The Yin And Yang Spectrum Of Food, Part 3

In his book, Essential Guide To Macrobiotics (formerly called Pocket Guide To Macrobiotics), Carl Ferre has rewritten and updated the food lists from Zen Macrobiotics by George Ohsawa to include foods that are more familiar today and are eaten in the beginning "basic" and "centering" macrobiotic diets. Also, Carl Ferre omits foods from George Ohsawa's list that are usually not eaten on these beginning macrobiotic diets.

Where George Ohsawa used numbers to show the varying degrees of yin and yang (1 yang, 2 yang, 3 yang, etc.), Carl Ferre uses the words "extreme," "more" and "less" (less yang, yang, more yang, extreme yang, etc.) to show the comparisons.

Here I've incorporated Carl Ferre's food lists into George Ohsawa's list (see The Yin And Yang Spectrum Of Food, Part 2), starting with the most yin foods at the top.

I've used italics and [square brackets] to show those foods that have been omitted from the beginning macrobiotic diets, and to show what has been added from Carl Ferre's lists. The original foods from George Ohsawa's list are in bold.

Revised Comparison of Foods By Category and Updated Yin Yang Qualities:

[MOST YIN]

Sweeteners
• Honey — 3 yin [omitted]
• Molasses — 3 yin [omitted]

• Mirin [extreme yin]
• Maple syrup [extreme yin]
• Fruit juice, such as apple juice [extreme yin]
• Fruit, cooked or dried [extreme yin]

• Amasake [more yin]
• Barley malt [more yin]
• Brown rice syrup [more yin]

Beverages
• Drinks containing sugar substitutes — 3 yin [omitted]
• Tea containing dye — 3 yin [omitted]
• Coffee — 3 yin [extremely yin, avoided at first]
• Soy milk [extremely yin]
• Fruit juice — 3 yin [extremely yin]
• All sugared drinks — 3 yin [extremely yin, avoided at first]
• Champagne — 3 yin [omitted]
• Wine — 3 yin [naturally fermented, extremely yin]
• Sake [naturally fermented, extremely yin]
• Beer — 2 yin [naturally fermented, extremely yin]

• Green tea [more yin]
• Black tea [more yin]
• Herb tea [more yin]
• Amasake [more yin]

• Mineral water — 1 yin [less yin]
• Soda (carbonated water) — 1 yin [less yin]
• Water (deep well) — 1 yin [less yin]
• Spring water [less yin]• Thyme — 1 yin [omitted]
• Menthol — 1 yin [omitted]
• Carrot juice [less yin]
• Vegetable broth [less yin]
• Brown rice milk [less yin]
• Bancha leaf tea [less yin]

• Armoise (mugwort, yomogi) — 1 yang [omitted]
• Bancha (common, undyed Japanese tea) — 1 yang [Kukicha twig tea, less yang]
• Chicory — 1 yang [omitted]
• Kokkoh (grain milk) — 1 yang [less yin]

• Kombu tea [less yang]
• Dandelion tea [less yang]
• Roasted barley tea [less yang]
• Roasted brown rice tea [less yang]

• Mu tea — 2 yang [less yang]
• Yannoh (Ohsawa coffee) — 1 yang [grain coffee, yang]
• Sho-ban tea [yang]
• Lotus root tea [yang]
• Burdock root tea [yang]
• Umeboshi tea [yang]• Haru tea — 2 yang [omitted]
• Dragon tea — 2 yang [omitted]
• Yang yang tea — 2 yang [omitted]

• Ginseng root tea — 3 yang [yang]

Dairy
[The entire category of dairy foods is omitted from the beginning basic and centering diets.]
• Yogurt — 3 yin [omitted]
• Sour cream — 3 yin [omitted]
• Sweet cream — 3 yin [omitted]
• Cream cheese — 3 yin [omitted]
• Butter — 3 yin [omitted]

• Milk — 2 yin [omitted]
• Camembert — 2 yin [omitted]
• Gruyere — 2 yin [omitted]

• Roquefort — 1 yang [omitted]
• Edam cheese (Dutch) — 1 yang [omitted]

• Goat milk — 2 yang [omitted]

Oil
• Margarine — 3 yin [omitted]

• Coconut oil — 2 yin [extreme yin]

• Peanut oil — 2 yin [more yin]
• Corn oil — 2 yin [more yin]
• Olive oil — 2 yin [more yin]
• Soybean oil [more yin]

