Easy & Healthy Japanese Breakfast for Weekdays

Looking for a healthy weekday breakfast that’s quick and easy to prepare?
In this video, I share my Japanese weekday breakfast routine—with no oil cooking, no processed foods, and a gut-friendly twist—perfect for busy mornings.

If you watched my previous video, you may have noticed that my weekday and weekend breakfasts are similar, but the cooking method is different. On weekdays, I shorten cooking time by meal prepping ingredients in advance.

This breakfast is inspired by a traditional Japanese meal passed down through my family—from my 104-year-old grandfather and 94-year-old grandmother, to my mother, and now to me.

My Favorite Weekday Breakfast Menu.  
1. Veggie Miso Soup(Meal prep1)
・Miso is a fermented food, which helps support gut health
・Vegetables add dietary fiber, vitamins, and minerals etc.

2. Natto-fermented soybean food rich in beneficial bacteria
・Supports gut health and digestion.
・A good source of plant-based protein
・Contains vitamin K and enzymes unique to natto

3. Salmon Flakes with Sesame Seeds(Meal prep2)
・Salmon provides high-quality protein and omega-3 fatty acids
・Sesame seeds add healthy fats, calcium, and minerals.

4.Rice (Steamed Rice)
・A great source of carbohydrates, providing steady energy for the morning

〇Meal prep1
Veggie Prep for Miso soup

Instructions

1.Cut vegetables such as carrots, leafy greens, and green onions into bite-sized pieces.
For carrots, I recommend cutting them as thin as possible. I explain the reason in this video.

2.Put the vegetables in plastic bags.

3.Store them in the freezer.

Notes:
Carrots: Cut as thin as possible.
Leafy greens: After cutting, remove excess water with a kitchen towel before putting them in a zip bag.
Green onions: After cutting into small pieces, wrap them in plastic wrap and store them in a container. I explain the reason in this video.

side info: For potatoes, including sweet potatoes, you may want to boil them for 5–6 minutes after cutting them into bite-sized pieces. After boiling and letting them cool, you can put them in a zip bag and store them in the freezer.this way, you can enjoy them while keeping them as fresh as possible.  

【How to make delicious & Nutritious miso soup for busy mornings】
(Mana chan's method):

※1~2 servings

1.Add 400–500 ml of water to a pot.
If you’re using the leftover boiling water from cooking the salmon, you don’t need to add any dashi.
If not, add 1 teaspoon of dashi (follow the instructions on your dashi package).

2.Add the pre-cut vegetables (meal prep1.) to the pot and heat over medium to high heat.
The thinner the vegetables are cut, the faster they cook. In my case, it usually takes just a few minutes for them to cook through.

3.Once the vegetables are cooked, turn off the heat and add 1 teaspoon of miso. Stir gently to dissolve.※Add miso after turning off the heat helps preserve its aroma and flavor.

4.Then, itadakimasu!

 〇Meal prep2.

【Mana chan's Special Gut friendly Sake(salmon)flake】

these salmon flakes are perfect as a filling for onigiri, so you can enjoy them at home or take them with you when you make onigiri.

※ It can last for about 4–5 days if kept in the fridge. If you can’t finish it within a week, I recommend storing it in the freezer. When frozen, it will keep for about a month. In this case, I suggest thawing only the amount you’ll eat the next day in the fridge overnight.  

Ingredients:
water:400ml
pinch of salt
※if you use boiling water for miso soup, I would suggest use less salt.
※If you don’t want to add salt, you can use 1 teaspoon of sake to help reduce the fishy smell.

mirin:TBSP2
soy sauce:TSP1
sesame seeds:to your liking
salmon:about 250g ※You can adjust the amount of seasoning depending on how much salmon you use.  

Instruction:
1.Add water and salt to a pan.

2.Once it comes to a boil, add the salmon.

3.Cook for about 5 minutes, flipping occasionally to cook the salmon evenly.

4.Drain the cooking water using a strainer.

5. Keep the cooked salmon and let it cool.
※ Tip: If you want to reuse the cooking water as dashi for miso soup, place a pot under the strainer when draining. It makes a delicious miso soup without any additional dashi. In this case, store the liquid in the fridge.

6.Once cooled, remove the bones and skin from the salmon, then flake it.

7.Place the flaked salmon in a pan, add soy sauce and mirin, and heat.

8.Cook over medium heat for about 2–3 minutes while stirring.
※ You can use the same pan you used for boiling. Simply wipe it clean with a kitchen towel before using it again.

Thank you for watching and I hope you enjoy my recipes!!

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