Lose weight with miso 10 ways

I love miso. Lovers of Japanese cuisine will be familiar with this thick, salty paste. There are tons of ways to eat miso and it may help you lose weight. There are many reports that miso soup causes weight loss and that there are many miso soup benefits – but what are some of the other ways you can enjoy and eat miso? If you really want to lose weight with miso, you’ll need to try a few different ways to get this awesome food into your diet. Here are 10 ways you may not have thought of.

What is a basic miso soup recipe?

It’s often white, black, dark brown or even red and it’s made by fermenting soybeans with salt with Aspergillus oryzae fungus. On occasion, rice, barley, or other ingredients are added. You might find a mix of soybeans, barley, rice, millet or buckwheat.

According to Wikipedia, in recent times, “producers in other countries have also begun selling miso made from chickpeas, corn, azuki beans, amaranth, and quinoa.” Get fresh miso paste at your local Asian supermarket, or make your own miso.

How to lose weight with miso

So – here are 10 new ways to enjoy miso (without having to resort to plain old miso soup). Most of them are healthy, all can be adapted to contain low calories foods.

1. Miso in salad dressings

Get some fresh miso paste from your local health store and whisk it up with some rice wine vinegar, malt vinegar, fresh chilli and some Thai basil. This can then be added to a green, leafy salad or freshly cut tomatoes.

2. Miso paste on eggplants

One of my favourite ever dishes is nasu dengaku. It’s a traditional Japanese eggplant dish that can be made quite healthy. Mix 2 tablespoons of miso with 2 tablespoons of mirin and 1 of sake (Japanese rice wine). Add 1 tablespoon of sugar and some fresh ginger. Halve an eggplant, score it and roast it, after adding the paste.

3. Miso soup

One of the easiest ways to eat miso, this is how the late Peaches Geldof reportedly lost weight before she sadly passed away. I used fresh miso paste, then I add seaweed, tofu, shallots and brown rice. It’s sensational and very filling. If you just want a quick, light snack, the miso is good on its own, with just boiling water.

4. Miso on grilled vegetables

If you’re trying to lose weight, then eating vegetables will be your friend. Mix a little miso with some hot water and mirin and brush over your favourite veggies. Think pumpkin, asparagus, broccollini, zucchini – basically anything that you can roast will work. Even miso on parsnips is a taste winner if you want to lose weight with miso.

5. Miso on corn on the cob

This is actually a traditional Japanese combination. Want to lose weight with miso? Corn on the cob in Japan is often coated with shiro miso, wrapped in foil and grilled. According to Bon Appetite, shiro miso is “also known as “sweet” or “mellow” miso, white miso is fermented for a shorter time and lower in salt than darker varieties. It has a milder, more delicate flavor and is easily adaptable.”

6. Miso marinades for meat

I found a great recipe online for miso steak. Even though steak can be high in fat, if cooked properly and integrated into a healthy diet, steak can be your weight loss friend. BBC Good Food suggests the following combo: 2 tablespoons brown miso paste, 1 tablespoon dry sherry or sake, 1 tablespoon caster sugar and 2 crushed garlic cloves, spread on your favourite steak and served with spinach – yum!

7. Tofu with miso

Unlike my beloved husband who can’t stand the stuff, I just love tofu. My favourite kind is hard tofu, (or “firm” tofu) but I have experimented with soft tofus too. Try this: whisk miso paste with rice wine vinegar, add honey and soy sauce. Slice up your firm tofu, pat dry with a kitchen towel, marinade with miso paste for 30 minutes in the fridge. Then bake.

Could you lose weight with miso soup like the late Peaches Geldof did? Find out here!

8. Stir fried miso

Stir fries are a great meal for those trying to lose weight. Do what I always fail to do and pre-chop all your ingredients to keep them fresh once they hit the wok. Add a good dollop of miso paste (red miso works well) + some soy sauce, garlic and fresh coriander (right at the end). All you’ll need is 2 cups of leafy greens and 150 g of shredded chicken and you’ll have a great 300 calorie meal.

9. Yakimochi (charcoal-grilled mochi covered in miso)

Mochi is a kind of Japanese rice cake that is made from mochigome, a short-grain japonica glutinous rice. It’s a traditional food for Japanese New Year. To lose weight with miso – you may want to lay off all fried versions of this food, however! Yakimochi is a fried or grilled rice cake, so perhaps not the greatest weight loss food. You can grill the mocha with miso – so here’s how to make Yakimochi with miso.

10. Miso dip

There are lots of good things about dips! They’re easy to make, store and can be served with healthy vegetables like celery, green beans, or even edamame. There are tons of miso dip recipes online, but make sure you choose a healthy one. Try Set The Table’s gorgeous miso dip that uses shiro miso, Kewpie brand mayonnaise and light soy sauce.