Let’

s Get Started!

A Guide to Shokuiku
＊

Shokuiku = Food and Nutrition Education/Promotion

＊
 We Are
What We Eat
Let’
s look at how understanding food and nutrition
dynamics can help our lives, minds, and bodies be healthy.

Our food starts as one with Nature. It is harvested, processed,

and then put on display for us at supermarkets and other stores.
We choose what we like, prepare it for our meals, and consume it.

The food we eat fuels our body, sustaining

our lives. It also connects us with the next
generation.

Contents   We Are What We Eat ……………………… 1 ∼ 2

■ Important Shokuiku Points Change with Age …………… 3
How Our Diet Evolves with Age
■ Our Bodies ……………………………………… 4 ∼ 6
■ What Did You Eat Yesterday? …………… 7 ∼ 8
Dining
■ Did You Eat Breakfast? ……………………… 9 ∼ 10
■ Improving Each Life Stage’s Dietary Habits Leads to a Healthy Life… 11∼12
■ Let’s Chew Our Food Well While Enjoying Its Taste………… 13∼14
■ Food Is Even More Delicious When Eating Together With Others… 15∼16
■ Where Does Our Food Come From? ……… 17∼18
From Fields/Sea/Etc. to Our Tables
■ What Foods Are Most Suitable for Each Season, or for Where We Live? … 19∼20
■ Let’
s Take a Close Look at Food Labels……… 21
■ How Can We Prevent Food Poisoning at Home? … 22
Preparing for Disasters ■ Preparing for Unforeseeable Disasters … 23∼24
■ Check List ………………………………………… 25
For Further Study
■ Shokuiku Diary ……………………………………… 26
■ Further Information …………………………… 27∼28
■ About“A Guide to Shokuiku”…………………… 29

1
Expabnd the Circles of Shokuiku Practice

How Our Diet Evolves with Age

How Our Diet Evolves
with Age Adulthood
Cultivate a healthy mind
and body and foster a rich
humanity with age

Puberty Seniorhood
Pregnancy

Next

Dining
Generation
Childhood・Adolescence
Extending healthy
life expectancy
Infancy
Promoting
healthy diet

From Fields/Sea/Etc.
to Our Tables（Food Cycle）

From Fields/Sea/Etc. to Our Tables

Home
(food waste,
        preservation, recycle)

Healthy diet Meals

Farm・Fishery・Ranch
Kitchen

Daycare Center ・ School Foreign Wholesale Markets Preparing for Disasters

Restaurants
Wholesale Market ‒
Food Processor

Retail Food Outlet

Food Tying a Community Together

For Further Study

(In our community : socializing and food information)

National / Shokuiku opportunities offered

local governments by volunteers, etc.

Nature・Culture・Society Economy

2
 How Our
Diet Evolves
with Age
Important Shokuiku Points Change with Age
Everyone eats every day of their lives.
Those meals sustain our minds and bodies, and then those of the next generation.

Important Shokuiku Stages of Our Lives

Old Age
Puberty Adulthood Using food to have a fulfilling life while
Following a healthy diet helping develop the next generation’ s
while developing the next dietary life, and passing on food culture
generation’s dietary life. knowledge and experiences.

Adulthood

Adolescence Pregnancy Seniorhood

Next
Generation

Infancy
Childhood・
Developing good eating
Adolescence
habits while whetting our
Expanding our food Childhood・Adolescence
Infancy appetites to try new foods.
experiences while tailoring
our diet to individual needs.

Helping Shokuiku Understanding

Develop Well Maintaining
healthy minds
the enjoyment
and importance
and bodies
of meals
People we would
Choosing healthy
like to eat with
(socializing) foods, and preparing
them for eating

Understanding
Japanese food
Thankfulness culture traditions,
and passing these
to others

Shokuiku
3
 Our Bodies
Things we eat are digested, and the nutrients are absorbed for building and maintaining our bodies.

How Our Diet Evolves with Age

Whether we are underweight or overweight is connected with what we eat.
Let’s find out our ideal weight, weigh ourselves regularly, and adjust our meals to meet our nutritional needs.

Dining
Childhood・
Pregnancy Infancy Puberty Adulthood Seniorhood
Adolescence

From Fields/Sea/Etc. to Our Tables

What is your height

Preparing for Disasters

and weight?

Height
cm

Weight
For Further Study

Kg
Please continue to
the next page

◎In the case of pregnancy or infancy, please refer to your Maternal and Child Health Handbook.
◎To record your weight regularly, use the Shokuiku Diary on p. 26.

4
 How Our
Diet Evolves
with Age
Our Bodies
From Upper Elementary School Age Till 18 Years Old

Enter your height and weight in these charts, and observe the changes as you grow.
（MHLW“Let’
s record our grouth pattern”2004）

The middle line of the several

height Growth Trends (for boys) height

lines written for height and weight （cm) （cm)

（Made by 2004)
190 190

represents the average. Not all of

97 180
180 80
75 weight
170 50 170
25 （Kg)

us are average. Find the trend

10
160 3 100 160

150 95 150

line that best fits you, and watch 140 90 140

height 97
130 85 130
how closely you follow the trend. weight
120 80
（Kg)
80 75
75 110

70 100 70
75
65 90 65

Does your height and weight follow 60 80

50
60
25
55 70 55
one of the trend lines well? 50 60
10
3 50

45 50 45

Is your weight growing faster 40 40 40

35 30
weight 35

than the trend shown? 30 20 30

25 10 25

20 0 20
Or, is your weight falling 15 15

below the trend?

