Japan is a region known for its delicious cuisine. The country’s unique and flavorful dishes are widely popular around the world, from sushi to tempura and ramen. But did you know that many of these dishes are also incredibly healthy? Japanese meals typically contain some form of protein such as fish, chicken or tofu. Fish like salmon and tuna are excellent sources of omega-3 fatty acids which help reduce inflammation in your body and support cardiovascular health. Chicken is rich in B vitamins which can boost your metabolism and increase energy levels while tofu provides an alternative source of protein for those who don’t eat meat or fish. All three are low in fat but can provide plenty of nutrition when combined with other ingredients like rice or veggies!
The traditional cooking methods used in Japan are extremely healthy as they involve minimal oil or fats which helps keep calories low. Furthermore, fruits and vegetables make up the majority of what you will be consuming at each meal!
If you’re into a healthy diet this year and considering these healthy Japanese recipes, you may also want to check our healthy Korean recipes and healthy buddha bowl recipes.
Let’s explore some delicious healthy Japanese recipes:
SUNOMONO (JAPANESE CUCUMBER SALAD)
Source: The View From Great Island
Japanese Cucumber Salad (Sunomono) is a crunchy, refreshing salad that goes great with Asian recipes, sandwiches, burgers, etc. These healthy sweet and sour pickled cucumbers are packed with flavor. Sunomono (SOON-OH-MONO) refers to a style of raw vinegar-marinated dishes in Japanese cuisine that are served as sides or appetizers. They can range from veggies to seafood. The sweet, sour, crunchy effect is super refreshing and enhances the appetite.
EASY JAPANESE CHICKEN YAKITORI
Source: Cafe Delites
Japanese chicken yakitori is not only easy to make, but also a delicious street food that we order every week! Along with another favourite, simple chicken teriyaki stir fry, you can now make this dish in the comfort of your own home.:
WHOLE30 HIBACHI CHICKEN AND VEGGIES
Source: 40 Aprons
This recipe is a Whole30-compliant, homecooked version of a hibachi chicken dinner! With sautéed veggies, fried rice, and extremely tender chicken served with a spicy mustard dipping sauce, this dish will make you feel like you’re dining in a Japanese steakhouse!
VEGAN NABE HOT POT
Source: From The Comfort Of My Bowl
This vegan nabe or miso hot pot is a delicious, meat-free take on a traditional Japanese winter soup. It’s packed with flavor and makes a great base for vegan chanko nabe.
VEGAN OKONOMIYAKI
Source: Okonomi Kitchen
Indulge in a savory Japanese pancake known as Okonomiyaki, made with yamaimo, rice flour, cabbage, and tenkasu. Top it all off with authentic okonomiyaki sauce and mayonnaise for an unforgettable experience. Learn how to make this popular street food from the comfort of your home kitchen!
CHICKEN TERIYAKI
Source: Rasa Malaysia
This Japanese-style Teriyaki Chicken is coated in a sticky, sweet, and savory sauce. It’s ridiculously easy to make with only 4 ingredients, and always comes out juicy and flavorful!
Related Post: Best Healthy Chicken Recipes
MITARASHI DANGO
Source: Belly Cheap Cook
You’re missing out if you haven’t tried Dango! Originating in Japan, this dish can now be enjoyed all over the world. Traditional Japanese rice balls arranged on bamboo skewers, this dish is made with silken tofu and glutinous rice flour – giving them a chewy texture. They are also sweet, making Dango perfect as a snack or dessert!
EASY TERIYAKI SALMON NOODLES
Source: Khin’s Kitchen
This Teriyaki Salmon Noodles dish is made with fresh salmon fillets, ramen noodles, veggies, and homemade teriyaki sauce–quick, easy weeknight dinner in 20 minutes!
Related Post: Best Healthy Noodle Recipes
JAPANESE GINGER SALAD DRESSING (GLUTEN-FREE, PALEO, AIP)
Source: Unbound Wellness
The ginger dressing in this recipe is a healthier version of the one you’re probably familiar with from Japanese restaurants! It has a vibrant orange color, it’s creamy, and its spiciness comes from the ginger root. This type of salad is usually served as an appetizer before the main course.
AVOCADO ROLL SUSHI
Source: Broke Bank Vegan
This avocado roll recipe is an easy, healthy meal perfect for a sushi night in! You’ll love how simple it is to make, and you’ll save money compared to ordering from a restaurant.
