"Lack of Time" is the Number One Reason for Nutritional Imbalance
"I understand nutritional balance in theory, but honestly, I can't really pay that much attention to it." We hear this kind of comment quite often.
The percentage of people who eat meals combining staple foods, main dishes, and side dishes—the standard for nutritionally balanced meals—almost every day, at least twice a day, is 53.0% for men and 64.9% for women. Over the past two years, this trend has shown a slight decline for both genders.
In other words, nearly half of people have the awareness but aren't putting it into practice.
■ The #1 reason is "lack of time"
The most common reason given for not maintaining a desirable diet is "no time to prepare nutritionally balanced meals," accounting for 34.6%.
This is a result that really hits home for desk workers. On busy weekdays, getting by with convenience store food or a bowl of noodles... it's a topic that connects to our previous summer fatigue article.
■ Younger generations tend to have more imbalanced diets
Among younger generations (ages 20–39), only about 40% answered that they pay attention to nutritional balance "almost every day," while about 10% answered "almost never." Notably, women in their 20s show an extremely low rate of "almost every day" at about 30%, while "almost never" is high at about 20%.
It's clear that the more working-age the generation, the more likely meals become a lower priority.
■ You don't need to aim for perfection
What matters is not "perfection at every meal," but rather being mindful of balancing things out somewhere during the day.
① Be conscious of staple foods, main dishes, and side dishes for 2 meals a day
The statistical standard of "at least twice a day" is the first realistic target.
② Even at convenience stores, choose by combining items
Instead of just a rice ball alone, simply adding a salad or boiled egg makes a big difference in balance.
③ Adjust on a weekly basis
Even if one meal is unbalanced, you can fully compensate by adding vegetables or protein in other meals or the next day.
■ Summary
Nutritional balance is easy to give up on because of "no time," but just being conscious of 2 meals a day and being creative with combinations can make a difference. Don't aim for perfection—start with what you can manage.
https://www.maff.go.jp/j/syokuiku/wpaper/h28/h28_h/book/part1/chap1/b1_c1_1_01.html External link
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「時間がない」が栄養バランスを崩す一番の理由
「栄養バランスなんて頭では分かってるけど、正直そこまで気を配れない」そんな声、よく聞きます。
栄養バランスに配慮した食事の目安である「主食・主菜・副菜を組み合わせた食事を1日2回以上ほぼ毎日食べている」人の割合は男性53.0%、女性64.9%で、ここ2年の推移では男女ともにやや低下傾向にあります。
つまり、意識はあっても実践できていない人が半数近くいるということです。
■理由の第1位は「時間がない」
望ましい食生活を送っていない理由として最も多いのは「栄養バランスのよい食事を作る時間がない」で34.6%を占めています。
これはまさにデスクワーカーに刺さる結果です。忙しい平日、コンビニ食やそうめん一杯で済ませてしまう…以前の夏バテ記事とも通じる話ですね。
■若い世代ほど崩れやすい傾向
若い世代（20〜39歳）では「ほぼ毎日」栄養バランスに配慮していると答えた人の割合は約4割にとどまり、約1割は「ほとんどない」と回答しています。特に女性の20歳代だけは「ほぼ毎日」の割合が約3割と極端に低く、「ほとんどない」も約2割と高くなっています。
働き盛りの世代ほど、食事が後回しになりやすいという傾向がうかがえます。
■完璧を目指さなくていい
大事なのは「毎食完璧に」ではなく、1日のどこかで帳尻を合わせる意識です。
① 1日2食は主食・主菜・副菜を意識する
統計上の目安になっている「1日2回以上」がまず現実的なラインです。
② コンビニでも組み合わせで選ぶ
おにぎり単品ではなく、サラダやゆで卵をプラスするだけでバランスは大きく変わります。
③ 週単位で調整する
1食が偏っても、他の食事や翌日で野菜やタンパク質を補えば十分カバーできます。
■まとめ
栄養バランスは「時間がないから無理」と諦めがちですが、1日2食を意識する・組み合わせを工夫するだけでも変わります。完璧を目指さず、できる範囲から始めてみてください。
https://www.maff.go.jp/j/syokuiku/wpaper/h28/h28_h/book/part1/chap1/b1_c1_1_01.html External link
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