10 10

5 5

0 0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
age（years)

height
（cm)
Growth Trends (for girls) （Made by 2004)
height
（cm)
190 190

180 180
weight
170 97 170
80 （Kg)
75 100 160
160 50
25
150 10 95 150
3
140 90 140
height
130 85 130
weight
120 80
（Kg)
75 110 75

70 100 97 70

65 90 65
80
60 80 60
75
55 70 55
50
50 60 50
25
45 50 10 45
3
40 40 40

35 30 35
weight 30
30 20

25 10 25

For more information 20 0 20

15 15

10 10

● Let’
s record our growth pattern 5 5

 【MHLW】
0 0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
age（years)

5
 How Our Diet Evolves with Age
During Adulthood

What is your ideal weight?

Ideal weight = height m× height m ×22= Kg

Are you underweight, or overweight?

Let’s calculate your BMI ※.

Dining
My BMI = weight Kg ÷ height m ÷ height m =

<18.5 underweight

From Fields/Sea/Etc. to Our Tables

BMI 18.5∼25 normal range
>25 overweight
※ BMI = Body Mass Index

BMI Chart (adulthood)

Preparing for Disasters

height（cm） BMI 22
190

180
underweight normal range overweight
<18.5 18.5∼25 >25
170

160
For Further Study

150

140
30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 100
weight（Kg）

6
 Dining
What Did You Eat Yesterday?
What Did You Eat Yesterday? Let’
s make a record of that.
Check what category of food you ate: staple dish（rice, bread, pasta, etc.）
,
main dish, side dish
（es）
.

Woke up time Went to sleep time Physical condition

時   分 時   分 good ・ not so good

Main time ：
dish Breakfast
ate what

Side
Staple
dish
dish(es)
Side
Staple dish Main dish
dish(es)

time ： time ：
Lunch Supper
ate what ate what

Side Side
Staple dish Main dish Staple dish Main dish
dish(es) dish(es)

time ：
Bedtime time ：
Snack snack ate what
ate what

Did your 3 meals yesterday each have a staple dish, main dish, and side dish（es）
？

3 meals had 2 meals had 1 meal had No meals had

3 dishes 3 dishes 3 dishes 3 dishes

7
About Staple, Main, and Side Dishes

How Our Diet Evolves with Age

When planning or choosing a meal, if you are sure to include staple main, and side dishes,
you are more likely to have a nutritionally balanced meal that is also pleasing to the eye.
Staple Rice, bread, pasta, and other primarily grain dishes. These
dish are rich in carbohydrates which power our bodies.

Main Dishes built around fish, meat, egg, soybeans,

dish or other ingredients rich in protein and fat.

Sides Vegetables, roots and tubers, seaweed, and other ingredients

dish rich in vitamins, iron, calcium, dietary fiber, and other nutrients.

Dining
What type of food should we eat?
Let’s look at the Japanese Food Guide Spinning Top to see what proportion of staple, main, and side dishes we should eat daily.

Japanese Food Guide Spinning Top

Physical Activity
water or teas

Do you have a well-balanced diet?

From Fields/Sea/Etc. to Our Tables

SV

(Rice,Bread,Noodles,and Pasta) SV SV

SV

SV

SV SV

Enjoy Snacks,Confection and SV

Beverages moderately!
(Milk and Milk products) SV SV

Preparing for Disasters

SV

※　SV is an abbreviation of “Serving”, which is a simply countable number

describing the approximated amount of each dish or food served to
one person

Decided by Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare and

Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.

Indicator of food intake by user’

s character and type of dishes
〈Energy〉 Unit
（s）: SV
〈User〉 ・ To decide daily meal size, enter into consideration of
kcal  Grain dishes Vegetable dishes Fish and Meat dishes Milk Fruits
amount of activity（energy）, and refer to the indicator of
1400
・6−9 years male/female food intake（SV）on each type of dishes.
・10−11 years female
1600 ・ For 2200±200 kcal, although amount of Vegetable dishes
・Low amount of exercise
12−69 years female
4∼5 3∼4 （5 to 6 SV）, Fish and Meat dishes（3 to 5 SV）, Milk（2 SV）,
・Over 70 years female
・Low amount of exercise 1800 and Fruits（2 SV）is the same, moderate amount of Grain
over 70 years male dishes and type（ingredient and recipe）of Fish and Meat
5∼6 2 2
For Further Study

2000 dishes to eat a well-balanced diet.

・10−11 years male
・Low amount of exercise 12
−69 years male
・Above average of amount of 2200 5∼7 3∼5
exercise 12−69 years female
・Above average of amount of
exercise over 70 years male
For more information
2400

2600
・Above average of amount
6∼8 6∼7 4∼6 2∼3 2∼3
●Japanese Food Guide Spinning Top
of exercise 12−69 years
male 2800  
【MAFF】
【MHLW】
3000

8
 Dining
Did You Eat Breakfast?
Did you eat breakfast, the first meal of the day?
Eating 3 meals a day is key to having a healthy lifestyle.

Get up Break-
fast

Go to bed Lunch

Supper

Of people 20 or over who skip breakfast, about 1/3 developed this habit
during their school years.

