Is Taiyaki Vegan? (3 Tips for Weight Loss)

If you have ever watched a Japanese anime or film, you probably have seen the iconic Taiyaki dessert served as popular street food. Similar to Imagawayaki, Taiyaki is almost identical in taste, but what separates it from Imagawayaki is its unique shape and design.

Mimicking the visuals of a red sea bream, which was considered an expensive food at the time, Taiyaki was shaped into this fish to give common people the idea that they are eating a luxury food. 

Despite the visuals, Taiyaki obviously does not have a fishy flavor but instead is a sweet snack that is extremely popular among children and enjoyed by adults as well.

This fish-shaped cake is a super delicious sweet treat that has a similar flavor to waffles or pancakes, but what elevates it to the next level is the filling.

It is most commonly filled with red bean paste, but several restaurants or food stalls have come with creative alternatives to fill up the waffle!

Some popular fillings include matcha, icecream, custard, or even Nutella! 

Taiyaki is a super mouthwatering snack, but you may be wondering, is it vegan? 

Taiyaki is usually not vegan because of its batter. Waffle batter is made using eggs, butter, and milk causing the overall dish to not be a vegan-friendly dish.

However, several recipes have created vegan versions of Taiyaki that are just as successful and delicious. 

On top of that Taiyaki is also not the ideal food to be consuming when trying to lose weight because it is a high-calorie snack made up predominantly of carbohydrates and fats.

As mentioned earlier, there are several vegan versions of Taiyaki, and these recipes often yield healthier Taiyakis! 

This may not be a food you should eat on a daily basis but it can still be an occasional snack that can be incorporated into the diet.

In this article we will be discussing some tips on how to enjoy vegan Taiyaki while still losing weight: 

1. Understand the Nutrition Behind Taiyaki (Non-vegan vs Vegan)

2. Watch the Filling

3. Eat Lower Carb Foods Throughout the Day

Tip 1: Understand the Nutrition Behind Taiyaki (Non-vegan vs Vegan)

In order to incorporate Taiyaki into your diet, it is necessary for you to understand the calories and macronutrients behind this dish.

We will be comparing a Non-vegan Taiyaki to a Vegan Taiyaki that both are filled with red bean paste.

For one Non-Vegan Taiyaki cake, there are 220 calories with 4 grams of fat, 40 grams of carbohydrates, and 6 grams of protein.

This is a good snack that is not too high in calories and can easily be incorporated into your diet.

It leans towards the higher carbohydrate side so in Tip 3 we will be teaching you how to adjust your meals accordingly. 

Taiyaki is obviously not considered a healthy food, but it is definitely something you can treat yourself to once in a while.

This snack is very low in nutrients and very carbohydrate-dense so it can satisfy your cravings but you probably will not be full from eating this sugary treat. 

One cake of Vegan Taiyaki has 200 calories with 7 grams of fat, 32 grams of carbohydrates, and 3 grams of protein.

Vegan Taiyaki is slightly lower in calories and carbohydrates and a bit higher in fats.

Overall, it is pretty similar to a regular Taiyaki so the same idea applies. 

When on a diet, it is highly discouraged that you restrict foods and label them as “healthy” and “unhealthy”. Instead, if you view foods as higher in calories and lower in nutrients versus lower in calories and higher in nutrients, you will be able to incorporate all types of foods based on your preference. 

This makes your diet much more sustainable and enjoyable which are two vital components to a successful weight loss journey.

By satisfying your cravings and portion sizing, this will prevent you from having insatiable hunger cravings later down the road. 

Tip 2: Watch the Filling

Depending on the type of filling you have in your Taiyaki can make a huge difference on the overall nutrition and calorie count for your snack. In this section, we will examine four popular fillings and which one that is most suitable for your diet. 

Red Bean Paste (Anko)

Red Bean Paste is the original and most common filling you will find in a Taiyaki.

Also known as Anko in Japanese, this sweet and thick paste is a delicious combination with the waffle batter.

Since Red Bean Paste is not too sweet, this filling is perfect for individuals who do not like an overwhelming amount of sweetness in their desserts. 

Red Bean Paste only uses three ingredients: red beans, sugar, and salt, which makes it absolutely vegan!

This is one of the safest options to eat when you do not prefer consuming animal products. 

For every 50 grams of Red Bean Paste, there are a total of 80 calories with no fat, 2 grams of protein, and 18 grams of carbohydrates.

This is one of the healthiest and lowest calorie fillings that you can put into your Taiyaki. 

Red Bean Paste is pretty high in carbohydrates which contributes to the overall carbohydrate count to the Taiyaki, but as we observe later on, it is much better compared to other fillings.

Vanilla Icecream

Rising in popularity, many food stalls now offer Taiyaki filled with vanilla icecream.

These are the most visually appealing Taiyakis, with the ice cream coming out of the mouth of the red sea bream, and is a delicious cool treat for the summer.