• Canola oil [less yin]
• Mustard seed oil [less yin]
• Sunflower oil — 1 yin [omitted]
• Sesame oil — 1 yin [less yin]
• Corza oil — 1 yin [omitted]
• Safflower oil — 1 yin [less yin]
• Egoma (most yang sesame) oil — 1 yin [omitted]

Fruits, Nuts, and Seeds[Fruits are the most yin and Seeds are the most yang of the three categories]
• Pineapple — 3 yin [avoid at first, extreme yin]
• Papaya — 3 yin [avoid at first, extreme yin]
• Mango — 3 yin [avoid at first, extreme yin]
• Grapefruit — 3 yin [avoid at first, extreme yin]
• Banana — 3 yin [avoid at first, extreme yin]
• Kiwi [avoid at first, extreme yin]
• Dates [avoid at first, extreme yin]
• Fig — 3 yin [avoid at first, extreme yin]

• Grapes [extreme yin]
• Raisins [extreme yin]
• Olives — 1 yin [Green Olives, extreme yin]
• Olives — 1 yin [Black Olives, extreme yin]
• Currants [extreme yin]
• Lemons [extreme yin]
• Brazil nuts [extreme yin]
• Cashew — 2 yin [extreme yin]

• Orange — 3 yin [more yin]
• Pear — 3 yin [more yin]
• Peach — 2 yin [more yin]
• Apricots [more yin]
• Plums [more yin]
• Prunes [more yin]
• Tangerines [more yin]
• Nectarines [more yin]• Lime — 2 yin [omitted]
• Melon — 2 yin [Honeydew Melon, more yin]
• Blueberries [more yin]
• Watermelon [more yin]
• Cantelope [more yin]
• Mulberries [more yin]

• Macadamia nuts [more yin]
• Pistachios [more yin]
• Filberts [more yin]
• Peanut — 2 yin [more yin]
• Pecans [more yin]
• Hazel nuts — 2 yin [more yin]
• Almonds — 2 yin [yin]
• Chestnuts — 1 yang [yin]
• Pine Nuts [yin]
• Walnuts [yin]

• Poppy Seeds [yin]

• Strawberry — 1 yang [less yin]
• Blackberries [less yin]
• Raspberries [less yin]
• Cherry — 1 yang [less yin]

• Apple — 2 yang [less yin]

• Squash Seeds [less yin]
• Pumpkin Seeds [less yin]
• Sunflower Seeds [less yin]
• White Sesame Seeds [less yin]
• Black Sesame Seeds [less yin]

Seaweed (Sea Vegetables)
• Nori [less yin]• Agar Agar (Kanten) [less yin]• Irish Moss [less yin]• Dulse [less yin]• Sea Palm [less yin]• Arame [less yin]• Kelp [less yin]• Alaria [less yin]• Nekabu [less yin]• Mekabu [less yin]
• Wakame [less yang]
• Kombu [less yang]• Hijiki [less yang]
Vegetables and Beans
• Eggplant — 3 yin [avoid at first, extremely yin]
• Tomato — 3 yin [avoid at first, extremely yin]
• Sweet potato — 3 yin [avoid at first, extremely yin]
• Yams ——[avoid at first, extremely yin]
• Potato — 3 yin [avoid at first, extremely yin]
• Shiitake mushroom — 3 yin [extremely yin]
• Pimento — 3 yin
• Bell Peppers ——[avoid at first, extremely yin]

• Beans (except azuki beans, which are more yang) — 3 yin [see Beans and Bean Products below]

• Cucumber — 3 yin
• Asparagus — 3 yin [extremely yin]
• Spinach — 3 yin [avoid at first, extremely yin]
• Swiss Chard [avoid at first, extremely yin]
• Artichoke — 3 yin [extremely yin]
• Bamboo sprout/shoots — 3 yin [extremely yin]
• Mushroom — 3 yin [extremely yin]
• Albi [extremely yin]
• Avocadoes [avoid at first, extremely yin]
• Zucchini [avoid at first, extremely yin]
• Yellow Summer Squash [extremely yin]
• Patty Pan Squash [extremely yin]
• Alfalfa Sprouts [extremely yin]
• Okra [extremely yin]
• Jerusalem Artichokes [extremely yin]
• Chives [extremely yin]
• Brussels Sprouts [extremely yin]