When did you start

skipping breakfast? 6.3% 20.4% 18.4% 53.0% 2.0%
(Asked of those now
20 or over)

In elementary In junior or senior About the time of high I do not

After turning 20
school high school school graduation remember

Source: "The Survey of Attitude toward Shokuiku" (MAFF) (FY 2016)

9
Eating breakfast gets you off to a good start.

How Our Diet Evolves with Age

Breakfast gets you fueled up for starting your day.
Eating breakfast causes your lower nighttime temperature to rise, and gets your body
ready to go.
Your body does not store glucose well, an important fuel for your brain which our body prepares by
breaking down carbohydrates in rice, bread, pasta, and so on. If we don’t eat breakfast, a lack of energy
makes us easily irritated, and makes it difficult for us to concentrate.

Eating breakfast improves our ability to learn.

Dining
If we compare children who eat breakfast regularly with those
who don’ t, we can see that the scores of the former are higher.

The relation between eating breakfast and test scores

100
(6th graders) Daily eating breakfast
80 72.3

From Fields/Sea/Etc. to Our Tables

Usually eating breakfast
65.1
60 55.3 56.4 53.4 Not eating breakfast much
49.0
40 38.3 Not eating breakfast
33.4

20

(MEXT“National Assessment of
0
Japanese A Japanese B Mathematics A Mathematics B Academic Ability”FY 2018)

Skipping breakfast can lead to becoming overweight

By skipping breakfast, we are likely to overeat during our other meals.
This is likely to lead to becoming overweight and developing lifestyle related diseases. Preparing for Disasters

Improving my lifestyle
Eating supper late at night, or having a bedtime snack can lead to a poor appetite
the next morning, and no desire for breakfast.
Let’s take a look at when you eat breakfast, supper, and bedtime snacks,
what time you go to bed, and when you are most active during your day.
For Further Study

From tomorrow, what points would you like to be careful about For more information:
concerning breakfast, bedtime, and so on?
● Early to bed, early to rise, breakfast
 【MEXT】
● "Mezamashi Gohan" campaign
 【MAFF】

10
 Dining
Improving Each Life Stage’s
Combining staple, main, and side dishes for creating a balanced meal, being sure to eat breakfast,
and so on, there are different points to be careful about depending on our age.

For expectant mothers

Expectant mothers need to care for their nutritional needs in different ways depending upon their condition.
Whether experiencing morning sickness or not, eat as you are able.

・Have good health before becoming pregnant

・Be sure to get most of your calories from staple dish
・Eat enough side dishes for maintaining a good vitamin
and mineral intake

・Have enough main dishes for getting sufficient protein

・Have enough dairy products with meals to get enough calcium
・Naturally, your weight will increase as your
pregnancy progresses
・Breast feeding mothers need proper nutrition
for raising healthy infants
（MHLW“Dietary Guidelines for Pregnant and Lactating Women”2006）

For families with infants

● Infants gradually develop, acquiring many skills.

Keep a record of your child’s height and weight on the growth chart in your Maternal and Child Health Handbook.
● When nursing or bottle-feeding your baby, try to be in a quiet setting, holding your child carefully, and talking gently.
● Show your child different foods, letting him/her touch and taste.
● For more about introducing baby food to your infant, refer to the article about that in your Maternal and Child Health Handbook.
● If you have concerns about feeding your baby,

bring up the matter during one of your baby’s

regular checkups sponsored by your community.

l and
M a te rn a
a lt h
C h il d H e
k
Handboo For more information:
● Dietary Guidelines for Pregnant and Lactating Women【MHLW】
● Guidelines for nursing/bottle feeding, and for baby food【MHLW】
● Helping your child develop a love for mealtimes【MHLW】

11
Dietary Habits Leads to a Healthy Life
For families with elementary or junior high school students

How Our Diet Evolves with Age

● Eat a good breakfast daily, along with developing other good daily life patterns.
● Manage well the timing, content, and quantity of between meal snacks.

For the younger generation (adolescents and young adults)

●A large proportion of young people skip breakfast.
Reflect on how healthy your daily habits are.
● Be sure to eat enough vegetables. For example,

Dining
eat one more side dishes more than you normally would.
● Too many young women are underweight. Dieting without need
can invite irregular menstruation, or even result in osteoporosis later
in life. Maintain your ideal weight by eating and exercising well.

From Fields/Sea/Etc. to Our Tables

For adults who are worried about their expanding waistlines
● It may be a good time to reexamine what you eat and how much, including
snacking and alcoholic consumption, and to find what you can best revise.
● Be sure to get enough regular exercise in your daily life.
● Check your weight regularly.
● Keep a record of your diet and weight in the Shokuiku Diary (p. 26).

Preparing for Disasters

For families with senior citizens ●Take notice if your weight is falling.
 Your weight will fall if you are not eating enough.
 Weigh yourself regularly.
● Get enough main dishes and dairy products with your meals.
● Get enough fluids.
● Keep track of your meals and weight using the
For Further Study

 Shokuiku Diary（p. 26）

For more information:

● Handbook of Education in the Home【MEXT】

● Smart Life Project【MHLW】

12
 Dining
Let’
s Chew Our Food

How many times do you chew a mouthful

of food before you swallow?
Write the guessed and actual numbers below. In the parentheses, write what you were chewing.

