What Is A Macrobiotic Diet?

Beans And Sea Vegetables

While they seem like an odd pairing, beans and sea vegetables, typically comprise five to ten percent of what individuals should eat when following the macrobiotic diet recommendations from the Kushi Institute. Beans are essential under this diet since they are the primary source of protein. However, just like the general grouping of vegetables, there are regulations around specific beans and bean-based products. Beans individuals can eat once a day include lentils, chickpeas, and azuki. They should only consume other beans and bean products, such as kidney beans, haricot beans, tofu, tempeh, and miso, once or twice per week.

Sea vegetables are particularly important in a macrobiotic diet to provide nutrients such as iron, calcium, vitamin B12, and beta-carotene. Typically, those following the macrobiotic diet will interchange beans with these sea vegetables, since beans are permitted once a day at maximum. Popular choices for sea vegetables are nori, kombu, dulse, agar-agar, and wakame.

Read on for details on the other foods included in the macrobiotic diet.