Triangular eating, Triangle eating (Japanese: sankakutabe, 三角食べ) is a Japanese custom popularized after World War II in which soup, rice, and side dishes are eaten in order. The custom initially started with school lunches, and at that time, the method was to eat bread, milk, and side dishes in order.

In Japanese elementary schools, there used to be a set rotation of eating each bite.

In the past, some teachers have been criticized for forcing this method on their pupils. On the other hand, it is recommended to ensure unbiased nutritional intake.

Its antonym is "batch eating."[1]

Overview

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Traditionally, the Japanese had the custom of alternating between rice and side dishes, mixing the lightly flavored rice in the mouth to enjoy the complex tastes of the rice. Triangular eating is considered to be a habit with this in mind. [2]

It is said that triangular eating was recommended in some area schools around the 1970s.[3]

Some believe that it is a method of eating milk, bread, and side dishes, in that order, after school lunches began in the 1950s. It is believed that this method was used to encourage Japanese elementary school students, many of whom disliked milk at the time, to drink it. In the 1950s, Japanese elementary school students drank not pure milk but skimmed milk powder dissolved in water for school lunches.[4]

Although this is a relatively recent custom, many of today's Japanese have eaten school lunches as children, and triangular eating is said to be the preferred eating style of many Japanese.[5]

Advantages

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If elementary school children are allowed to eat freely, they may eat what they like first and fill up their bellies, resulting in unbalanced nutrition. Triangular eating can prevent this.[6]

Triangular eating also has the meaning of in-mouth seasoning. The idea is that by alternately eating rice, soup, and side dishes, the flavors that remain in the mouth will mingle and make the meal more palatable.[7]

Criticism

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Teachers sometimes forced children to eat triangular meals, which was criticized as "too much management education. Therefore, it is no longer emphasized as an official guideline.[8]

Some children were forced by their teachers to eat triangular meals, causing some children to consider school lunches painful.[9]

Some children do not like the mixing of flavors when eating triangles.[10]

It is also known that many children eat triangular meals but do not have in-mouth seasoning.[11]

It is also theorized that triangular eating can cause elevated blood sugar levels, too much salt, and overeating.[8]

Response to Criticism

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It is said that the cause of the increase in blood glucose levels with triangular eating is not so much the triangular eating itself, but rather the fact that too much food is put in the mouth at one time or swallowed without chewing.[12]

For this reason, a method of eating a vegetable dish first, followed by a triangular meal, has been suggested.[13]

Some believe that eating a triangular diet will help reduce satiety with smaller portions and moderate the degree of blood glucose increase.[14]

Some studies also suggest that triangular eating, along with the method of eating meat first, is effective in controlling blood glucose levels, while eating vegetables first is less effective.[15]

References

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  1. ^ 東山幸恵 (2011-03-31). "小児の摂食行動評価のための Eating Diagram の開発" (PDF). 小児保健研究: 252–256.
  2. ^ 森本恭子 (2013-04-23). "学校給食施設と協働した食育のアプローチ". 美作大学地域生活科学研究所公開研究会.
  3. ^ 北村麻紀 (2018-11-10). "「三角食べ」は本当にいいことなの?「ばっかり食べ」はダメ? 管理栄養士に聞いてみた". Retrieved 2023-08-20.
  4. ^ 畑中三応子 (2018-11-19). "日本人は牛乳をどう受容してきたのか". Retrieved 2023-08-20.
  5. ^ Matt Goulding (2018-01-06). "4 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE YOU GO TO TOKYO". Retrieved 2023-08-20.
  6. ^ 須山明香 (2017). "平成 29 年度 食育推進に係る実践報告書" (PDF). Retrieved 2023-08-20.
  7. ^ Rumi Kimura (2011). "口中調味の実施状況が白飯とおかずを組み合わせた食事での白飯のおいしさに及ぼす影響". 日本調理科学会誌: 145–152.
  8. ^ a b "「三角食べ」は本当にいいことなの?「ばっかり食べ」はダメ? 管理栄養士に聞いてみた". 東京新聞. 2018-11-10. Retrieved 2023-08-20.
  9. ^ 足立区役所 (2022-05-10). "まだ三角食べしていますか?". Retrieved 2023-08-20.
  10. ^ "発達障害、箸と会話の両立困難(その2止)食べられないのは悪いことじゃない". 毎日新聞. 2019-10-28. Retrieved 2023-08-20.
  11. ^ 村上亜由美 (2009-02-06). "学校給食時の観察からみた児童の料理の食べ方と食事マナー". 福井大学教育地域科学部紀要: 31–43.
  12. ^ 佐々木敏 (2017). "「三角食べ」か?「野菜先食べ」か? 食べる順序と糖尿病管理" (PDF). 栄養と料理: 117–121.
  13. ^ 新井映子 (2021). "噛むことの大切さを見直そう~野菜の効用と食べるタイミング~" (PDF). 野菜情報: 2–7.
  14. ^ "再評価したい「三角食べ」過食や血糖値の乱れを改善". 2018-09-24. Retrieved 2023-08-20.
  15. ^ Tatsuhiro Matsuo (2023). "Effect of Intake Order of Rice, Meat, and Vegetables on Postprandial Blood Glucose Level in Healthy Young Individuals". 香川大学農学部学術報告: 73–78.