Main Dishes Side Dishes

Rice
（         ） （         ）

Guessed times Guessed times Guessed times

Actual times Actual times Actual times

Impressions Impressions Impressions

Chew with your right molars

Chew your food well. 1 while tasting your food

It has many benefits! You can Chew with your left molars
2 while tasting your food
taste your 3 Chew again with your right molars
while tasting your food
food better! 4 Chew again with your left molars
while tasting your food
5 Chew again with your right molars
while tasting your food
6 Taste your food well with your tongue
The longer you chew
Enjoy the taste while chewing well.
rice, the sweeter
it becomes! OK! Swallow.
Jaw Less likely 1 2
develop- Prevention to become 3 4
5
ment of tooth overweight 6
decay

13
Well While Enjoying Its Taste
Families with infants and preschoolers

How Our Diet Evolves with Age

・Create a pleasurable eating experience. Having the entire family eat together models the ideal
eating environment.
・During infancy, an infant’
s mind and body are developing markedly. Mouth use and teeth
growth vary widely with the infant. The hardness of foods, size of bites, and types of
spoons or forks used need to be adjusted to each infant’
s situation accordingly.
・When it comes time to wean your infant, refer to“Indication of how to proceed
weaning" in your Maternal and Child Health Handbook for guidance.
・As a child’
s sense of taste develops, food likes and dislikes begin

Dining
appearing. Try to encourage like of all foods without being too forceful.

Chewing food well contributes to weight control

◎Benefits of chewing your food well:
・Easier to feel full

From Fields/Sea/Etc. to Our Tables

・Your body will better release hormones that suppress your appetite
・Feeling satisfied with more lightly seasoned food, and with less food

Prevent children and the seniors

from choking on their food.
Some foods cause choking more easily than others

Preparing for Disasters

At risk are children, since their mouths and throats Causes of choking
are still developing, and seniors, since their ● Bite sizes too big（1∼5cm in diameter）
chewing and swallowing ability may be in decline. ● Foods difficult to chew ● Slippery foods
● Foods labeled as bite-sized that are actually too big
How to avoid choking on food
Choose bite sizes appropriate to each food, and chew carefully. Eat
with others who can keep an eye out for trouble. Notice any warnings
on food packaging concerning choking danger（see illustration）.
For Further Study

Foos that most commonly cause choking

For more information:
Mochi rice cake, Rice, Candies, Breads, Sushi, Rice gruels,
● "Taketime to eat" focusing on
Apples, Mitarashi-dango, Bananas, Jelly with cup  Middle-Aged and Senior Males;
（Foods in red can be hazardous for children under  Topics by lifestyle and generation,
12years old）  Shokuiku for All【MAFF】

14
 Dining
Food Is Even More Delicious
Do you eat any of your meals alone?
Whether due to the increase in 2-generation households, or due to the many
demands of our lifestyle, the number of meals eaten together as a family are
declining.

It isn’
t just eating meals together that benefit us, but also the resulting
conversations such as“What menu shall we prepare?”
,“This tastes good!”
,
and so on. Eating together with someone is more fun than eating alone!
Let’
s take steps to achieve that.

Please check the boxes that apply to things

you would like to do together with family or friends.
Meal planning

Preparing ingredients (shopping, harvesting, etc.)

Cooking (cooking, dishing out food, etc.)

Setting out dishes, getting the table ready, calling people to sit down

Eating

Cleaning up (Taking dishes to the sink, washing,

throwing away scraps, putting away leftovers, etc.)
Reflecting together about the just finished meal, asking others about meals
(doing what for the next meal, liking or disliking what, etc.)

15
When Eating Together With Others
To Families with Preschoolers or Children Going to School

How Our Diet Evolves with Age

One in five elementary school children eat breakfast
alone. For junior high students it is one in three.※
Many children who eat alone seem not to be
healthy either mentally or physically.
There does not seem to be enough family time at
the table. Let’
s talk together more.
※FY 2010 Survey on Dietary Conditions of School Children
 (Japan Sport Council)

Dining
To Seniors
Do you find that eating alone decreases your appetite?
Is shopping or cooking troublesome for you?
Meal parties/Meal events
Even if you live alone, how about eating with friends,

From Fields/Sea/Etc. to Our Tables

or even eating with others at local events?

Do You Begin and End Your Meals Properly?

“Itadakimasu”
“It Itadaku originally meant“to put on your head,”but
ada the meaning has changed to “to receive” or “to
kim
asu partake.” It expresses our thanks to nature, the
”

Preparing for Disasters

farmers who grow our rice, vegetables, and other
foods, the people who prepared our food, and so on.

“Gochisosama”
Chiso refers to someone busily preparing a
meal. Therefore“Gochisosama”expresses
thanks for a meal.

Know?
For Further Study

Y o u
Did For more information
June is Shokuiku month, and the 19th of each month is Shokuiku Day.
● How good is Shokuiku for us?
On Shokuiku Day, how about reflecting on your food habits, and being  【MAFF】
sure to dine with your family? ● ShokuikuPromotion in the Community;
Also, how about participating in local Shokuiku events?  Collaborating with "Children's Cafeteria”
 【MAFF】

16
 From Fields/Sea/

Where Does Our Food

Etc. to
Our Tables

Approximately 38% of the Calories We Eat are Grown/

※

Caught/Gathered in Japan and the Rest are Imported

(Based on Calories Consumed in 2017)

Let’s Compare Japan’s Food Self-

Sufficiency Rate with Some Other Countries
(Based on Calories Consumed)
Domestic 240%

38％
220%
223%
Oversea 200%

62％
180%

160%

140%

120%
127% 130%
100%

80% 95%
60%
63%
40%

20%
38%
0%
Japan UK Germany France US Australia
Source : estimated by MUFF

※Figures in 2013 (only Japan shows figures in FY 2017)

Let’s Prevent Waste!