For every serving of Vanilla Icecream, which is around 120 grams, there are 120 calories with 6 grams of fat, 17 grams of carbohydrates, and 1 gram of protein. Ice cream is higher in fat and calories compared to the red bean paste and can easily put you in a calorie surplus depending on how much ice cream you add to your Taiyaki.

Most Vanilla Icecreams are not vegan because they contain milk, so this might not be the best option for people who are on a vegan diet.

Recently, several supermarkets sell alternative lower-calorie ice creams, including vegan options, that are a great substitute to original Vanilla Icecream.

These icecreams are usually even higher protein and lower in carbohydrates and fat making your Taiyaki dessert more balanced and suitable for losing weight. 

Nutella

Another recent creation that popularized in America is filling the Taiyaki with Nutella which gives the Taiyaki a thick and chocolatey flavor.

This filling is a favorite among chocolate and Nutella lovers who have a crazy and insatiable sweet tooth.

For every 50 grams of Nutella, there are 340 calories with 19 grams of fat, 37 grams of carbohydrates and 3 grams of protein.

This is by far the unhealthiest and most difficult foods to incorporate into your diet.

This extremely high calorie-dense nutty cream can easily pile on a bunch of empty calories into your day and set you way over your daily calorie needs.

On top of that, Nutella contains skim milk making it a nonvegan product.

If however you really want to pair your Taiyaki with Nutella, I recommend not filling your Taiyaki with Nutella but instead placing just a little on the side, preferably less than one serving, and putting on a thin layer of Nutella, similar to buttering a toast.

Custard

Custard is another common filling and is similar or comparable to the filling of a cream puff.

This light and fluffy filling gives the Taiyaki a sweet and creamy touch that goes perfectly with the Taiyaki’s waffle-like bite. 

One serving of custard, which is around 50 grams, has 70 calories with 2 grams of fat, 11 grams of carbohydrates, and 2 grams of protein.

This is the lowest calorie option out of the four, making it the best filling for your Taiyaki. 

The downside is that Custard is not vegan, so if you are on a strict non-animal product diet, then custard may not be the best choice for you.

However, lots of online recipes teach you how to make your own vegan version of custard that replaces milk with almond or soy milk.

This makes your custard even lower in calories which is a great replacement if you are trying to lose weight. 

Tip 3: Eat Lower Carbohydrate Foods Throughout the Day

Since Taiyaki is a high calorie and carbohydrate snack, you may want to lower your carbohydrate intake for your other meals throughout the day.

For example, for lunch, if you were going to eat chicken and rice, you may want to replace your rice with vegetables like broccoli or zucchini or eat a salad instead. 

Some people prefer cutting out a meal, usually breakfast, to lower their overall calorie intake for the day.

By just drinking some black coffee or tea in the morning, you can save up your calories for other foods throughout the day. 

The key to incorporating Taiyaki into your weight loss goals is to plan ahead and use your calories sparingly.

Since carbohydrates easily add up the overall calorie count in your meal, by replacing this with lower-calorie veggies that are fibrous, this can keep you full and satiated throughout the day and allows you to fit Taiyaki into your daily intake. 

Now that you know the nutritional information behind Taiyaki, the best filling to put into your Taiyaki, and what to eat throughout the day, you can enjoy your delicious Taiyaki dessert while still reaching your weight loss goals!

You do not need to restrict foods from your diet but instead, watch your portion size and overall calorie intake!

CONCLUSION 

Remember, although nutrition is a huge factor that influences weight loss, it is important to pair this journey with exercise as well.

Especially strength training.

Several years of research on the benefits of weight training have shown that individuals that do some sort of consistent resistance training at least 3-5 times a week have shown not only a great amount of weight loss but are also able to keep the weight off! 

The secret to this phenomena is that strength training leads to a build-up of muscle.

Not only does your body recomposition into a more fitting and athletic-looking aesthetic, but having more muscle also increases your resting metabolic rate which essentially means you burn more calories at rest! 

Now that we know the importance of muscle we need to make sure we stay on track with our workouts.

Consistency and longevity are the two key factors when building muscle so there will be some commitment involved.

We understand that not everyone has access to a gym membership or feels comfortable starting off in such an intimidating environment.

Although I would strongly recommend that everyone should get a gym membership, don’t worry we got your back!

You can either go to the gym or build one for yourself.

It really just comes down to 3 pieces of equipment that you need to do most workouts.

These three are the workout bench, dumbbells, and gym flooring.

Check out our recommended gear page to see our best picks for these pieces of equipment here. 

https://www.aspirefitnesswalnut.com/home-workout-equipment

If a home gym is not for you then getting a membership somewhere works too.

As long as you are starting your muscle-building journey, we’re happy! 

Stick with it for the long run and you’ll see how amazing the results can be. 

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