Vegetable Day (Sai no Hi)

What Is Vegetable Day?

The 31st of every month is "Vegetable Day" (菜の日, Sai no Hi) in Japan. It was established by the 5 A DAY Association Japan and registered with the Japan Anniversary Association in 2016. The name comes from "sai" (菜), a character meaning vegetables, and the date is a wordplay reading "3 (sa) 1 (i)" as "sai." Treating the 31st or the end of each month as a "settlement day for your body," the association encourages people to eat plenty of vegetables and keep a balanced diet. May 31st is one of the seven 31sts in the year.

What Is the 5 A DAY Movement?

The 5 A DAY Association promotes the "5 A DAY" movement in Japan, encouraging people to eat more vegetables and fruit.

• A movement that began in the U.S.: The 5 A DAY program was launched in 1991 by the U.S. National Cancer Institute (NCI) together with the Produce for Better Health Foundation (PBH) to increase fruit and vegetable consumption.
• In Japan: The association was founded in 2002 and promotes eating at least five servings (about 350 g) of vegetables and 200 g of fruit a day through food education and awareness campaigns.
• Not enough vegetables: Japan's national health targets recommend at least 350 g of vegetables a day, but according to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare's National Health and Nutrition Survey, average vegetable intake falls short of that goal. Vegetable Day was created as a regular reminder.

What Vegetables Contain

• Color compounds: Pigments such as lycopene in tomatoes and anthocyanins in eggplant are phytochemicals — plant compounds thought to help plants protect themselves from UV light — and their effects continue to be studied.
• Dietary fiber: The fiber in vegetables helps keep your digestion regular.

Fun Facts About Vegetables

• The "350 g" guideline: If one small side dish of vegetables is about 70 g, five dishes come to about 350 g — the origin of the "5 A DAY" name.
• Seasonal vegetables: The nutrient content of some vegetables, such as the vitamin C in spinach, changes with the season.
• Frozen vegetables: Frozen vegetables save prep time and let you use just what you need — an easy way to add more vegetables to your diet.
• "Vegetables first": Eating vegetables at the start of a meal is known as a way to make blood sugar rise more gently after eating.
• Another vegetable day: August 31st is "Yasai no Hi" (Vegetable Day), from reading 8-3-1 as "ya-sa-i."

Ideas for Vegetable Day

• Add "one more dish" of vegetables to your usual meal — even a convenience-store salad or a hearty vegetable soup works.
• Try putting vegetables of many colors — red, green, yellow, white, and purple — on your table.
• Change how you cut or cook a vegetable to discover a different flavor.
• Treat the end of the month as your body's "settlement day" and look back on how you've eaten this month.

The End of the Month Is Your Body's Settlement Day

May 31st is Vegetable Day, a chance to review your eating habits at the end of the month. Just as you wrap up the month at work, take a moment to check in on your body — starting with one extra dish of vegetables today.