About 800 Million of the World’s People Before going shopping, check to see what foods
Suffer from Starvation or Nutrition Shortages. you already have. Use foods wisely to prevent waste.

Chec
k!

k!
On the one hand, Japan Chec
imports most of its food,
but on the other hand,
Japanese waste 6.46 For more information:
million tons of food (food Food loss
● Do you know about the food situation in Japan?【MAFF】
that is still edible which ● Food Recycling and Food Loss【MAFF】
is thrown away) per year. ● [Reducing Food Loss] A Project for
6.46 million
tons per year   Eliminating Food Waste【CAA】

17
Come From?
The foods we eat come to us thanks to the efforts of many

How Our Diet Evolves with Age

people in food producing, processing, shipping, and more.

Wholesale markets,

Dining
Farms, fisheries, ranches (Production)
food processors

supermarket
vegetable store

From Fields/Sea/Etc. to Our Tables

Daycare centers, schools, Retail stores
work places, restaurants, etc.

Kitchens Preparing for Disasters

Our dining tables

Would you like to Would you like to visit factories to see

experience how your how your food is processed and shipped?

food is produced?
For Further Study

For more information:

● Childrens’exchange project with farming

  or mountain or fishing villages.【MAFF】
● Promotion of Agricultural,
 Forestry and Fishery Experience【MAFF】

18
 From Fields/Sea/

What Foods Are Most Suitable

Etc. to
Our Tables

From times past, it has been Japanese tradition to

celebrate local foods during New Years and other holidays.
In the calendar below, write foods appropriate for different festivals, including foods unique to your area.

January （Mutsuki） February （Kisaragi） March （Yayoi） April （Uduki）

May （Satsuki） June （Minaduki） July （Fumiduki） August （Haduki）

September （Nagatsuki） October （Kannaduki） November （Shimotsuki） December （Shiwasu）

19
 for Each Season, or for Where We Live?
Japan is blessed with four seasons, so we have come to value foods special to each season.

How Our Diet Evolves with Age

Seasonal foods tend to have a fine taste and smell, as well as being nutritious. Let’
s make efforts to use
seasonal foods in our cooking, and to appreciate their taste. Let’
s also remember how our area’
s climate and
environment have resulted in the quality of our area’
s seasonal foods. Put a circle by foods from your area.

Cabbage Onions Mitsuba Pumpkin Eggplant

Short-necked clams

Dining
Asparagus Hard clams
Tomatoes Cucumber Sweet peppers

Spanish mackerel
Pacific herring Spring Summer Japanese whiting
Horse mackerel

From Fields/Sea/Etc. to Our Tables

Winter Autumn
Spinach Sweet potatoes
Carrot
Daikon Welsh onions

Edible burdock Apples Satoimo

Satsuma mandarins Broccoli
Chinese cabbage

Preparing for Disasters

Japanese eel Salmons Pacific saury
Yellowtail Oysters

This means eating foods grown or

Japanese-Style Food Life Eating locally caught or gathered in your area.
Japan’ s climate and environment is suitable for producing rice Let’s be aware of our local area’s foods.
for staple dishes, fish, meat, and so on for main dishes, and
vegetable, seaweed, legumes, and so on for side dishes. These
diverse ingredients combine in different ways to create our
For Further Study

Japanese-style food life. For more information:

Not only are foods from throughout Japan nutritionally
balanced, but eating them together provides a rich food life. ● FOOD ACTION NIPPON【MAFF】
This is all connected to improving Japan’s food self-sufficiency ● Local Production for Local Consumption/Boosting Consumption of
rate, and continuing the food traditions of local areas in Japan.
 Domestic Agricultural, Forestry and Fishery Products【MAFF】
●Washoku (Japanese cuisine) registered as an example of
 UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage!【MAFF】

20
 From Fields/Sea/

Let’s Take a Close Look at Food Labels

Etc. to
Our Tables

In general, processed foods, whether boxed, bottled, bagged, etc., have various
kinds of information printed on their packaging. Have you ever looked closely?

Let’
s take a look at what’
s printed on food packages.
Product name: Vienna sausage Nutrition facts: per 100g
Ingredients: Pork (U.S., Japanese, Danish), lard, Energy: 321kca
protein hydrolysate, reduced sugar
syrup, salt, spices/flavorings (MSG, Protein: 13.2ｇ
etc.), phosphates (Na, K)… Fat: 28.5ｇ
Weight: １5０ｇ Carbohydrate: 3.0ｇ
Expiration date: September 30, 2019 Sodium chloride
1.9ｇ
Storage: Keep at 10°
C or below. equivalent:
Manufacturer: ○○○ Food Company +AK
×××-△△△, Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo

Can you answer

these questions?
snack urt curry ● What is the product’
s name?
yog ● How much food is in the bag?
● What company manufactured this product?
Wiener
can ● How much protein is in the food?

What is the difference between Use By Date and Sell By Date?

Use By Date Sell By Date
The information is displayed The information is displayed
on perishable food products such as box lunches or on nonperishable food products such as canned
prepared food. Food quality for unopened packages goods or snack foods. They need not be eaten
is guaranteed until the date. immediately upon reaching the date.