JAPANESE CHICKEN CURRY
Source: Khin’s Kitchen
This easy chicken curry is perfect for a busy weeknight meal. It’s ready in just 30 minutes and is freezer-friendly, so you can make a big batch to save for later. It’s also perfect for quick lunches or light dinners – using only simple, pantry-friendly ingredients!
JAPANESE CLEAR SOUP
Source: A Spicy Perspective
This classic Hibachi restaurant favorite is a light and healthy soup to soothe the soul. Best enjoyed with a sprinkle of green onions, this flavorful soup is sure to please even the pickiest eater. Udon noodles make it an extra healthy treat!
BAKED CHICKEN KATSU
Source: Pickled Plum
This Baked Chicken Katsu Recipe is just as crispy as the deep-fried Japanese original, but it stays crispy even longer if you use the oven or air-fryer!
GREEN BEAN GOMAAE
Source: BBC Good Food
This spinach and green bean dish is tossed in a dressing of soy, miso, mirin, and sesame seeds. Enjoy it with your next Japanese meal!
INSTANT POT CHAWANMUSHI
Source: Just One Cookbook
This Instant Pot Chawanmushi is a savory Japanese egg custard made with seasonal ingredients, steamed in a dashi-based sauce. Delicate and silky smooth, it makes the perfect appetizer to start your meal!
VEGAN SOY MILK RAMEN
Source: Rhian’s Recipes
I traditionally make ramen using bone broth, but I recently found out that you can get an equally delicious vegan version! This Vegan Soy Milk Ramen is packed with flavor and umami, just like its meaty counterpart. Plus, it’s much lighter and easier for me to digest.
Related Post: Best Healthy Ramen Recipes
YASAI ITAME
Source: Greedy Gourmet
Yasai itame is a delicious Japanese stir-fry with plenty of intriguing Asian flavors. It usually comes with a side order of steamed white rice and some type of pickled radish called tsukemono. These help balance out the yasai itame flavors nicely. And, as is customary in most Japanese dishes, don’t forget to pair your meal with sake!
OMURICE (JAPANESE OMELET)
Source: Pickled Plum
Omurice is a Japanese dish that’s not only delicious but will fill you up! It’s a basic omelet stuffed with ketchup fried rice that the whole family will love. The best part? it only takes 20 minutes to make from start to finish.
MIRIN-GLAZED SALMON
Source: Nigella
If you want to create a delicious meal with hardly any effort, this is the way to do it. All you have to do is marinate some salmon steaks in a dark sauce – most of which comes from a jar. What you’ll end up with is something that tastes like you spent hours preparing it, when really all it took was minutes.
SPICY RAMEN CUP OF NOODLES
Source: Eating Well
This quick and easy ramen recipe is perfect for a delicious vegetarian lunch at home or at work. Make a batch ahead of time to enjoy throughout the week.
VEGAN EDDO – LEMON THYME TARO ROOT
Source: Very Vegan Val
This vegan eddo recipe is soft, smooth, and delicious. It takes the best of taros smaller cousin and tops it with fresh thyme, lemon, and olive oil after simmering it in a garlicky umami bath. Simple but bursting with flavor, this homestyle preparation of starchy eddo roots is a great addition to any meal.
KANI SALAD
Source: Pickled Plum
This kani cucumber salad is incredibly light and creamy, with sweet and salty flavors that your whole family will love! Best of all, it only take 10 minutes to make from start to finish.
TAMAGOYAKI
Source: Eyes and Hour
Looking for something new and exciting to start your day? How about a healthy, delicious breakfast that will fill you up all morning and be a fun challenge to learn how to make? From Japan, we bring you tamagoyaki – the perfect way to shake up your boring old breakfast egg routine!
OCHAZUKE (GREEN TEA OVER RICE)
Source: Just One Cookbook
If you’re looking for a meal that is both reinvigorating and nurturing, this homemade Ochazuke with green tea or dashi soup, steamed rice, and other savory ingredients will fit the bill perfectly. Ochazuke is essentially a bowl of rice topped with an array of tasty snacks, partially set in green tea. The word ‘ocha’ translates to Green Tea, while ‘zuke’ signifies “submerged” or “pickled”.
