Best Macrobiotic Vegetables - SHI Macrobiotics (2024)

Macrobiotics,Noun (used with a singular verb), A system of holistic principles and dynamic practices that guides choices in nutrition, activity, and lifestyle for physical, emotional, mental, social, and environmental health.

Macrobiotic,Adjective,such as macrobiotic philosophy or macrobiotic diet.

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In macrobiotics, we consider the food as a whole. There are three main categories for vegetables. A leafy green is any vegetable that grows up from the soil, and this includes things like leeks, scallions, bok choy and kale. The second category is root vegetables, which are vegetables that grow beneath the soil. These include carrots, daikon, radishes and parsnips. The last category is round vegetables, plants which grow just above or below the soil surface. Squash, turnips, onions and broccoli are round vegetables.

Why Eat a Variety of Vegetables?

Different vegetables nourish us physically, mentally, and emotionally in unique ways. Leafy greens in particular are refreshing. They promote openness, freshness, and creativity. Round vegetables are harmonizing, balancing, and consoling. Winter squashes and sweet potatoes are healthy comfort foods. Root vegetables promote physical and mental vitality, and have the ability to create penetrating thoughts and ideas. When choosing foods, try to consider the food as a whole. Choose a variety of foods from the different categories to receive the range of the physical, emotional, and mental nutrition they provide.

Our Favorite Macrobiotic Vegetables

Leafy Greens

  • Watercress – Watercress is highly nourishing and refreshing. Therefore, this leafy green serves to clear the mind, and acts as a filter for the body, helping to clean and refresh, particularly the upper body. It is helpful for all face, eye, gum, and chest problems. Try it steamed, lightly sautéed or raw in a salad.
  • Kale – Kale is a leafy, cruciferous vegetable that is rich in nutrients and minerals. This vegetable helps manage blood pressure. Additionally, the high fiber in kale improves digestion.
  • Napa/Chinese Cabbage – Napa is a leafy vegetable that is very flexible and adaptable. It can be steamed, blanched, sauteed, pressed, pickled or eaten raw. It also has a unique ability to nourish the microbiome.

Round Vegetables

  • Round Cabbage – This type of cabbage is strengthening, nourishing and has satisfying, sweet properties when cooked. It is also adaptable like napa cabbage. Both can be eaten raw,lightly pickled or pressed, pickled over long periods. It can be also steamed, blanched, sautéed, or stewed. Both can store for a longer period of time than others in their categories. However, to highlight some differences, compare a preparation of a pairing of Chinese cabbage with tofu with that of a pairing of cabbage and seitan. Though both combine well with protein, there is a subtle difference in how they match with proteins and other vegetables.
  • Broccoli – Broccoli is a very comforting, refreshing, and satisfying food. When cooked just right, it has a natural sweetness, juiciness and crunchiness. I never tire of eating broccoli.
  • Squash – Squash is great for improving immune function and has anti inflammatory properties.

Root Vegetables

  • Daikon radish – Daikon radish is cleansing, refreshing, and strengthening properties, and is extremely versatile and transforms depending on its preparation. For instance, the benefits of eating daikon raw or grated aids in digestion. It is often used with fatty or protein-rich dishes. Blanching brings out the refreshing properties of daikon. The more well-cooked daikon is, the more deeply nourishing it becomes. Daikon can be pickled lightly, or over a long period of time. When dried, daikon strengthens the bones, ligaments, digestion, and overall immunity. Dried daikon and fresh daikon are very different from each other, whereas dried carrots and fresh carrots share many similarities.
  • Burdock – Burdock is a powerful anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antibacterial food that helps improve skin.

SHI Macrobiotics Courses and Webinars

At SHI macrobiotics, we provide a series of courses to help you become a master in macrobiotics! Take part in these courses, join our upcoming webinars, or buy our latest book, “Ultimate Guide to Eating for Longevity,”to learn macrobiotic cooking techniques and increase familiarity with this diet.

Want to learn more about health and macrobiotics? Take one of our online macrobiotic courses.

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Macrobiotics

What is macrobiotics? Macrobiotics isa system of holistic principles and dynamic practices that guides choices in nutrition, activity, and lifestyle for physical, emotional, mental, social, and environmental health.

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Best Macrobiotic Vegetables - SHI Macrobiotics (2024)

FAQs

Best Macrobiotic Vegetables - SHI Macrobiotics? ›

These include carrots, daikon, radishes and parsnips. The last category is round vegetables, plants which grow just above or below the soil surface. Squash, turnips, onions and broccoli are round vegetables.

