regular. Foods rich in fiber usually need chewing, which also makes it harder to overeat.

Foods that contain a lot

  • burdock root (gobo)
  • mushrooms
  • okara (soy pulp)
  • soybeans and chickpeas
  • cabbage
  • brown rice or barley rice

Cooking tip

Cut vegetables into larger pieces for more bite. Adding mushrooms or beans to miso soup or other soups is an easy way to eat more fiber.

5

Salt equivalent

g

What it does

This shows the amount of sodium as if it all came from table salt. Your body needs some salt to keep its fluid balance, but it is easy to take in a lot without noticing, for example from miso soup, noodle broth and pickles.

Foods that contain a lot

  • miso
  • soy sauce
  • umeboshi (pickled plums)
  • tsukemono (Japanese pickles)
  • ham and sausages
  • noodle broth and ramen soup

Cooking tip

A good dashi stock, vinegar, lemon or ginger gives flavor even with less salt. Taste first, then add salt only if you need it.

6

Calcium

mg

What it does

Calcium is a material for building bones and teeth. It is also used when muscles move and when signals travel in the body. Growing teenagers need a lot of it.

Foods that contain a lot

  • milk
  • yogurt
  • cheese
  • shirasu-boshi or chirimen-jako (dried baby sardines)
  • tofu and atsuage (thick fried tofu)
  • komatsuna (Japanese mustard spinach)

Cooking tip

Small fish are eaten whole, bones and all, so sprinkling them on rice or salad is an easy way to get calcium. They are salty, though, so go easy on the amount.

7

Iron

mg

What it does

Iron is a part of hemoglobin, the red substance in blood that carries oxygen around your body. When you do not get enough and become anemic, less oxygen reaches your body, and you may get tired more easily.

Foods that contain a lot

  • lean beef
  • cooked clams (asari or shijimi)
  • tofu and natto (fermented soybeans)
  • komatsuna (Japanese mustard spinach)
  • spinach
  • well-cooked liver

Cooking tip

Iron from vegetables and beans is said to be absorbed better when eaten together with meat, fish, or foods that contain vitamin C.

8

Potassium

mg

What it does

Potassium helps keep the balance of water and minerals in your body, and it supports how muscles and nerves work. It also helps the body get rid of extra sodium (salt).

Foods that contain a lot

  • bananas
  • potatoes
  • sweet potatoes
  • kabocha (Japanese pumpkin)
  • spinach
  • wakame and kombu (seaweed)

Cooking tip

Potassium dissolves in water, so steaming or microwaving loses less than boiling. Eating the soup or broth along with the vegetables also helps.

9

Vitamin A

µg

What it does

Vitamin A helps keep your eyes working and protects the moist surfaces of your skin, throat and nose. It also plays a part in seeing in dim light.

Foods that contain a lot

  • carrots
  • kabocha (Japanese pumpkin)
  • spinach
  • komatsuna (Japanese mustard spinach)
  • well-cooked chicken liver
  • cheese

Cooking tip

Vitamin A dissolves in fat, so cooking with a little oil, such as stir-frying or dressing with an oil-based sauce, makes it easier for the body to absorb.

10

Vitamin C

mg

What it does

Vitamin C is needed to make collagen, which is part of skin, blood vessels and bones. It also helps the body absorb iron from vegetables and fruit.

Foods that contain a lot

  • broccoli
  • green peppers
  • cabbage
  • potatoes
  • mandarin oranges and strawberries
  • kiwi fruit

Cooking tip

Vitamin C dissolves in water and breaks down with heat. Keep boiling time short, or choose soups and microwave cooking so you eat the liquid too. Do not leave cut vegetables soaking in water for long.

This is general information only. Everyone's body and needs are different, so if you have concerns, please talk to a family member, doctor or registered dietitian.