What Do You Eat and Not Eat on a Macrobiotic Diet?

The macrobiotic diet is a plant-based diet that focuses on eating whole, unprocessed foods. This diet rose to popularity in the 1970s to improve physical, spiritual, and emotional health. The word macrobiotic refers to a way of eating and living in harmony with the natural world. Those who follow a macrobiotic diet aim to eat in a way that promotes longevity and a healthy lifestyle.

In holistic health and complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), people who follow a macrobiotic diet believe it’s in line with the 5,000-year-old philosophy of yin and yang. Yin represents expanding energy, while yang represents contracting energy. It’s thought that these two energies are the foundations of many different things, including food groups and body types.

Anyone can follow a macrobiotic diet. Most people who choose it follow a vegan or vegetarian diet to avoid toxins created by processed or unhealthy food. The diet aims to eat local, seasonal ingredients and may look different for people in other regions. Many people look to a macrobiotic diet practitioner for meal-planning advice. A practitioner can give you a good idea of what to eat when considering your age, gender, and level of physical activity.

People turn to the macrobiotic diet lifestyle to manage certain health conditions, including cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. Especially when it comes to cancer treatment, many use the macrobiotic diet as a complementary therapy to their other medical treatments. People believe that eating whole foods as part of a clean diet can help them feel and think better about managing their health.

The macrobiotic diet is traditionally a plant-based diet omitting processed foods believed to have toxins or cause inflammation. However, some people may eat small amounts of organic meat and fish from time to time. The purpose of the diet is to minimalize animal products—including dairy and eggs—and focus on incorporating plants into your diet as much as possible.

Macrobiotic cooking is pretty flexible if you have the correct shopping list and know what to eat. Making a meal plan is helpful to ensure you’re eating various foods throughout the day to get a mix of carbs, proteins, and healthy fats. On this diet, you can personalize your meal plan for your lifestyle. The most important meal of the day is lunch, so be sure to work that into your schedule.

Here’s a list of things to include in your diet:

• Organic whole grains (50% to 60% of diet): brown rice, oats, buckwheat, barley, millet, bulgur, couscous, rye
• Legumes (5% to 10%): all kinds of beans, soy products, tofu, hummus, tempeh
• Produce (25% to 30%): locally-grown, organic, seasonal fruits and vegetables
• Fermented foods: naturally-pickled items like kimchi, sauerkraut, brine pickles, apple cider vinegar, unyeasted sourdough bread
• Soups (5% to 10%): vegetable or miso soups
• Sea vegetables (daily consumption): wakame, kombu, nori

If you’re starting on this diet, begin by clearing out your pantry and fridge of foods that contain highly-refined ingredients, including processed foods with additives and high amounts of added sugar and salt. As mentioned, avoid all animal products. If you or your doctor think you need to add some to your diet, it should only be sustainably sourced animal products. Fish is the best option for your health and sustainability.

Avoiding processed foods means reading labels carefully. People following a macrobiotic diet should not eat items that contain preservatives, artificial flavors, or artificial coloring since the focus is on whole foods with natural ingredients. You should avoid supplements like multivitamins since they sometimes include artificial colors.

When it comes to drinks, you should only drink when you’re thirsty. Drinking purified water or unflavored decaffeinated teas are permitted. You should avoid any drinks containing caffeine, alcohol, or added sugar. Drinking green tea or certain juices, like apple or veggie juice, is acceptable, as long as they aren’t frequently used.

While there are many different recipes to try and ways to cook, the macrobiotic diet avoids using microwaves and electric stoves if possible. You should cook and store your food in wood, stainless steel, or glass containers and avoid plastic. It’s best to prepare your food in a peaceful setting or cook and share food with people who are interested in eating similarly.

Before starting a macrobiotic diet, talk to your health professional. While this diet can be very healthy, cutting out so many food groups, especially animal products, could cause you to become deficient in specific nutrients like calcium, iron, and vitamin B12. Research is not yet clear if this diet is safe for pregnant women, women who are breastfeeding, or children, so it’s critical to make sure your doctor approves this diet for you.

One side effect you need to be aware of is weight loss. While this can benefit some people, those using the macrobiotic diet as a supplemental therapy for cancer treatment should not aim to lose weight. When going through cancer treatment, you need to increase calories and nutrition. Be sure to talk to your health specialist about getting enough calories and protein to maintain your muscle mass while in treatment.

Eating a plant-based diet has several benefits, including lower cholesterol, better heart health, and reduced risk of diabetes. It’s also more sustainable and better for the planet. However, the macrobiotic diet has not received scientific approval as a way to prevent or cure cancer, despite some claims. 

Always speak with your doctor before starting any diet.