Kyabetsu to hakusai no sakura ebi iri ohitashi / cabbage and napa cabbage in light broth with dried shrimp

The soft green color of cabbage and napa cabbage makes a nice contrast with the pretty pink of sakura ebi. Both vegetables are microwaved for quick preparation, which also minimizes loss of vitamins into water when boiling them. This side dish has a gentle sweet aftertaste with a hint of clear saltiness, and goes well with dishes that have strong flavor or are prepared with oil.

1/2 of recipe: 19 calories; 1.7 g protein; 0.4 g fat; 3.4 g carbohydrate; 2.3 g net carbs; 119 mg sodium; 9 mg cholesterol; 1.1 g fiber; 183 mg potassium

Miso yasai raamen / vegetable ramen noodles with miso-flavored soup

Finally, a sodium-savvy ramen with plenty of vegetables and great-tasting soup! More toppings mean more soup going into your mouth, especially when toppings are cut or sliced into small sizes, as a greater surface area is likely to carry more soup into your mouth. So for a reduced-sodium version, having lots of toppings is counter-intuitive, yet we opted for julienned vegetables for the extra flavor they add.

After being on a reduced-sodium diet for more than three and a half years, this is quite salty for us and definitely tasty. The recipe below is at the low end of the sodium content spectrum (soup has a salt level of 0.8% whereas soup at ramen shops averages 1.5%). Feel free to add more seasonings to taste, at your own risk ...


1/2 of recipe (approx. half of soup left in bowl): 
515 calories; 17.0 g protein; 9.3 g fat; 88.1 g carbohydrate; 15.8 g net carbs; 781 mg sodium* (with reduced-sodium miso and shoyukoji made with 50% reduced-sodium soy sauce); 11 mg cholesterol; 7.5 g fiber; 706 mg potassium 
*Stir-fried vegetable toppings alone contain 100 mg sodium per serving.

Kyabetsu to egoma no namuru / namul salad with cabbage and wild sesame leaves

The soft taste of cabbage is paired with the distinctive flavor of egoma wild sesame leaves. These two also complement each other in terms of aroma and color.

1/4 of recipe:
10 calories; 0.5 g protein; 0.1 g fat; 2.2 g carbohydrate; 1.4 g net carbs; 36 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 0.8 g fiber

Kyabetsu to kinoko no miso-itame / cabbage and mushroom saute with miso

An easy cabbage saute with shimeji and eringi mushrooms. Tender spring cabbage is complemented by slightly sweetened miso and the spicy punch of taka no tsume red chili pepper.

1/2 of recipe:
46 calories; 2.5 g protein; 1.5 g fat; 7.5 g carbohydrate; 4.5 g net carbs; 129 mg sodium (with reduced-sodium miso; 159 mg with regular miso); 0 mg cholesterol; 3.0 g fiber

Kiriboshi-daikon to itokon iri yasai yakisoba / vegetable fried noodles with julienned dried daikon radish and konnyaku noodles

Packaged yakisoba noodles with seasoning packs are loaded with sodium -- many products have over 1,000mg per serving. Avoiding them is one solution, but there are other things we can do, such as adding noodle-like ingredients to replace part of the noodles in the package and tweaking seasonings. Kiriboshi-daikon julienned dried daikon radish, one of the noodle substitutes here, has a chewy texture and is rich in fiber and full of umami, providing more than a few advantages. Another yakisoba noodle substitute, itokonnyaku noodles, make this dish low in calories.
One pack of noodles and one pack of seasoning make two servings.

1/2 of recipe:
248 calories; 7.3 g protein; 3.7 g fat; 47.8 g carbohydrate; 39.4 g net carbs; 488 mg sodium; 2 mg cholesterol; 8.4 g fiber

Tofu-iri okonomiyaki / savory pancake with tofu

Tofu gives a fluffy texture without having to add nagaimo Chinese yam to the okonomiyaki batter. This is a basic vegetable okonomiyaki with cabbage and green onions. Add your favorite seafood or meat to make this recipe your own.

One pancake:
369 calories; 18.6 g protein; 14.6 g fat; 36.3 g carbohydrate; 33.3 g net carbs; 604 mg sodium; 229 mg cholesterol; 3.0 g fiber

Daizu moyashi yakisoba / fried noodles with soybean sprouts

Soybean sprouts stay relatively crispy, making this yakisoba dish look and feel much bigger than it really is. Crunchy soybeans are an additional plus for the overall texture.

Kaki furai / panko deep-fried oysters

A typical oyster dish in Japan. Juicy panko deep-fried oysters served with julienned cabbage used to be one of Tom’s favorites at a neighborhood restaurant near his work in Tokyo.

Kyabetsu to satsumaage no itameni / saute-simmered cabbage and deep-fried fishcakes

The “green” taste of cabbage’s outer leaves turns sweet from sauteing and is further softened by cooking with satsumaage in broth, resulting in a juicy, flavorful dish.

Sake no chanchanyaki / salmon and vegetable saute with miso sauce

A regional dish from Hokkaido that includes salmon, cabbage, onions and other vegetables. Sweetened miso sauce sends off an appetizing aroma as you cook – take the frying pan to the table or cook on a tabletop griddle and enjoy the dish as it cooks.

Yasai yakisoba, shoyu-aji / fried noodles with vegetables, soy sauce flavor

Yakisoba is a popular food for local festivals, school events and outdoor cooking on the riverbank or lakeside. Here is a light, simple version with soy sauce and oyster sauce.

Yasai chuka yakisoba / Chinese stir-fried noodles with vegetables

Slice any vegetables you find in your fridge or on your kitchen counter and throw them in! The flavors of multiple vegetables blend together and give mild depth to this common dish. Dried shiitake mushrooms add an extra earthy note.

Ishikari-nabe / Ishikari hot pot with salmon, tofu and vegetables

A specialty nabe hot pot from the Ishikari region in Hokkaido. Along with salmon, produce for which Hokkaido is famous -- potatoes, onions and cabbage, and even butter as an option -- are added, making this dish unique.

Kyabetsu to burokkorii no misoshiru / miso soup with cabbage and broccoli

Another miso soup on the sweet end with cabbage. Broccoli adds a vibrant color.

Kyabetsu no ume-gomaae / cabbage in plum sesame dressing

The sourness of umeboshi compliments the sweet flavor of cabbage.

Kyabetsu to age no misoshiru / miso soup with cabbage and thin deep-fried tofu

Cabbage makes the miso soup sweet.

Kyabetsu no umezuke / cabbage plum pickle

Tom's kind of dish -- salty and sour.

Kyabetsu to kinoko no itameni / cabbage and mushroom saute

"This reminds me of garlic," said Tom, holding shami with his chopsticks. Duh, this dish does have garlic, only finely chopped.