It’s very exciting to see the growing interest of people from all walks of life in traditional foods like natto.
Even a family on food stamps can typically afford it, as it’s one of the most budget friendly as well as nutritious foods on the planet.
Natto is a form of fermented soybean that, at least in my local area, is only available at Asian supermarkets in the frozen section.
You will be surprised at how such a little container goes a very long way!
Including natto with a simple and very cheap meal of fried rice turns the meal into a powerhouse of nutrition in the form of vitamin K2, the elusive Activator X written about by Dr. Weston A. Price. He found via years of research that this frequently overlooked nutrient is the secret sauce responsible in large part for the vibrant health of Traditional Societies.
Natto is rich in Vitamin K2 which supercharges mineral absorption in the body and boosts the effectiveness of the other fat soluble vitamins, most notably A and D.
Natto Fried Rice
The problem with natto is that the smell, taste and texture can be quite challenging to get used to. Hiding it in a dish of fried rice is therefore the best way to go to successfully include it in the diet on a frequent basis.
The following recipe for natto fried rice is a modification of the one found in the book Vitamin K2 and the Calcium Paradox by Dr. Kate Rheaume-Bleue, Bsc., ND. Without a doubt, it is one of the best books I’ve read on this subject.
Please note that you cannot substitute tempeh or tofu for the natto. The fermentation of natto is what produces the high amounts of Vitamin K2 (in the form of MK7). Other forms of soybeans do not contain this nutrient in such large amounts if at all.
Natto Fried Rice Recipe
Easy recipe for natto fried rice that is a highly nutritious as well as an extremely low cost meal that will supply elusive and critical nutrients to your diet.
Ingredients
- 2 containers Non-GMO natto thawed
- 4 eggs beaten
- 4 Tbl expeller pressed coconut oil
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 4 cups leftover cooked rice cold, straight from the refrigerator is best
- 1 bunch green onions chopped
- soy sauce traditionally brewed, nonGMO
Instructions
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In a bowl, stir natto briefly to thicken. Mix in beaten eggs.
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Add 2 TBL coconut oil to a frypan and coat the surface evenly. Mix in sesame oil, turn the burner on medium and let heat for 1 minute.
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Add the egg/natto mixture and saute until the egg is completely cooked. Remove egg/natto mixture from the pan and set aside.
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Add another 2 TBL of coconut oil to the frypan and add handfuls of the cold, cooked rice working out the lumps with your fingers.
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Saute the rice until hot and then add the chopped green onions or peas. Saute for a minute or two until hot and then add the egg and natto mixture to the pan as well.
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Once the entire dish is hot, serve natto fried rice immediately and season to taste at the table with the unpasteurized soy sauce.
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Refrigerate any natto leftovers.
Recipe Notes
White, brown or even wild rice may be used as the base for this natto recipe. This article on the benefits of white rice vs brown contains more information. Wild rice is the most nutritious.
1 cup frozen peas may be substituted for the green onion.
Hi Sarah,
Sounds good to me, but my wife on the other hand is a little picky. She recently (last week) had a bout of ‘pancreatitus’ and is now really trying to make good diet/nutrition decisions. She had her gall bladder out two years ago so I believe this last bout was due to some poor dietary habits. Having said that, do you think this Natto dish is a good idea for her, being that she has to be cautious for digestion purposes?
Natto is very easy to digest. But, it might be tough to get her to eat it if she’s picky. Might be best to go the MK7 supplement route here but that is expensive and this post is supposed to be about frugal nutrient dense choices 🙁
Should natto be avoided if there is a thyroid issue?
Small amounts should be fine provided there is adequate iodine in the diet … lots of raw butter would be good here. But, if you feel instinctively that you should avoid it, then do so.
I spent three years in Japan and regrettably never tried natto. I didn’t find out about it until reading your blog a while back. This sounds like a great idea to try!! I bet it would be so good with a side of tsukemono (the recipe in NT is great).
Natto is only popular in some areas of Japan. Interestingly, the areas where natto is consumed frequently have a lower hip fracture rate in the elderly than the areas where natto is not consumed … indicating perhaps the benefits of K2 which supercharges calcium uptake into the bones.
I’ve read lately that over 90% of soy is GMO. Unless we know where it comes from, should we still consume it?
Definitely get organic if you can … but if not, yes, GMO is a big risk. I think the decision on whether or not to take the risk comes down to budget. If a family is on food stamps and is really struggling perhaps conventional meat and chickens is the only thing they can afford. Natto would fall under this same premise. Get the best you can afford but if what you can afford is extremely limited, choose nutrition first over trying to stay “clean”. Nutrition is more important than being green in desperate situations. The body can handle toxins when it is nourished. Staying away from everything that is bad at the expense of nutrition will result in illness anyway with nothing gained by that approach in the long run.
Even though traditionally fermented Natto is on the list of “good” soyfoods approved for modest consumption by WAPF, I cannot stand the taste, or smell, or awful texture. And I like most fermented foods.
I instinctively feel that anything that tastes and smells so disgusting cannot be good for me, but the science says otherwise. Nevertheless, I will stick to gouda cheese (thanks for the tip, Sarah), pastured butter, fermented dairy, organ meats and animal fat for my K2.
Sometimes the gag factor cannot be overcome, but this recipe may well do it.
Sarah, do you have any tips for dealing with the smell?
Stanley, I just love how to the point you are 🙂 Your comments always make me smile. You are the best 🙂
I don’t have any tips about the smell. How about turning on the fan over the stove ??? Pretty lame, I know 🙁
The kitchen fan might help, but I fear it will just move the smell to other parts of the house as well. Having a great sense of taste and smell is usually a blessing, but not in this case.
Thank you, Sarah. You have put many a smile on my face as well.
I’m glad. Making people smile is something I love to do 🙂
I had a student in Japan who mixed her natto with mayonnaise to mellow out the flavor and smell. You might try that.
Thank you Sarah for including white rice and not just brown in keeping with that great post you did on “What? White Rice Better Than Brown.”
I always use white basmati rice. Brown rice just doesn’t do it for my family.
Natto can be difficult to consume in the beginning especially if you don’t currently eat any fermented foods. After a few years of homemade Kefir and a daily dose of fermented cod liver oil my kids and i have no problems with natto (finally) but my husband cannot abide it. He doesn’t eat fermented foods. We have never cooked with natto but it is our experience that if you mix natto into rice all you end up with is more natto flavored rice! but we will give this recipe a try. maybe heating it up with egg will not make the flavor spread so it takes over the entire dish. My Japanese friends chop the natto up and mix it with the mustard and seasoning pack that come with it and green onion. they say it is easier to absorb the nutrition if you mash it up first.
Sometimes MSG can be lurking in the seasoning packet that comes separately with the natto package, so I suggest making your own sauce using soy sauce, fish sauce, mustard, or like someone suggested below, mayo.
Thanks for this recipe idea. I bet Red Boat traditionally fermented fish sauce would be amazing with it too, along with or instead of soy sauce. It’s my new favorite condiment, and a little goes a long way with it as well. Do you have any tips on untoasted, unrefined sesame oil brands?
Natto Fried Rice: Nutrient Dense Meal on the Cheap http://t.co/mAx0Pixb