• Green pea — 2 yin [more yin]

• Lentil — 2 yin [see Beans and Bean Products below]

• Purple cabbage — 1 yin [more yin]
• Beet — 1 yin [more yin]
• White Cabbage — 1 yin
• Chinese Cabbage [more yin]
• Escarole [more yin]
• Kohlrabi [more yin]
• Snow Peas [more yin]
• Corn on the Cob [more yin]
• Radishes, round [more yin]
• String Beans [more yin]
• Yellow Wax Beans [more yin]

• Dandelion leaf and stem — 1 yang [more yin]
• Lettuce — 1 yang [more yin]
• Endive — 1 yang [more yin]
• Cilantro [more yin]
• Bok Choy [more yin]• Parsley — 1 yang [more yin]• Mustard Greens [more yin]
• Scallions [more yin]
• Collard Greens [more yin]
• Turnip Greens [more yin]
• Beets [more yin]
• Broccoli [more yin]
• Cauliflower [more yin]

• Kale — 1 yang [less yin]
• Green Cabbage [less yin]• Celery — 2 yin [less yin]
• Butternut Squash [less yin]
• Buttercup Squash [less yin]
• Hubbard Squash [less yin]
• Acorn Squash [less yin]
• Hokkaido Pumpkin — 2 yang [Kabocha, less yin]
• Turban Squash [less yin]
• Leeks [less yin]• Radish, daikon — 1 yang [less yin]
• Garlic — 1 yang [moved*]
• Onions — 1 yang [less yin]
• Watercress — 2 yang [less yin]

• Turnips [less yang]
• Rutabaga [less yang]
• Salsify [less yang]
• Parsnips [less yang]
• Carrots — 2 yang [less yang]
• Coltsfoot — 2 yang [omitted]
• Burdock — 2 yang [less yang]
• Cress — 2 yang [less yang]
• Lotus Root [less yang]
• Dandelion root — 2 yang [omitted]

• Jinenjo potato — 3 yang [omitted]

Beans and Bean Products**
• Soy Milk [extremely yin]• Bean Sprouts [extremely yin]
• Soybeans [extremely yin]
• Black Soybeans [extremely yin]
• Split Peas [extremely yin]
• Tofu [extremely yin]
• Natto [extremely yin]
• Blackeyed Peas [extremely yin]
• Lima Beans [extremely yin]
• Whole Dried Beans [extremely yin]
• White Northern Beans [extremely yin]

• Tempeh [more yin]
• Pinto Beans [more yin]
• Kidney Beans [more yin]
• Black Beans [more yin]
• Black Turtle Beans [more yin]
• Bolita Beans [more yin]
• Anasazi Beans [more yin]
• Chickpeas (Garbanzos) [more yin]
• Broad Beans [more yin]• Mung Beans [more yin]
• Lentils — 2 yin [Red Lentils, more yin]

• Aduki Beans [less yin]

• Natural Soy Sauce [more yang]**
• Miso [more yang]**
Grains/Cereals and Flour Products***
• Ramen Noodles [less yin]• Somen Noodles [less yin]• Udon Noodles [less yin]
• Long-grain Brown Rice [less yin]• Whole-Wheat Crackers [less yin]• Couscous [less yin]• Tortillas [less yin]• Chapatis [less yin]• Cornmeal [less yin]• Corn Grits (Polenta) [less yin]
• Corn — 1 yin [less yin]
• Rolled Oats (Oatmeal) [less yin]• Unsalted Rice Cakes [less yin]
• Oats — 1 yin [(Whole Oat Groats, less yang]• Pearl Barley [less yang]
• Wild Rice [less yang]• Basmati Rice [less yang]• Barley — 1 yin (Pot, Hulled Barley) [less yang]
• Buckwheat Noodles [less yang]• Medium-Grain Brown Rice [less yang]• Mochi [less yang]• Rye Flakes [less yang]• Wheat Flakes [less yang]• Sweet Brown Rice [less yang]• Bulghur [less yang]• Brown Rice Cream [less yang]• Sourdough Whole Wheat Or Rye Bread [less yang]• Unyeasted Whole Wheat Or Rye Bread [less yang]• Rice Kayu [less yang]• Cracked Rye [less yang]• Lightly Salted Rice Cakes [less yang]• Cracked Wheat — 1 yin [Lightly Salted, less yang]
• Rye — 1 yin [more yang]
• Wheat — 1 yin [Whole Wheat, more yang]
• Quinoa [more yang]
• Rice (whole, brown rice) — 1 yang [Short-Grain, more yang]
• Amaranth [more yang]
• Teff [more yang]
• Millet — 1 yin [more yang]

