The Japanese have a belief that healthy eating requires that you eat 30 different foods every day. You don't have to eat a ton of any one food, but the general presentation of food in Japan is one which incorporates variety. In the U.S., unless there is a special occasion, there are usually three parts to a meal, four at most. We have a meat, starch, and vegetable component that are sometimes followed by a dessert. In Japan, there are usually a lot of little parts to every meal. It's part of the reason you see the addition of one or two strawberries to a bento. It's added for color, but also variety. That makes meals in Japan not only more interesting, but more nutritious.
I'll miss this focus on variety in meals.
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