How to eat more veggies and fruits when living in Japan

Veggies and fruits are vital for a healthy diet, however, in Japan they tend to be a little expensive. Here are a few tips on how you can get your greens in Japan without spending a fortune.

Buy from local farmers

If you have local farmers close by, chances are they sell their crops directly. Sometimes you can find unmanned selling stations close to the farms. The vegetables and fruit for sale are lined up with price tags and there is a little box to put money in. You can just take whatever you want and leave the corresponding amount of money in the box. Unfortunately, you won't get any change so better bring some coins.

When selling like this the farmers save on personnel cost so they can sell their products cheaper. As far as I know, Japan is the only country where such a system based on trust works. In other countries, people would just take the food and not pay.

Buy seasonal fruits and veggies

Usually, seasonal fruits and veggies are cheaper so if you stick to the calendar, you can save a few yen here and there. During the summer in Japan, for example, eggplants, cucumbers, tomatoes and lettuce are in season. In Autumn you should look for sweet potatoes, pumpkins, and mushrooms. In winter it is cabbage, daikon and turnips. Also, mandarins and strawberries get cheaper in winter in Japan. For this reason you can find a lot of strawberry-themed buffets in January and February.

Frozen veggies and fruits

Although they are not necessarily cheaper than fresh veggies, frozen veggies are perfect if you live alone and end up throwing away leftovers because you can't eat, say, a whole cabbage on your own. You can eat the amount you need for one person and just put the rest back into the freezer. If you have access to a Gyomu Super (supermarket), you can get large bags of frozen vegetables as well, provided you have enough storage space for them.

Personally, I can recommend this grilled vegetable mix you can find at AEON supermarkets. It tastes quite good right out of the package and contains a nice mix of several vegetables. Other options are canned vegetables and fruits. Canned fruits often come with added sugar so you might want to check the ingredients list.

Are you managing to eat enough veggies and fruits and in Japan? Do you have any tips on where to buy them for reasonable prices?