MISO GLAZED EGGPLANT
Source: Delicious Everyday
Japanese cuisine is often renowned for its simplicity, and this dish is a perfect example of that. Roasted eggplant, topped with a sweet-salty miso glaze: it’s easy, delicious, and flavourful!
ZARU SOBA
Source: Chopstick Chronicles
Zaru soba is a refreshingly cold noodle dish that’s served with a light sauce. It’s the perfect go-to summer dish because it’s not only delicious but healthy too! You can easily bring the taste of traditional Japan into your home by making this quick and easy dish.
VEGAN CURRY RAMEN NOODLES
Source: Midwest Foodie
Get this curry ramen noodle dinner on the table in just 20 minutes! It’s packed with fresh veggies and rich curry flavors, so you can feel good about serving it to your family.
SHRIMP & POTATO ANKAKE DONBURI
Source: Pickled Plum
Shrimp ankake donburi is a dish that popularity in Japanese cuisine. It has a balance of sweet, salty, and umami flavors with a sticky texture which is common to many Chinese stir-fries. This particular recipe for shrimp ankake donburi includes additional vegetables not typically found in the dish such as zucchini, potatoes, spinach and onions.
JAPANESE MUSHROOM SOUP
Source: The Spruce Eats
This Japanese soup, made with enoki and shiitake mushrooms, is not only stunning to look at but will also warm your heart. It’s easy enough to make for a weeknight meal but delicious enough to be enjoyed as its own light meal.
JAPANESE SEAWEED SALAD (WAKAME)
Source: Asian Caucasian
This delicious Japanese Seaweed Salad, or “wakame,” can be made in only 10 minutes and is the perfect addition to your favorite sushi dish or Asian soup!
JAPANESE NAPA CABBAGE COLESLAW
Source: Chef Ja Cooks
This recipe is for a Japanese-style napa cabbage coleslaw that is both easy and quick to make. If you have been wondering what to do with napa cabbage, this simple but delicious salad may be the answer!
STUFFED CABBAGE ROLLS
Source: Just One Cookbook
Japanese-Style Stuffed Cabbage Rolls are a cherished western dish originating in 1895 that has been cooked regularly in Japanese households since then! Make it for your potluck or dinner party – It’s an ideal meal to dissect with others on a cold day!
KOROKKE (JAPANESE POTATO CROQUETTES)
Source: Chopstick Chronicles
Japanese Potato Croquettes, or “Korokke” as they are called in Japanese, is a delicious fried food made from panko-crumbed mashed potato with carrot, onion, and mince. These tasty treats can be found on many street corners in Japan but are also easy to make at home.
ONIGIRI
Source: Pickled Plum
There’s a lot to love about Japanese rice balls, no matter what you call them! Salted and lightly compressed rice filled with delicious fillings like pickled plums or okaka, wrapped in sheets of nori – they’re impossible to resist!
SUSHI SALAD WITH WASABI SOY DRESSING
Source: Cookin Canuck
This delicious sushi salad is perfect for anyone who enjoys the flavors of sushi! The wasabi soy dressing complements the arugula, smoked salmon, and pickled ginger perfectly.
VEGAN TAKIKOMI GOHAN
Source: Okonomi Kitchen
This Takikomi Gohan is a Japanese mixed rice dish that is quick and easy to make in a rice cooker. It is seasoned with the traditional flavors of kombu dashi, soy sauce, mushrooms, vegetables, and tofu. This recipe is perfect for a comforting weeknight meal.
VEGAN MATCHA STRAWBERRY CAKE
Source: Rhian’s Recipes
And what’s for dessert? This Gluten-Free Vegan Matcha Strawberry Cake is moist, fluffy, and covered in a sweet and tangy 2-ingredient strawberry frosting. It’s also refined sugar-free, comes together in one bowl, and is easily customizable. The cake is colored with natural ingredients like matcha powder and strawberries. It has an elegant flavor which the slightly bitter matcha compliments well with the sweet-tart taste of the strawberry frosting.
Related Post: Best Healthy Strawberry Recipes
The beauty of Japanese cuisine is that it can be both flavorful and healthy at the same time! From tofu teriyaki bowls to miso soup to vegetable udon—there are plenty of delicious options out there for anyone looking to spice up their diet without sacrificing taste. So if you’re looking for something new to try this week why not give one of these delicious recipes a try? You won’t regret it!
Related PRINTABLES:
SOME JAPANESE KITCHENWARE THAT YOU CAN BUY:
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