Are you looking for healthier snack alternatives? If you’re a Japanese snack lover but are looking for snacks that are a bit healthier or just want to try some different snacks in general, then this article is for you. In this article, we’re going to take a deep dive into the world of healthy Japanese snacks by introducing 9 different categories of healthy snacks.
What Makes Healthy Japanese Snacks So ‘Healthy’?
Before jumping into all of the yummy and healthy Japanese snacks, we need to understand why these snacks are actually healthy. While not all Japanese snacks align with health standards, a significant portion is regarded as a wholesome alternative to certain Western snacks. The distinction lies in the use of premium ingredients, deviating from the typical offerings in US and European grocery stores.
Take, for instance, beloved Japanese snacks like rice crackers, predominantly crafted with white rice flour instead of wheat flour. The latter's high gluten content, known to challenge digestive systems and induce bloating, is replaced by the gentler rice flour.
Moreover, Japanese snacks frequently feature meticulously selected natural ingredients, entirely devoid of chemicals and additives. This commitment to purity further underscores the appeal of Japanese snacks as a more health-conscious choice. And to be honest, this is just a sliver of all of the healthy snack options out here. Now, on to the healthy snacks!
Vegetable Chips & Renkon Chips
First, let’s start out with the vegetable snacks. If you’re not a huge veggie lover but are looking to sneak more into your diet, why not try out vegetable chips? We know that it may sound too good to be true, but believe it or not, vegetable chips, made with real vegetables and that taste good exist! A great example are these vegetable chips from Calbee. Made with real vegetables, you can feel better about your snack choice while still feeling satisfied with these chips. They contain real spinach, green/yellow/red bell peppers, carrots, pumpkin, and tomatoes.
Another popular Japanese vegetable chip option are renkon chips. Renkon (lotus root) chips pack the same amount of satisfaction as conventional potato chips, but are healthier. Renkon contains dietary fiber, as well as vitamin C, potassium, and a polyphenol called tannin. The best part is that renkon chips come in a bunch of different flavors. Daiko Foods carries renkon chips in lemon and nori flavors, but you can also get them in ume plum flavor as well.
Seaweed Snacks
Let’s face it, seaweed is a popular food in Japan and is enjoyed in many ways including sushi, onigiri, and more. So, of course it’s not surprising to see seaweed in snack form as well. Seaweed snacks come in a plethora of options, so explaining all of them would be much more than a slight overkill. If you want to learn more about seaweed snacks, then definitely check out this article.
In a nutshell, seaweed snacks are a favorite in Japan, offering a savory taste that pairs perfectly with cold beer. Japanese snack makers creatively incorporate seaweed into various treats like rice crackers and potato chips, enhancing its inherent umami and oceanic flavor. You can enjoy seaweed alongside crunchy snacks or flavored with Japanese ingredients like wasabi or umeboshi.
Dried Beans & Nuts
Healthy Japanese snacks made of beans and nuts are popular on-the-go snacking options because they contain higher amounts of protein which help the stomach feel full longer. A popular bean-type healthy Japanese snack are the Calbee Miino Salted Green Broad Beans Chips. Low in carbohydrates and calories, these tasty chips made from plain fried whole broad beans from leading Japanese potato chip manufacturer Calbee are the perfect guilt-free substitute for potato chips.
When it comes to nut snacks, the Ton's Brand Sakanuts has been a popular Japanese healthy snack option for decades. This popular Japanese snack has been sold in Japan for more than 35 years and features a mixture of roasted almonds, peanuts, and dried sardines. Each bag of Sakanuts is rich in calcium and magnesium, which is essential for strong bones and promoting a healthy heart. The roasted almonds are mixed with peanuts that have gone through a process to remove the oil and fat resulting in a high protein, low fat snack. The dried sardines are flavored with sesame to provide a complementary taste to the crispy and crunchy nuts.
Dried Seafood Snacks
Seafood may sound weird to enjoy as a snack, but anything goes in the world of healthy Japanese snacks. Two types of seafood stand out as the perfect dried seafood snacks – squid and scallops.
Dried squid is actually a popular option for a drinking snack. This particular dried squid is known for its mild flavor and dry texture. Not to mention, it’s additive-free. Even if you’re not a huge seafood lover, you might like these because they don’t have that overly fishy taste that seafood is often associated with, but they’re still very savory.
Dried scallops are another popular healthy snack option. They’re tender and full of umami flavor, and can be enjoyed as a drinking snack or even used to make dashi! These dried scallops come from Hokkaido and are boiled with salt before being naturally sun-dried. Many of our customers love this particular snack for its versatility and umami-rich flavor.
