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.