※Whether a product is labeled with a Use By Date or Sell By Date depends upon the food and how it has been preserved. It is only applicable to unopened packages. If the
package has been opened, or if the food has been preserved in a nonstandard way, the food’s quality or safety may decline before the posted date.

Food Allergen Labeling

Be sure to carefully read food labels to tell if any foods you are allergic to are included.
※Labelling requirements for food allergens may
These 7 food allergens must be listed on a label if any of them are in a product change from time to time.
Prawns/shrimp, Crab, Wheat, Buckwheat, Eggs, Milk, Peanuts ※Alcohol products are not currently required to
declare presence of allergens on their labels.

It is suggested that these 20 food allergens be listed on a label if any of them are in a product
Abalone, Squids and cuttlefishes, Ikura, Oranges, Cashew nuts, Kiwifruit,
Beef Cattle, Walnuts, Sesame, Salmons and trouts, Mackerels, Soybeans, For more information
Chicken, Bananas, Swine, Matsutake, Peaches, Yams, Apples, Gelatin

To protect your children, inform your their daycare ● Basic Things About Food Labelling to Know【CAA】
center or school of any food allergies they may have.

21
 How Can We Prevent Food Poisoning at Home?
Six points for preventing food poisoning at home

How Our Diet Evolves with Age

Food
point 1 Buying food point 2 Storing food
at home
point 3 preparation

Check the food’s Immediately refrigerate Thaw frozen foods Keep only clean
kitchen towels, and
expiration date. the food upon returning home. in your refrigerator.
dishcloths on hand.
Keep your refrigerator less than 70% full.
Throw out
garbage
regularly.
Set your
refrigerator
to 10° C Keep raw
or cooler. ingredients away
Don’t waste time from other foods.
getting the food home.

Dining
Keep your
freezer
Bag meat and fish section at
separately. If possible, -15°C or After cutting raw
colder. meat or fish, wash Wash your
your knife thoroughly hands
then rinse with frequently.
boiling water.
In case of a power
Wrap meat and Wash
If you use well
outage, avoid
use a coolant to keep fish well so Wash and sterilize your vegetables
water, have it
opening your checked
they don’t leak. knives, cooking implements,

From Fields/Sea/Etc. to Our Tables

perishables cool. refrigerator. thoroughly.
and dishcloths. for quality.

point 4 Cooking point 5 Eating point 6 Leftovers

Cook food well (as a rule,
the internal food temperature Wash your hands before
should reach 75° C for at putting away leftovers.
least one minute).

When putting away

food, use clean
Keep your dishes and utensils.
kitchen

Preparing for Disasters

clean. Wash your
hands
Wash your hands before eating.
before cooking. For fast cooling, put
leftovers in small
containers.

Throw away food

When warming up
When microwaving, that is too old, or
Foods which you change your Do not leave cooked When dishing out food, leftovers, make sure their
make food that you are not
mind about cooking should be food at room temperature use clean dishes internal temperature
evenly-heated. sure is safe.
returned to the refrigerator. for a long time. and utensils. reaches at least 75°C.
For Further Study

3 rules for preventing Avoid food poisoning by keeping away microorganisms that may cause it, not
food poisoning allowing such organisms to propagate, and fighting off any that are present.

For expectant mothers For more information

Pregnancy weakens a woman’s immune system leaving ●6 points you can do at home to prevent
her more susceptible to food poisoning. Take extra care  food poisoning【MHLW】
when washing fresh foods, cooking, and handling food. ● Advice for Pregnant Women【MHLW】

22
 Preparing for
Disasters
Preparing for Unforeseeable
Let's get the task of preparing emergency food supplies underway!
●Be sure to always keep emergency food supplies comprising staples (carbohydrates)
and main dishes (protein) to last at least three days and preferably a week.
●Utilities (electricity, gas and water) are likely to be cut off in a disaster, so it is better
to keep water, fuel and cooking equipment (gas camping stove, etc.) available for
around a week (21 liters of water, six gas cartridges), in supply.

Water Gas camping stove

A liter of water per person Fuel is needed to heat up
per day is needed as food and cook simple meals.
drinking water. Together Do not forget to prepare gas
with water used for cooking cartridges, either.
and other purposes, it is
better to plan for around
three liters of water per
person per day.

Rice Canned goods

<Energy and Carbohydrates> <Protein>
Your key emergency food supply! Canned goods consumable as-is without
If you keep a two-kilogram bag of rice with requiring cooking are recommended.
water and fuel, they will secure about 27
meals (where a meal is equivalent
to 75 g of rice (0.5 go)).
お
米

Rolling Stockpile
You can easily prepare emergency food supplies by introducing rolling stockpiles; a method
to stock up with slightly more daily food products and restock those you consumed.

Step 1 Step 2 Step 3

Stock up with slightly more Prepare a checklist and Restock cans you have
daily food products than consume the products Restock
a can
consumed
usual (those with a longer based on their
shelf life) best-before dates. When
consuming
a can

23
 Disasters
An example of emergency food prepared at home: for two adults for a week

How Our Diet Evolves with Age

必需品
Necessities ・Gas camping stove
・Water Tea of your preference
※Around three liters per person per   ・Gas cartridge Drink
お and soft drinks are
茶
  day (for both drinking and cooking) ※Around six cartridges per person per week

2 liters × 6 bottles × 4 cases 12 cartridges also convenient items.

