A delicious Japanese curry is a hearty and warming meal you can enjoy to the fullest on chilly winter days. This curry gives you a lot of energy and vigor in winter. But is Japanese curry healthy? Do you consume it daily? What about its nutritional proportion? Many of you might be concerned about the caloric content and nutritional value of a comforting dish like this which is undoubtedly an irresistible meal. So here I have summed up some information about Japanese curry nutrition, which will provide you with a clear answer to your question. Scroll down and hold on.
Is Japanese Curry Healthy?
With its highly palatable sauce and irresistibly crisp fried protein, Japanese curry is a high-calorie and high-sodium meal. So it can be a concern for many people, particularly hypertensive, obese, and cardiac patients. To say it in simpler words, Japanese curry is not a much healthy meal since it is not nutritionally balanced. Depending on the ingredients, it may contain more than 500 calories and more sodium than anyone should consume in a month.
So if you wish to consume a curry with low calories and salt intake, you should carefully select its components. You can choose high-fiber vegetables and grilled proteins (rather than deep-fried ones) and replace the ready-made curry mix with traditional kitchen spices and herbs to make your curry healthier and nutritionally balanced.
Japanese Curry Nutrition and Calories
Japanese curry nutrition and calories rely on what you add to your curry. A single serving of a typical 5.4 Japanese curry will give you 322 calories comprising 10 grams of carbohydrates, 14 grams of fat, and 35 grams of protein, according to the Carb Manager.
Similarly, a single serving of Japanese curry with rice and beef contains 520 calories comprising 20 grams of fats, 25 grams of proteins, and 8 grams of dietary fiber, as Livestrong reports. So 520 calories are more than what is required in a meal to get all the energy, and you can never have such food when on a diet.
You can get about 307 calories with 100 grams of Japanese golden curry, comprising 63 grams of carbs, 5 grams of protein, 11 grams of fats, and 4 grams of fiber. These statistics may vary depending on the ingredients and commercial label. Therefore, whether you make curry at home, make it nutritionally balanced, or if you wish to cook it with a retail curry mix, just look at the nutritional label first to opt for a low-calorie option.
Health Benefits of Japanese Curry
“Everything in excess is bad,” so you should consume Japanese curry in moderation because it is high in sodium and fat- which can make a person sick when taken too much. Nevertheless, consuming it often can provide you with several health benefits and a lot of strength.
Japanese curry is a good source of protein. You can choose chicken, pork, or lean beef in your curry. However, grilling and stir-frying the protein source is good rather than deep-frying and harming your body with more than enough fats. Pairing this curry with rice, soba, or udon noodles can offer adequate carbs essential for the general body functioning. Moreover, Japanese curry sauce comprising several spices and herbs has numerous health benefits depicted in the table below.
| Japanese curry components | Health Benefits |
| Protein source (chicken, beef, pork, fish) | Muscle building and strengthens bones |
| Carbs (rice or noodles) | Fuel for energy and checks cholesterol levels |
| Fats (good fats; HDL is healthy and LDL is bad) | Power source and boosts the immune system |
| Turmeric | Anti-inflammatory, anticancer, and boosts healing |
| Cardamom and cumin | Relieves bloating and improves appetite |
| Bay leaves | Improves digestion |
| Nutmeg | Analgesic properties |
| Fenugreek | Manages acidity |
| Coriander and cinnamon | Detoxifiers |
| Black, and red pepper | Improves blood circulation |
| Salt (sodium source) | Required for nerve conduction and electrolyte balance |
How to Make Japanese Curry Healthy?
Curry can be healthy if its nutritional components are balanced and included within a reasonable amount. So if you also want to make your Japanese curry more nutritious and less fatty, consider the following points. First of all, you should focus on choosing a good source of protein; for this, opt for lean proteins with a negligible fat index. It would be best to prefer chicken breasts over thighs or other meat sources.
Also, adding more vegetables to your meal will enable you to include more fiber and improve digestion, enabling you to lose weight. Lastly, you should prefer altering the sides or your burry base; traditional bases like steamed rice, soba, or udon noodles contain more calories. So you should opt for a low-calorie noodle pack, omelet, or zucchini noodles you can make at home. Always remember to add salt to a minimum to reduce the amount of sodium intake since higher levels of it may make you hypertensive and subjected to various illnesses in the long run.
Also Read: Why Is Japanese Food So Healthy? The Secrets of the Japanese Healthy Diet
Why Is Japanese Food So Healthy? The Secrets of the Japanese Healthy Diet