• Buckwheat — 2 yang [more yang]

Fish
• Oyster — 1 yin [less yang]
• Bluefish [less yang]
• Clam — 1 yin [less yang]
• Octopus — 1 yin [less yang]
• Tuna [less yang]
• Eel — 1 yin [omitted]
• Carp — 1 yin [less yang]
• Scallops [less yang]
• Mussel — 1 yin [less yang]
• Halibut — 1 yin [yang]
• Lobster — 1 yin [yang]
• Trout — 1 yin [yang]
• Flounder [yang]
• Mackerel [yang]• Sole — 1 yin [yang]
• Pike [yang]
• Perch [yang]
• Haddock [yang]
• Cod [yang]
• Swordfish [yang]
• Smelt [yang]
• Scrod [yang]

• Salmon — 1 yang [more yang]
• Shrimp — 1 yang [more yang]
• Herring — 1 yang [more yang]
• Sardine — 1 yang [more yang]
• Red snapper — 1 yang [more yang]
• Small Dried Fish (Iriko) [more yang]

• Caviar — 2 yang [more yang]

Salted Cheese
[The entire category of Salted Cheese is omitted from the beginning macrobiotic diets.]

Animal Products[The entire category of Animal Products is omitted from the beginning macrobiotic diets.]• Snail — 2 yin [omitted]
• Frog — 2 yin [omitted]
• Pork — 2 yin [omitted]
• Beef — 2 yin [omitted]
• Horsemeat — 2 yin [omitted]
• Hare — 2 yin [omitted]

• Chicken — 1 yin [omitted]

• Pigeon — 1 yang [omitted]
• Partridge — 1 yang [omitted]
• Duck — 1 yang [omitted]
• Turkey — 1 yang [omitted]

• Egg — 2 yang [omitted]

• Pheasant — 3 yang [omitted]

Miso

Soy Sauce

Sea Salt

[MOST YANG]
_________________________
* [Garlic has been moved out of the general "Vegetables and Beans" category and is listed under "Seasonings" as "more yin"; see page 21, Essential Guide to Macrobiotics, by Carl Ferre]
** [Natural soy sauce and miso are listed here because of their bean content; see page 19, Essential Guide to Macrobiotics, by Carl Ferre]
*** [Carl Ferre has added products made from whole-grain flours; see page 16 of Essential Guide To Macrobiotics.]

See also:The Yin And Yang Spectrum Of Food, Part 1The Yin And Yang Spectrum Of Food, Part 2


Related Blog Articles:
Ten Macrobiotic Diets By George Ohsawa
What NOT To Eat (Or Drink) On A Macrobiotic Diet
What To Eat And Drink On A Macrobiotic Diet

The Yin And Yang Spectrum Of Food, Part 2

George Ohsawa, Carl Ferre, and others have devised extensive food tables that compare and categorize the yin and yang qualities of food.
Here is a list of foods I've taken from Zen Macrobiotics, by George Ohsawa (see pages 115-117). I've superimposed it with Carl Ferre's overall comparison of food categories (The Yin And Yang Spectrum Of Food, Part 1) so that as you scroll down, you'll see the most yin categories first (starting with "Sweeteners").

Keep in mind that foods listed within each category although they range from yin to yang may or may not hold the overall yin or yang quality from their category. For example, although "goat milk" is listed as "2 yang," it is still in the "Dairy" category, which is very yin compared to the other categories.

In the end, it all depends on the affect that the food has on you, whether it creates an expansive effect (yin) or a contractive effect (yang).

