Japan is the culture that I chose to explore. The Japanese diet is known to be one of the more healthy diets. Lifestyle and diet help the people of japan live longer and healthier on average. With a life expectancy of 86 for women and 79 for men. They also live longer with fewer disabilities. A few reasons for this include portion control and lower calorie foods. They eat an average 25% less calories per day then the average American. They replace high calorie snack with energy dense foods. Portion control and smaller plates are also typical in Japanese culture. Rice is also a foundation of their diet and is served with every meal. Veggies are the main theme of a traditional meal with fish and soy based products coming in next. Japan also introduced the world to sushi. Traditional sushi restaurants in japan are different then in other countries. They mostly focus on one type of fish in each restaurant.

For centuries the Japanese did not eat meat. Buddhism law forbid the consumption of meat from mammals and birds. Fish was excluded but whales were mammals and could not be eaten. It was in the mid 20th century that meat was reintroduced from China and Korea. Meat is typically a new ingredient that requiring new recipes. Modern Japan incorporates a lot of foreign cuisines in to their diets. Although rice is still a main ingredient, its consumption is half of what it was 40 years ago. Japanese culture now brings in many sides dishes to their meals.

Naomichi, I. (2006, March 15). Food: Another Perspective on Japanese Cultural History. Retrieved February 13, 2015, from http://web-japan.org/nipponia/nipponia36/en/feature/feature08.html

Kovac, J. (2007, February 17). Diets of the World: The Japanese Diet. Retrieved February 13, 2015, from http://www.webmd.com/diet/diets-of-world-japanese-diet?page=1