30% of dual-income households in Japan are in a situation that they are unable to find enough time for childcare, housework (meals), and leisure. In particular, the burden on mothers is excessive. When such problems arise, there are individuals and companies that come up with solutions. This time, we looked into the solution by looking at ways to make meals. In the case of dual-income households in Japan, the burden tends to fall on the woman. Cooking meals is still often the responsibility of women. As a result, Japan’s gender index is ranked 116th out of 146 countries. Frozen foods may be a tool to reduce this gender gap. With frozen foods, both working couples can cook without much effort by just popping them in the microwave. The question is whether you can get enough nutrition by “popping them in the microwave”.
Food is digested and absorbed in the stomach and intestines, and the nutrients contained in the food are metabolized. Food is converted into energy and becomes material for cells, blood, and hormones. The human body converts nutrients and body fat into heat to perform basic life-sustaining activities such as breathing and maintaining body temperature. Consumer needs for the food necessary for this body are becoming more diverse. Companies are making efforts to meet the food ingredients that consumers want. The current view of health is based on the premise that muscles are functional. Among health-conscious products, protein in particular is attracting attention.
In the midst of this, an interesting product has been developed. Raw okara, which is produced when making tofu, was known to be highly nutritious. Its drawback was that it spoiled quickly. Kikkoman established the know-how to dry this raw okara and succeeded in turning it into a powder. This okara has a shelf life of about one year, making it a useful ingredient for muscle lovers. If you eat it on rice or yogurt, you can now supply protein at any time. However, for those who are worried, I will add a little more. Nutrients are converted into parts of the body over approximately two weeks. It will be fine if you consume the necessary nutrients evenly over a span of about two weeks to one month. We may be entering an era that health can be achieved by simply heating up a frozen bento lunch in the microwave and getting the protein you need with furikake.