Comparison of Foods By Category and Yin Yang Qualities:

[MOST YIN]

Sweeteners
• Honey — 3 yin
• Molasses — 3 yin
Beverages
• Drinks containing sugar substitutes — 3 yin
• Tea containing dye — 3 yin
• Coffee — 3 yin
• Fruit juice — 3 yin
• All sugared drinks — 3 yin
• Champagne — 3 yin
• Wine — 3 yin

• Beer — 2 yin

• Mineral water — 1 yin
• Soda (carbonated water) — 1 yin
• Water (deep well) — 1 yin• Thyme — 1 yin
• Menthol — 1 yin

• Armoise (mugwort, yomogi) — 1 yang
• Bancha (common, undyed Japanese tea) — 1 yang
• Chicory — 1 yang
• Yannoh (Ohsawa coffee) — 1 yang
• Kokkoh (grain milk) — 1 yang

• Mu tea — 2 yang
• Haru tea — 2 yang
• Dragon tea — 2 yang
• Yang yang tea — 2 yang

• Ginseng root — 3 yang

Dairy
• Yogurt — 3 yin
• Sour cream — 3 yin
• Sweet cream — 3 yin
• Cream cheese — 3 yin
• Butter — 3 yin

• Milk — 2 yin
• Camembert — 2 yin
• Gruyere — 2 yin

• Roquefort — 1 yang
• Edam cheese (Dutch) — 1 yang

• Goat milk — 2 yang

Oil
• Margarine — 3 yin

• Coconut oil — 2 yin
• Peanut oil — 2 yin
• Corn oil — 2 yin
• Olive oil — 2 yin
• Sunflower oil — 1 yin
• Sesame oil — 1 yin
• Corza oil — 1 yin
• Safflower oil — 1 yin
• Egoma (most yang sesame) oil — 1 yin

Fruit & Nuts
• Pineapple — 3 yin• Papaya — 3 yin
• Mango — 3 yin
• Grapefruit — 3 yin
• Orange — 3 yin
• Banana — 3 yin
• Fig — 3 yin
• Pear — 3 yin

• Peach — 2 yin
• Lime — 2 yin
• Melon — 2 yin
• Almond — 2 yin
• Peanut — 2 yin
• Cashew — 2 yin
• Hazel nut — 2 yin

• Olive — 1 yin

• Strawberry — 1 yang
• Chestnut — 1 yang
• Cherry — 1 yang

• Apple — 2 yang

Seeds

Seaweed

Vegetables & Beans
• Eggplant — 3 yin• Tomato — 3 yin
• Sweet potato — 3 yin
• Potato — 3 yin
• Shiitake mushroom — 3 yin
• Pimento — 3 yin
• Beans (except azuki beans, which are more yang) — 3 yin
• Cucumber — 3 yin
• Asparagus — 3 yin
• Spinach — 3 yin
• Artichoke — 3 yin
• Bamboo sprout — 3 yin
• Mushroom — 3 yin

• Green pea — 2 yin
• Celery — 2 yin
• Lentil — 2 yin

• Purple cabbage — 1 yin
• Beet — 1 yin
• White cabbage — 1 yin

• Dandelion leaf and stem — 1 yang
• Lettuce — 1 yang
• Endive — 1 yang
• Kale — 1 yang
• Radish — 1 yang
• Garlic — 1 yang
• Onion — 1 yang
• Parsley — 1 yang

• Hokkaido pumpkin — 2 yang
• Carrot — 2 yang
• Coltsfoot — 2 yang
• Burdock — 2 yang
• Cress — 2 yang
• Watercress — 2 yang
• Dandelion root — 2 yang

• Jinenjo potato — 3 yang

Grains/Cereals• Corn — 1 yin• Rye — 1 yin
• Barley — 1 yin
• Oats — 1 yin
• Cracked wheat — 1 yin
• Wheat — 1 yin
• Millet — 1 yin

• Rice (whole, brown rice) — 1 yang

• Buckwheat — 2 yang

Fish• Oyster — 1 yin• Clam — 1 yin
• Octopus — 1 yin
• Eel — 1 yin
• Carp — 1 yin
• Mussel — 1 yin
• Halibut — 1 yin
• Lobster — 1 yin
• Trout — 1 yin
• Sole — 1 yin

• Salmon — 1 yang
• Shrimp — 1 yang
• Herring — 1 yang
• Sardine — 1 yang
• Red snapper — 1 yang

• Caviar — 2 yang

Salted Cheese

Animal Products
• Snail — 2 yin• Frog — 2 yin
• Pork — 2 yin
• Beef — 2 yin
• Horsemeat — 2 yin
• Hare — 2 yin
• Chicken — 1 yin

• Pigeon — 1 yang
• Partridge — 1 yang
• Duck — 1 yang
• Turkey — 1 yang

• Egg — 2 yang

• Pheasant — 3 yang

Miso

Soy Sauce

Sea Salt

[MOST YANG]

