One of the things I never expected after becoming a mom in Japan was how much time I would spend exploring Japanese supermarkets!
Before coming to Japan, I was used to the foods I grew up with in Sri Lanka. Rice and curry, coconut, dhal, sambol and all those familiar flavours were a big part of everyday life. But after having my little boy, grocery shopping became a little different. I started looking at Japanese foods from a completely new perspective.Whenever I see something new at the supermarket, I often think, “Can my little one eat this? Would he like it?” Sometimes I buy it for myself first, and sometimes I buy it specifically for him.
These are some of the Japanese supermarket foods my little boy has tried so far and how I usually serve them to him.
1. Shirasu – しらす
Shirasu was one of the foods that really made me feel like my baby was becoming familiar with Japanese food. Read here
These tiny white fish are very common in Japanese supermarkets. I usually add a small amount to his warm rice after preparing it appropriately, and sometimes mix it with soft vegetables. He doesn’t need anything fancy. A little shirasu mixed into soft rice can make a very simple toddler meal.
For me, it is quite special because shirasu was not something I grew up eating in Sri Lanka. Now it is something my little boy happily eats here in Japan.
2. Japanese Curry Rice – カレーライス
If there is one Japanese food my little boy really enjoys, it is curry rice! Read here.
Japanese curry is very different from the curry I grew up eating in Sri Lanka. Sri Lankan curry usually has much stronger spices and flavours, while Japanese curry is milder and thicker. For my little one, I use a mild curry suitable for children and serve it with soft Japanese rice. I mix the curry and rice together so that it is easy for him to scoop up with his spoon.
The funny thing is that he also eats curry rice at hoikuen. So when I make it at home, I sometimes think he must be thinking, “Oh, this again!” 😄
3. Japanese Sweet Potato – さつまいも
Japanese sweet potatoes, or satsumaimo, are one of my favourite easy foods to buy for him.
I simply cook the sweet potato until it becomes very soft, remove the skin and either mash it or cut it into small, soft pieces.
I don’t need to add sugar because Japanese sweet potatoes are naturally sweet. Sometimes I give it to him as an afternoon snack, and sometimes I add it alongside his meal. It is one of those foods that makes me think, “Why make things complicated when something this simple works?”
4. Cheese – チーズ
Cheese has also become a little favourite in our house.
Japanese supermarkets have many different types of cheese, including small individually wrapped portions. I usually cut the cheese into small pieces before giving it to my little one.
Sometimes he eats it on its own as a snack, and sometimes I add a little to his meal. It is especially convenient on those days when I am tired and don’t feel like preparing something complicated.
5. Mugicha – 麦茶
Mugicha was completely new to me when I first came to Japan.
Now it is something I often see in our daily life, especially during summer. My little boy also drinks mugicha at hoikuen, so he has become quite familiar with it. Read here
At home, I give him cooled mugicha in his little cup. Watching him casually drinking mugicha like any other Japanese child still makes me smile because I never grew up drinking it in Sri Lanka. It is funny how little things like this can remind me that my child is growing up in a completely different environment from the one I knew as a child.
6. Fresh Milk – 牛乳
My little boy has also started enjoying fresh milk.
I usually give him a small amount in his own cup, often with breakfast or as part of a snack. I try not to make milk the whole meal, but it is convenient to have when we need something simple.
When I go shopping, I still find myself standing in front of the milk section looking at different products and checking the labels carefully.
Being a mom really does make you read every label in the supermarket! Isn’t it?
7. Unsweetened Soy Milk – 豆乳
Recently, I bought an unsweetened soy milk packet from a Japanese grocery store because I wanted to try it myself and introduce it carefully to my little one.
I started with a small amount rather than giving him a lot at once. Sometimes I can also use soy milk in foods such as oats.
Japanese supermarkets have so many different soy milk products that I always check the ingredients and choose an unsweetened one when appropriate. It is another one of those foods that I probably wouldn’t have thought much about before living in Japan.
8. Yogurt – ヨーグルト
Yogurt is probably one of the easiest foods to prepare for my little boy.
One combination he really enjoys is banana and yogurt. I simply mash a ripe banana and mix it with plain or less-sweet yogurt.
Sometimes I let him eat it with a spoon himself, which usually means some of it ends up on his clothes, the table and probably everywhere else too! But that is part of having a toddler.
It takes only a few minutes to prepare, so it has become one of my go-to snacks.
9. Japanese White Rice – 白ごはん
Rice is something that connects my little boy’s two food cultures.
As a Sri Lankan, rice has always been a huge part of my life. We grew up eating rice with different curries, dhal, vegetables and sambol. Here in Japan, my little boy enjoys Japanese white rice. I usually make it soft and serve it with vegetables, fish or curry, but he always love to eat white rice in onigiri shape.
Sometimes I look at him eating his little bowl of Japanese rice and think about how different his childhood food experiences will be from mine. He is growing up with both Sri Lankan food at home and Japanese food all around him, and I really love that.
He is growing up with both Sri Lankan food at home and Japanese food all around him, and I really love that.
10. Japanese Pancakes
Pancakes are another little favourite that I make at home.
I usually make simple pancakes using ingredients such as oats, banana and egg. I keep them soft and make small ones that are easy for little hands to hold.
Once they have cooled down, I cut them into small pieces and let him pick them up himself. Some mornings he eats them beautifully. Other mornings he takes one bite and throws the rest on the floor!
That’s toddler life, I suppose. 😄
My Little Food Lover in Japan
Introducing my little boy to Japanese food has been a lovely experience for me as a Sri Lankan mom living in Japan.
I still cook the foods I grew up with, and I want him to know and enjoy those flavors too. But at the same time, I love seeing him become familiar with the foods that are part of everyday Japanese life. Shirasu, curry rice, satsumaimo, yogurt, mugicha and even simple Japanese white rice have slowly become part of our routine.
Sometimes I think about how I came to Japan knowing so little about these everyday foods, and now I am standing in the supermarket choosing them for my own baby, time changes lives a lot.
Motherhood has a funny way of making an ordinary supermarket trip feel like a little adventure.
And these days, whenever I put something new into my shopping basket, there is usually one question in the back of my mind:
“I wonder if my little boy will like this?”
