Nutrition guidelines vary from country to country. Japan recommends that you eat 30 different foods a day. It doesn’t matter what—they figure if you get 30 different things into you, you’re probably eating well.

What a challenge! Yesterday I managed 20 different things. I would have fared worse if I had not selected the mix sandwich for lunch. I improved my score with five different small half sandwiches: tuna, egg salad, ham, potato salad and tomato.

I don’t know the exact guidelines, so I’m not sure about some points. How much counts? If there’s a teaspoon of shredded carrot on top of my salad, is that one of thirty? What about condiments and sauces?

Regardless, these guidelines are an encouragement to eat a traditional Japanese diet, which is full of small dishes of foods made with many ingredients! I’ll never get to 30 eating pasta and bread. Posted by kuri at September 30, 2000 06:10 AM