What are macrobiotic sea vegetables? ›

Three of the most common macrobiotic sea vegetables include nori, wakame, and kombu. TOASTED NORI SHEETS. Toasted nori sheets are crispy sheets of edible seaweed. They are lightweight and thin, like kale chips, and are incredibly high in nutrients.

What are the best macrobiotic foods? ›

organic whole grains such as brown rice, barley, oats and buckwheat (half your food intake) locally grown, organic fruits and vegetables (up to a quarter of your food intake) soups made with vegetables, seaweed, beans, chick peas, lentils and fermented soy (miso) (up to a quarter of your food intake)

Can you eat potatoes on a macrobiotic diet? ›

Some vegetables should be avoided: potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant and peppers particularly for those who have arthritis. Turnips, carrots, celeriac, the large white Japanese radishes (daikon); all these are good. Winter squashes are excellent.

Can you eat garlic on a macrobiotic diet? ›

Macrobiotic Diet Meal Guidelines

Include a variety of cruciferous vegetables (cabbage, broccoli, arugula, kale, daikon, etc.). Include a variety of allium vegetables (onions, scallions, garlic, leeks, and shallots). Try to keep equal or more vegetables than grains by volume on your plate.

Which is the healthiest sea vegetables? ›

What are some of the healthiest sea vegetables? Good news: Most sea veggies are very healthy (unless they have been harvested near a place with contaminated water). Nori, spirulina, Salicornia, and dulse, kombu, wakame, sea purslane, and Irish moss are common and very healthy sea veggies.

What are the best sea vegetables to eat? ›

Here we present a list of some of the tastiest and most common sea vegetables.
  • Kelp. Kelps are a type of large and leafy brown algae that form dense forests close to shore. ...
  • Salicornia.
  • Dulse.
  • Nori. ...
  • Irish Moss.
  • Sea Purslane.

What do you eat for breakfast on a macrobiotic diet? ›

We recommend that your macrobiotic breakfast has a grain-based dish with light vegetables on the side. For the basis of any breakfast dish, some great grains for breakfast include, but are not limited to: Brown rice. Steel-cut oats.

Can you eat tomatoes on macrobiotic diet? ›

Potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, asparagus, spinach, beets, zucchini, and avocados are examples of excluded vegetables.

Is coffee allowed on a macrobiotic diet? ›

Forbidden foods in the macrobiotic diet

Coffee, soda, canned food, refined products (including sugar), eggs and all kinds of processed foods are not allowed.

What is the best rice for macrobiotic diet? ›

Brown rice is flavorful and delicious when made in the macrobiotic style. First the rice is washed and scoured, then soaked for a minimum of 6 hours.

Is peanut butter allowed on macrobiotic diet? ›

This is a toughie – the basic answer is YES, nut butters can be macrobiotic. But the caveat is that nuts (and nut butters) should be eaten in moderation: maybe 2-3 times a week.

What are the 5 elements of macrobiotics? ›

The elements are wood, fire, earth, metal and water. This approach, from deep observation, links our organs and different parts of our body to each natural phase.

Can I eat bread on macrobiotic diet? ›

Although whole grains are preferred, small portions of pasta and bread from refined flour may be eaten. Fresh vegetables should comprise 25 to 30% of food intake.

What is considered a sea vegetable? ›

The term “sea vegetable” is used to describe all varieties of edible seaweed. You can find this product at most grocery stores in the form of dried sheets or flakes and as an ingredient in other products.

What are some examples of sea vegetables? ›

“Sea vegetables” is the culinary term for the different seaweeds used in cooking. They are staple ingredients in Asian cuisines, where dried seaweeds such as wakame, hijiki, kombu, and nori play starring roles in soups, salads, grain dishes, and sushi.

What is an example of sea vegetables food? ›

The main species used as food are kombu (L. japonica), nori (Porphyra tenera, Porphyra yezoensis) and wakame (U. pinnatifida) (Table 5.2). After harvesting, these algae (nori) are sun dried or hot air dried before being processed.

What is macrobiotic sea salt? ›

Sea Salt containing high concentrations of natural minerals from ocean sea water. Olsson's Fine Macrobiotic Sea Salt remains free from additives or preservatives and retains a high level of natural marine minerals and trace elements. It is suitable for cooking, for the dining table and for bathing.

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