Shishito to eringi, myoga no miso-itame / stir-fried shishito peppers, king oyster mushroom and Japanese ginger buds with miso sauce

Crispy shishito and myoga stand out in this small side dish, which offers the punch of red miso against the soft and chewy texture of eringi mushroom. To ensure crispiness of shishito and myoga, cook eringi on relatively high heat to prevent it from letting out moisture and making everything soggy.

1/2 of recipe:
36 calories; 2.0 g protein; 1.3 g fat; 5.7 g carbohydrate; 3.1 g net carbs; 81 mg sodium (with shoyukoji soy sauce rice malt made with 50% reduced-sodium soy sauce); 0 mg cholesterol; 2.6 g fiber; 252 mg potassium

Tosho chaamen / dao xiao chao mian / fried hand-shaven noodles

A cheater version of hand-shaven noodles made with a peeler, and stir fried with an assortment of goodies. Noodle dough is basically the same as teuchi udon handmade wheat noodles but uses less water, which makes the dough prep a bit more time consuming (dry and wet ingredients need to rest together longer before kneading). Less water in turn ensures easy shaving and cooking at the end. While any goodie works great in this noodle dish, dried shiitake mushrooms with their deep flavor and aroma function like underlying seasoning to bind everything together. Very tasty and satisfying.

1/2 recipe: 
596 calories; 26.6 g protein; 15.0 g fat; 85.8 g carbohydrate; 73.1 g net carbs; 595 mg sodium (with 50% reduced-sodium soy sauce and shoyukoji made with 50% reduced-sodium soy sauce); 226 mg cholesterol; 6.1 g fiber

Shishito to eringi no amiyaki / grilled shishito peppers and king oyster mushrooms

From the prep stage, the crackling sound and earthy aroma of mushrooms and green peppers on the grill become part of your meal. Grilled ingredients in season are often eaten with soy sauce based dipping sauce, or with salt and a squeeze of citrus such as yuzu, sudachi and kabosu. The grilled eringi and shishito below are served with grated ginger and soy sauce mixed with dashi. This is a very straightforward way to cook with little involved ...

1/2 of recipe: 20 calories; 2.2 g protein; 0.3 g fat; 5.3 g carbohydrate; 2.4 g net carbs; 41 mg sodium (with 50% reduced-sodium soy sauce; 101 mg with regular soy sauce); 0 mg cholesterol; 2.9 g fiber

Nasu to atsuage, shishito no misoitame / sauteed eggplant, deep-fried tofu and shishito peppers in miso sauce

A quick, small side dish with a somewhat sweet miso flavor. Soft and juicy eggplant contrasts well with the "green" taste of crispy shishito peppers.

1/2 of recipe:
171 calories; 8.6 g protein; 10.7 g fat; 8.3 g carbohydrate; 5.9 g net carbs; 222 mg sodium; 1 mg cholesterol; 2.4 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

Sakana to konsai no amazuan / fish and root vegetables with sweet and sour sauce

This is basically a fish version of sweet and sour subuta pork, without onion. As fish requires minimum prep flavoring, both calories and sodium are lower than the pork version, yet it is very filling and quite yummy.

1/2 of recipe:
250 calories; 21.9 g protein; 10.0 g fat; 16.2 g carbohydrate; 13.6 g net carbs; 372 mg sodium (with reduced-sodium soy sauce; 525 mg with regular soy sauce); 64 mg cholesterol; 2.6 g fiber

Kobashira-iri omuraisu / tomato rice with bay scallops in egg crepe

Omuraisu, or "omelet rice," has been my favorite food since childhood. It was symbolic of Westernized food and found at a modern restaurant on the top floor of a department store in a large city where my family went on weekend outings. In college, I frequently went to eat omuraisu for lunch at a cafe near campus. The combination of ketchup-flavored chicken pilaf and fluffy crepe-like omelet tasted heavenly. I also enjoyed omuraisu at more upscale restaurants later, but my preference has always been for the simple kind, meaning no demiglace or cream sauce. At restaurants, it is often more of an omelet using multiple eggs per portion. Since one egg per day is my preference, our omuraisu is wrapped with egg crepe. Fresh ripe tomatoes for the rice and the addition of dashi and rice vinegar to the ketchup topping sauce—added to reduce the amount of sodium-loaded ketchup--bring a nice, refined touch.

1/2 of recipe:
445 calories; 19.5 g protein; 11.4 g fat; 63.0 g carbohydrate; 59.4 g net carbs; 340 mg sodium; 234 mg cholesterol; 3.6 g fiber

Shishito to shantoreru no shiokoji kinpira / kinpira saute of shishito peppers and chanterelle mushrooms with salted rice malt

A quick, spicy saute. Shiokoji salted rice malt brings out the soft bitterness of shishito peppers and a bit fruity, woodsy scent of chanterelle mushrooms.

1/2 of recipe:
32 calories; 0.2 g protein; 2.0 g fat; 1.9 g carbohydrate; 1.1 g net carbs; 30 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 0.8 g fiber

Toriniku no gomadare-yaki / grilled chicken with sesame sauce

Tender, juicy chicken breast with toasty sesame sauce. The chicken is first marinated in sake, then steamed with sauce on top, and finally broiled for a toasty result.
Adapted from "Seikaro Kokusai Byoin no Aijo Kenko Reshipi," a healthy recipe cookbook by St. Luke's International Hospital in Tokyo.

Whole recipe:
382 calories; 33.7 g protein; 23.3 g fat; 5.0 g carbohydrate; 4.0 g net carbs; 291 mg sodium (with 50% reduced-sodium soy sauce; 489-519 mg with regular soy sauce); 126 mg cholesterol; 1.0 g fiber

Atsuage no guriru, yasai ankake / grilled deep-fried tofu with thickened vegetable sauce

An, sauce thickened with potato starch, quickly transforms atsuage into a more satisfying dish with a mild flavor.