Konjac Jelly
Konjac jelly is a popular healthy Japanese snack option, especially for those on a diet. Konjac jelly contains little to no calories, yet satisfyingly fills the stomach in the same way jello or other jelly-like snacks do. Konjac jelly from Orihiro comes in a variety of flavors including peach, grape, mixed fruit, orange, and apple. The best part is that konjac jelly does not taste like a diet snack whatsoever. Once you try it, it just might become your new go-to snack option for sure.
Fu (Japanese Wheat Gluten) Snacks
Fu, also known as Japanese wheat gluten, is a traditional Japanese wheat-based food popular for its chewy texture and protein content. If you’re familiar with seitan, fu is exactly the same thing. Fu is a common food in Japan, so much so that there are even many flavored fu snacks that now exist on the market.
Kyoto-based fu manufacturer Itofu has come out with a line of innovative fu snacks coming in both sweet and savory flavors. The best part is that these snacks match well with both tea and alcohol! Fu snacks are crunchy and satisfying, but they are also packed with protein. Itofu carries fu snacks in so many flavors, but some of our favorites are strawberry, curry, and cream cheese.
Umeboshi
If you like a snack that packs a punch, then try these Japanese pickled plums – a sour and tangy-tasting immunity-boosting superfood typically consumed during the wintertime. We love this umeboshi because of its subtle honey flavor, which adds to umeboshi’s unique flavor profile.
Umeboshi, a versatile and popular ingredient, enhances vegan dishes with its umami flavor in salad dressings, marinades, and stir-fried vegetables. It can be enjoyed whole, as a paste, or in vinegar, and is a key element in Japanese cuisine, elevating classics like onigiri, bento boxes, ochazuke, and tempura.
The citric acid in umeboshi's long pickling process brings an alkalinizing effect, combating fatigue, aiding digestion, and eliminating toxins. A popular hangover cure in Japan, umeboshi is rich in essential vitamins (A, C, B1, B2, E, K) and minerals (iron, copper, zinc), promoting overall health.
Mochi
Enjoy one of Japan’s most famous and chewiest delicacies with these delicious mochi rice cakes. Made from 100% Japanese glutinous rice, the Sato Cut Mochi Rice Cakes are individually wrapped to preserve the mochi’s freshness and keep them dry. Each of the 8 square-shaped blocks of rice cakes has little cuts on the surface to make the mochi nice and plump when you roast them.
You can enjoy eating these mochi cakes in a variety of ways, with kinako (roasted soybean powder), wrapped with bacon or nori seaweed, adding it into a soup, or with sweet azuki red bean paste. To make crunchy mochi you can cook it in a pan or toaster oven, or if you prefer your mochi soft and sticky, put it in the microwave. Mochi is quite a healthy snack because it is low in saturated fat and very low in cholesterol.
Dried Fruits & Vegetables
We can’t forget about the dried fruits and vegetables! While every country has their own version of dried fruits and vegetables, Japan has their own unique healthy dried assortment of fruits and vegetables that are hard to find overseas.
First of all, we can’t go without mentioning the famous hoshigaki, or dried persimmons. This classic and healthy snack is a fan favorite at Japanese Taste and for a good reason too! Positioned as a high-class Japanese confection, Hoshigaki boasts a delicate sweet taste and a smooth texture that uniquely envelops the palate compared to other dried fruits. Moreover, hoshigaki are a nutritional powerhouse, rich in valuable nutrients such as vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin B-complex, minerals, polyphenols, and dietary fiber, among others. Hoshigaki is immensely popular in Japan, so much so that hoshigaki-flavored daif*cku mochi was created, allowing Japanese people to savor the wonderful flavor of hoshigaki year-round.
A popular dried vegetable option is definitely hoshi imo. Hoshi imo has a slightly chewy texture and sweet flavor. It is rich in flavor, fiber, vitamins B, C, and E, and is free from cholesterol. Sweet tasting with a smooth texture, this particular snack uses only dried sweet potatoes grown in Ibaraki, the largest producing area of sweet potatoes in Japan. Ibaraki has the ideal conditions for growing sweet potatoes thanks to its fertile soil and dry climate.
The Best Place To Buy Japanese Snacks Online
You can easily find all of the snacks mentioned in this article through the Japanese Taste online store, who specialize in shipping high-quality made in Japan products directly to your door.
Which healthy Japanese snack option piqued your interest the most? Have you tried any of the snack options we talked about, or do you have any other favorite healthy Japanese snacks? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.