Staples (energy and carbohydrates) ・Instant noodles

(dried somen, udon, soba and pasta)
・Rice As needed
※Restock another bag when consumed 2 bags of somen (300 g/bag)
  (around 75 g per person per meal)
2 bags of pasta (600 g/bag)
お 2 kg × 2 bags
米 ・Precooked ・Others
・Cup noodles rice pack 牛乳
(breakfast cereal, etc.)

Dining
6 items 6 packs
(Long-life milk)

Main dishes (Protein)

・Vacuum packed food product Also important to keep are chocolates,
・Canned food
18 products including precooked beef bowl,
biscuits and other confectionery.
18 cans of your
 curry, etc.
preference
6 packs of pasta sauce

From Fields/Sea/Etc. to Our Tables

Side dishes/others As needed 砂糖
醤油

塩
・Vegetable juice,
fruit juice, etc. ・Instant miso soups
野菜
・Seasoning such as salt, and soups
・Vegetables that stay fresh ・Umeboshi, seaweed,
for a longer time dried wakame seaweed, sugar, soy bean sauce and
(onions, potatoes, etc.) etc. noodle soup base

Preparing for Disasters

Choose emergency food to meet your family's needs
Prepare separately for food products consumable by seniors, infants, preschoolers,
those with illnesses, persons requiring nursing care and those with food allergies.
Seniors, infants and preschoolers Those with kidney disease Those with food allergies

＊Rice gruel that is easy for seniors to eat

For Further Study

Free of 27 allergens

＊A stew free of 27 specified ingredients

＊Non-allergenic powdered milk products ＊Low-protein rice for those with kidney disease

Prepared based on "A Leaflet on Emergency Food Stockpiling at Home (MAFF)"

24
 For Further
Study Check List
“Eating”covers everything from food production to placement on our dining table, and how it is used by our bodies to give us energy for living.
Tell about these connections to your family and friends. Shokuiku is for linking us to others, and to our community. Won't you give it a try?

Read the following questions, and place a circle in the appropriate boxes in the chart below.

Q１ What would you like to know more about?

Q2 What action would you like to take?
Q3 What would you like to communicate to your family or friends?

Wish to Wish to do Wish to tell

How Our Diet Evolves with Age know more something family or friends

Important Shokuiku Points Change with Age

Our Bodies
Wish to Wish to do Wish to tell
Dining know more something family or friends

What Did You Eat Yesterday?

Do You Eat Breakfast?
Improving Each Life Stage’s Dietary Habits Leads to a Healthy Life
Let’s Chew Our Food Well While Enjoying Its Taste
Food Is Even More Delicious When Eating Together With Others
Wish to Wish to do Wish to tell
From Fields/Sea/Etc. to Our Tables know more something family or friends

Where Does Our Food Come From?

What Foods Are Most Suitable for Each Season, or for Where We Live?
Let’
s Take a Close Look at Food Labels
How Can We Prevent Food Poisoning at Home?
Wish to Wish to do Wish to tell
Preparing for Disasters know more something family or friends

Preparing for Unforeseeable Disasters

Let's start with what we can most easily do!

Write a plan on how you can investigate a topic.

25
 Shokuiku Diary
month
breakfast lunch supper other
memo
(Ate with who?

How Our Diet Evolves with Age

foods Was it fun? Etc.)
date/day weight (kg) condition staple dish main dish side dishes soup staple dish main dish side dishes soup staple dish main dish side dishes soup

1（  ）
2（  ）
3（  ）
4（  ）
5（  ）
6（  ）
7（  ）
8（  ）

Dining
9（  ）
10（  ）
11（  ）
12（  ）
13（  ）
14（  ）

From Fields/Sea/Etc. to Our Tables

15（  ）
16（  ）
17（  ）
18（  ）
19（  ）
19th is Shokuiku Day, a time to reflect on your diet.
20（  ）
Preparing for Disasters
21（  ）
22（  ）
23（  ）
24（  ）
25（  ）
26（  ）
27（  ）
For Further Study

28（  ）
29（  ）
30（  ）
31（  ）
* In the columns for breakfast, lunch, supper, place a circle under [staple dish], [main dish], [side dishes] if you had any of these.
* Place a check mark in the“other foods”column if you had a snack or alcoholic beverage, etc., that day.
* In the memo column, note who you ate with, whether the meal was fun, something you have actualized from your self check chart (see p. 25), etc.

26
 For Further
Study Further Information

Further Information

Our Bodies P4∼6

● Let’
s record our growth pattern【MHLW】 http://www.mhlw.go.jp/shingi/2004/02/dl/s0219-3b.pdf

What Did You Eat Yesterday? P7∼8

● Japanese Food Guide Spinning Top【MHLW】http://www.mhlw.go.jp/bunya/kenkou/eiyou-syokuji.html

● Japanese Food Guide Spinning Top【MAFF】 http://www.maff.go.jp/j/balance_guide/index.html

Did You Eat Breakfast? P9∼10

● Early to bed, early to rise, breakfast【MEXT】http://www.hayanehayaoki.jp/

● "Mezamashi Gohan" campaign【MAFF】http://www.maff.go.jp/j/seisan/kakou/mezamasi.html

Improving each life stage’s dietary habits leads to a healthy life P11∼12

● Dietary Guidelines for Pregnant and Lactating Women【MHLW】http://www.mhlw.go.jp/houdou/2006/02/h0201-3a.html