See also:
The Yin And Yang Spectrum Of Food, Part 1
The Yin And Yang Spectrum Of Food, Part 3


Related Blog Articles:
Ten Macrobiotic Diets By George Ohsawa
What To Eat And Drink On A Macrobiotic Diet
What NOT To Eat (Or Drink) On A Macrobiotic Diet

The Yin And Yang Spectrum Of Food, Part 1

Everything has yin and yang in it. Those foods that have more yang components than yin are called "yang." And those foods that have more yin components than yang are called "yin." A food can be more yin compared to a different food while at the same time it is more yang compared to another food. There is nothing completely yin or completely yang. All is relative. (This is one of the twelve theorems of the Unique Principle.)

Beginning with the broadest category, "food," we can say generally that all plant-based foods are "yin" because of their green-colored blood (chlorophyll) compared to all animal-based foods that are "yang" because of their red-colored blood (hemoglobin). (There are other reasons too, but this is the most obvious.) Also, sea salt is "yang" because of its high sodium and mineral content and water is "yin" because of its high H2O (hydrogen and oxygen) content.

Below is a broad comparison of food categories taken from Carl Ferre's book, Essential Guide To Macrobiotics (formerly called Pocket Guide To Macrobiotics) that starts with the most yin categories at the top of the spectrum and ends with the most yang categories at the bottom. Somewhere in the middle is a neutral balance of yin and yang, just about where we see the whole grains/cereals category.

Comparison of Food Categories by Yin and Yang Qualities:

[MOST YIN]
Sweeteners
Beverages
Dairy
Oil
Fruit
Nuts
Seeds
Beans
Seaweed
Vegetables
Whole Grains/Cereals
Fish
Salted Cheese
Poultry
Red Meat
Eggs
Miso
Soy Sauce
Sea Salt
[MOST YANG]

By looking at this list, you can see that fish is more yang than whole grains, whole grains are more yang than vegetables, and sea salt is the most yang of all. You can also see that soy sauce is more yin than sea salt, eggs are more yin than soy sauce, and sweeteners are the most yin of all.

Given that whole grains are considered as the center-most balanced food for humans, a macrobiotic diet concentrates on foods at the center of the yin and yang spectrum first and then adds smaller amounts fanning out from either side of the center depending on the yin and yang needs of the individual.

See also:
The Yin And Yang Spectrum Of Food, Part 2
The Yin And Yang Spectrum Of Food, Part 3

Related Blog Articles:
Ten Macrobiotic Diets By George Ohsawa
What To Eat And Drink On A Macrobiotic Diet
What NOT To Eat (Or Drink) On A Macrobiotic Diet

The Colors Of Yin and Yang

Color is one of the main tools for determining the proportions of yin to yang in something. The more red there is means the more yang it is; the more purple means the more yin.

The color spectrum ranges from red on one end to purple or violet on the other end — yang on one end and yin on the other end, respectively.

• Red is yang.
• Orange is less yang.
• Yellow is even less yang.
• Brown is a mixture of colors, yin and yang combined
• Green is even less yin.
• Blue is less yin.
• Purple is yin.

The more warm, dark, or bold (saturated) the color is, the more yang it is. The more cold, light, or pale (unsaturated) the color is, the more yin it is.

• Black is yang.
• White is yin.

Everything is relative. To figure out how a particular food, for example, is classified as either "Yin" or "Yang," I'll start by looking at the broad picture and what the color is overall.

• Animals are red-blooded, therefore animal foods are yang (compared to plant foods).
• Plants are green-blooded, therefore plant foods are yin (compared to animal foods).

Within each of these two categories are layers of subcategories that range from yang to yin to yang again. For example, a tomato is a plant food, therefore it is yin. A green tomato is more yin than a fully ripe red one, which is yang. The red tomato is yang compared to the purple eggplant, which are both fruits on a similarly sized plant.

Related Blog Articles:
The Color Classifications of Food
Guidelines for Classifying in Terms of Yin and Yang

Whole Date Cookies With No Added Sugar

Today I'm trying a new take on an old family recipe for Date Bars. I'm using whole organic deglet dates that I found from SunRidge Farms, certified organic by QAI (Quality Assurance International). And I'm omitting the cup of sugar in the recipe completely, without adding any other type of sweetener to take its place. I'm also using a mixture of whole oat flour, oat bran, and rolled oats instead of the white flour in the original recipe. These cookies have eggs in them; I'll try making a vegan recipe next.