● Guidelines for norsing/bottle feeding,and for baby food【MHLW】
  http://www.mhlw.go.jp/shingi/2007/03/s0314-17.html

● Helping your child develop a love for mealtimes【MHLW】http://www.mhlw.go.jp/shingi/2004/02/dl/s0219-3a.pdf

● Handbook of Education in the Home【MEXT】http://www.mext.go.jp/a_menu/shougai/katei/main8_a1.htm
● Smart Life Project【MHLW】http://www.smartlife.go.jp/

Let’s Chew Our Food Well While Enjoying Its Taste P13∼14

● "Taketime to eat" focusing on Middle-Aged and Senior Males;

 Topics by lifestyle and generation Shokuiku for All【MAFF】
  http://www.maff.go.jp/j/syokuiku/minna_navi/topics/topics4_02.html

Food Is Even More Delicious When Eating Together With Others P15∼16

● How good is Shokuiku for us?【MAFF】http://www.maff.go.jp/j/syokuiku/evidence/index.html

● Shokuiku Promotion in the Community; Collaborating with "Children's Cafeteria”
【MAFF】
  http://www.maff.go.jp/j/syokuiku/kodomosyokudo.html

27
 How Our Diet Evolves with Age
Where Does Our Food Come From? P17∼18

● Do you know about the food situation in Japan?【MAFF】 http://www.maff.go.jp/j/zyukyu/

● Food Recycling and Food Loss【MAFF】http://www.maff.go.jp/j/shokusan/recycle/syoku_loss/

● [Reducing Food Loss] A Project for Eliminating Food Waste【CAA】

https://www.caa.go.jp/policies/policy/consumer_policy/information/food_loss/
● Childrens’exchange project with farming or mountain or fishing villages.【MAFF】http://www.maff.go.jp/j/nousin/kouryu/kodomo/

● Promotion of Agricultural, Forestry and Fishery Experience【MAFF】

http://www.maff.go.jp/j/syokuiku/s_edufarm/index3.html

Dining
What Foods Are Most Suitable for Each Season, or for Where We Live? P19∼20

● FOOD ACTION NIPPON【MAFF】http://syokuryo.jp/index.html

● Local Production for Local Consumption/Boosting Consumption of Domestic Agricultural, Forestry and Fishery Products【MAFF】
http://www.maff.go.jp/j/shokusan/gizyutu/tisan_tisyo/index.html
● Washoku (Japanese cuisine) registered as an example of UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage!【MAFF】

From Fields/Sea/Etc. to Our Tables

http://www.maff.go.jp/j/keikaku/syokubunka/ich/index.html

Let’s take a close look at food labels P21

● Food Labelling【CAA】
https://www.caa.go.jp/policies/policy/food_labeling/information/pamphlets/pdf/pamphlets_181026_0001.pdf

Preventing food poisoning at home P22

Preparing for Disasters

● 6 points you can do at home to prevent food poisoning【MHLW】http://www.mhlw.go.jp/topics/syokuchu/dl/point0709.pdf
● Advice for Pregnant Women【MHLW】http://www.mhlw.go.jp/topics/syokuchu/06.html

Preparing for disasters P23∼24

●A Leaflet on Emergency Food Stockpiling at Home 【MAFF】

http://www.maff.go.jp/j/zyukyu/anpo/gaido-kinkyu.html

Consumer Affairs Agency, Government of Japan【CAA】 https://www.caa.go.jp/

For Further Study

Food Safety Commission of Japan【FSC】 http://www.fsc.go.jp/

Website of Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology【MEXT】 http://www.mext.go.jp/a_menu/sports/

related government syokuiku/index.htm
agencies Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare【MHLW】 https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/seisakunitsuite/bunya/
kenkou_iryou/kenkou/eiyou/index.html
Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries【MAFF】 http://www.maff.go.jp/j/syokuiku/index.html

(Accessed in January 2019)

28
 For Further
Study About“A Guide to Shokuiku”

“A Guide to Shokuiku”is designed for people of all stages of life from infancy to

seniorhood. Its purpose is for learning how best to design dietary lives that best fit

us as we pass through these stages.

The first step is to start with what you can most easily do.

This guide is written in an easy to understand style for people at all stages of life

to not only help themselves, but to better understand the situations of people at

different stages, too, so that each can help others.

Start this guide at whatever part most interests you. Then, with family, friends, and

neighbors, use this guide to discover“Circles of Shokuiku”used in your area for

festivals, and so on, as a way of bringing people in you area together.

A Guide to Sh
okuiku Let’s try

29
 Memo

"A Guide to Shokuiku”can be freely downloaded from "Promotion of Shokuiku"

on the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries' website.
http://www.maff.go.jp/j/syokuiku/index.html
30
 A Guide to Shokuiku

Consumer Affairs and Shokuiku

(Food and Nutrition Education) Division,
Food Safety and Consumer Affairs Bureau,
Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

1-2-1 Kasumigaseki, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-8950

TEL 03-3502ｰ8111 ＦＡＸ 03ｰ6744ｰ1974
http://www.maff.go.jp/j/syokuiku/index.html

Prepared by: Office for Shokuiku Promotion,

Cabinet Office, Government of Japan (March 2012)

Revised by: Consumer Affairs and Shokuiku

(Food and Nutrition Education) Division,
Food Safety and Consumer Affairs Bureau, Ministry of Agriculture,
Forestry and Fisheries (January 2019)