Here is my new recipe for "Date Pecan Oat Bars":

325º F Oven, Preheated
8x8 glass baking dish, buttered
22 minutes (toothpick test comes out clean)

3 whole eggs
1/3 cup whole oat flour (Bob's Red Mill)
1/3 cup oat bran (Bob's Red Mill)
1/3 cup extra thick rolled oats (Bob's Red Mill)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder (non-aluminum)
1 cup dates, pitted and chopped
1 cup pecans, chopped

Mix the ingredients in the order listed above, spread evenly in the buttered (or oiled) glass baking dish, and bake in a preheated 325-degree oven for 22 minutes or until a toothpick poked into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the dish before slicing into squares and removing.

And now let's see how they taste... My husband tried them first, "They remind me of Christmas!" he said. He found them to be quite sweet, and they certainly didn't need any of the missing sugar, but maybe they could have had less of the dates too!

I tried them next and wow that was good. Just the right combination of dates, oats, and pecans. It tasted like pecan pie, only more pure and natural. But very rich, even though the only fat was from what was in the eggs and the pecans. They're moist, compact, and can be cut into tiny squares or cubes to be eaten with one's fingers. These would make a good hors d'oeuvre, for special occasions!


Related Blog Articles:
Trying Out New Cookie Recipes
No More Sugar
In The Name Of Macrobiotics

What To Eat And Drink On A Macrobiotic Diet

(Picture I took of a rice paddy in California.)

Here is a list of what's healthy to eat and drink on a macrobiotic diet (see Chapter 5, "Ten Healthful Ways Of Eating And Drinking", in Zen Macrobiotics, by George Ohsawa):

1) Cereals — unrefined whole grains — as much as you like as long as you chew thoroughly (50-200 times). Whole grains are the foundation of a macrobiotic diet, and are called the "principle" foods. They should be a major part in every meal. Whole grains are better when they're rinsed and soaked in water overnight before cooking.

2) Vegetables — in season and locally grown (except for eggplant, tomato, or potato, which are too yin) — and wild vegetables — like dandelions, burdock, watercress, etc. — and wild seaweeds — like kombu, wakame, nori, etc.

Vegetables, wild vegetables, and seaweeds are "secondary foods" in the macrobiotic diet, and are usually eaten in smaller quantities than whole grains. Vegetables should not be soaked in water. Seaweeds, on the other hand, are dried (unless you get them straight from the ocean) and some are better when you soak them in water for 15 minutes before cutting them into pieces.

3) Animal foods that are free from chemicals (in the growing or processing of them), such as wild birds, fresh fish, shellfish, fertilized eggs, and organic dairy products, are "special foods" in the macrobiotic diet. They are eaten less frequently and in smaller quantities than principle and secondary foods.

4) Fruits, nuts, seeds, salads (raw vegetables), desserts, and beverages are also taken in smaller quantities than whole grains and vegetables. (See "Ten Macrobiotic Diets By George Ohsawa.")

5) Natural sea salt (unrefined)
6) Soy sauce, macrobiotic quality
7) Miso, macrobiotic quality
8) Gomasio — ground roasted sesame mixed with sea salt
9) Umeboshi plums, paste, or vinegar
10) Undyed, bancha or kukicha tea
11) Water that is pure, free from chemicals, with no additives or carbonation (no fizz!)

Cooking (boiling, steaming, pressurizing, sauteeing, frying, baking), drying, and aging/curing are all processes to make a food more yang. Adding water or oil makes the food more yin.

Some cooking oils are less yin than others, such as sesame oil (unrefined). This makes sense when you compare the size of a tiny sesame seed to, say, the size of an olive, which is also a tree fruit rather than a seed. (Small = yang, large = yin, seeds = closer to the ground/beginning of life = yang, fruits = further from the ground/ending of life = yin.)

See also:
Ten Macrobiotic Diets By George Ohsawa
What NOT To Eat (Or Drink) On A Macrobiotic Diet


Related Blog Articles:
What Is A Macrobiotic Diet, Really?
What Is The Macrobiotic Centering Diet?
My Notes On The Macrobiotic Centering Diet