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Two Easy Summer Diet Recipes: Hinata Kato's Mackerel Miso Soup and Tomato Stew

ひなちゃんねる / Hinata Kato · ▶ 20:13 · 11 min read
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Overview

Fitness YouTuber Hinata Kato filmed this episode while temporarily homeless, staying at their brother's apartment between rentals. Losing access to their usual kitchen and ingredients pushed them to rethink what they had been teaching. The video's central argument is that a diet only works if you can keep it up, so recipes should be easy, cheap, tasty, and enjoyable. They demonstrate two dishes they say they rely on for weight loss, skin, and bust care: a mackerel miso soup and a tomato, soybean, and clam stew.

11 min read
0:12

Losing a Home, and a Lesson About Consistency

Kato opens by explaining the situation. A housing application they wanted was rejected. They suspect this happened because they are a well-known YouTuber and the landlord did not want the home appearing in videos. They expect to be without a place for about a month. They admit they were discouraged at first, but they now say the rejection turned out well, because they later found a house they like even more. They also describe asking the management company handling their new application to speed up screening. They didn't expect it to work, but the company agreed, and the staff member turned out to follow them on social media. Kato draws two lessons from this. It costs nothing to speak up, and doing so often changes the outcome. And "a pinch is a chance": how a setback turns out depends on your mindset.

The setback also changed how they view their content. In the brother's kitchen, they could not use their usual ingredients. Many of these could only be bought online or required a blender. Kato says their goal had always been to make healthy eating look fun, so viewers would get hooked and come to love themselves more. Without a home, they realized they had mostly been teaching difficult methods. So they announce that the channel is "going back to basics," with recipes that are sustainable, easy, delicious, fun, and effective.

They stress that consistency matters more than anything: a method is meaningless if you cannot continue it. They say they started with something very simple themselves, got hooked, and cooking eventually became a hobby. They are not telling viewers to eat these dishes at every meal. The suggestion is to add one dish to normal meals, or to eat it on its own on busy days. They put particular emphasis on skin. Clothes hide your body, but your face is always visible, and they say better skin brings confidence.

5:15

Recipe One: Mackerel Miso Soup

The first dish uses onion, miso, canned mackerel, and dashi. Kato points out that miso soup is something many Japanese households already make every day, and a potful lasts about two days.

Their own version starts with 1,200 ml of water and one dashi pack. They say they like YASUMARU's dashi. They also add a scoop of collagen, because this week falls in one of their periodic collagen-intake phases, along with amino acid powder. They repeatedly tell viewers they don't need to copy these extras and should use whatever dashi they normally use. What they want viewers to copy is the core combination of onion and canned mackerel. The dashi simmers for about 10 minutes.

Next, Kato adds julienned onion. They say they tend to use a lot of onion because it provides oligosaccharides, which feed good gut bacteria. They also connect onion to the production of short-chain fatty acids, which they call important for weight loss, though they add that viewers don't need to memorize this. They mention that onion also contributes vegetable broth to the soup.

The canned mackerel goes in last. Kato makes the case for it with an analogy: even the most skilled carpenter cannot build a house without wood. In the same way, the body cannot change without the right materials. According to Kato, mackerel provides:

  • Protein, which they call essential for weight loss and skin.
  • Omega-3 fatty acids, which they describe as lipids the body cannot produce, important for cell membranes and skin radiance, and hard to get enough of through ordinary diet.
  • B vitamins. They name B2 for fat metabolism, B6 for protein metabolism, and B3 for carbohydrate metabolism, and say this covers everything you want to metabolize while dieting.
  • Calcium from the edible bones. They warn that without enough calcium from food, the body breaks down bone to get it, which can lead to osteoporosis. They also say calcium affects the nerves and can help with sleep.

The soup takes 10 to 15 minutes and is finished once the miso is added. Kato says some people prefer it without miso. They have served it both ways when cooking for others, so they suggest tasting before adding it. They also note that miso contains components good for gut health, so adding it makes the soup more nutritious, but the choice is up to the cook.

The mackerel they used is from UMIOS and contains only mackerel, with no salt. They say both the domestic version and a "silver" can they tried were delicious. To viewers who doubt that mackerel belongs in miso soup, they compare the result to the ara-jiru (fish-bone soup with strong dashi flavor) they have eaten at high-end Japanese restaurants. Their brother arrives home and briefly agrees that it's delicious. Kato says he usually doesn't care much for miso soup but often asks for this one. Their larger point is that one good dish like this can raise your quality of life, not just help with dieting and beauty.

10:47

Recipe Two: Tomato, Soybean, and Clam Stew

The second dish is a tomato stew that Kato calls "premium." They say it is based on knowledge from studying beauty nutrition with Ikegami, whom they deeply respect, and that they adapted it themselves. They credit it with improving their skin and making life more enjoyable.

Base vegetables. Kato heats about a tablespoon of olive oil and highlights its vitamin E, which they consider crucial for skin. They sauté the harder vegetables first, starting with half an onion, finely chopped. They repeat that its oligosaccharides go straight to the large intestine and that gut health is essential whether you're trying to improve your skin, lose weight, or gain weight. They add finely chopped carrots next. They describe carrots as rich in vitamin A, which they say normalizes skin turnover, helps shed old skin cells, and supports radiance and firmness. Since this vitamin is fat-soluble, they say cooking carrots in oil improves absorption. They also like that carrots and onions are cheap and can be bought in bulk.

Broccoli and cooking order. While the base cooks over low heat, Kato cuts broccoli, which they mention for its vitamin C. Once boiled, it becomes soft enough to mash. They explain the trick to the recipe: sautéing carrots, onions, and broccoli first for 3 to 5 minutes, in that order, draws out enough umami that no spices are needed.

Tomatoes. One can of diced tomatoes goes in with 100 ml of water, which they use to rinse out the can and avoid waste. They describe the lycopene in tomatoes as a powerful antioxidant that is good for skin. Because it is fat-soluble, they say eating it with oil increases absorption.

Soybeans and dietary fiber. Kato adds one can or pack of soybeans. They cite the protein, the potassium (which they say helps with swelling), and the fiber. This leads into one of the video's main themes. Whether you're dieting, working on your skin, or trying to change your bust, they say dietary fiber is something you must eat, because the gut only becomes healthy when you do. They link fiber to short-chain fatty acid production and an easier time losing weight. They also say that since they began focusing on gut health, they have become able to produce equol. They suggest aiming for about 20 g of fiber per day and explain the two types as they understand them. Soluble fiber softens stool, feeds gut bacteria, and suppresses blood sugar spikes. Insoluble fiber, which soybeans are rich in, stimulates the intestines. Kato says this matters because women often have weak intestinal movement.

Clams for iron. Kato says skin improvement requires vitamin C, protein, and iron. Iron is the hardest to get enough of, especially animal-based iron. They note that shijimi clams contain more iron, but they use canned clams because they are easier to buy. The liquid from the can goes in too, both for flavor and for broth. They point out that the dish now combines soy protein and clam protein.

Bell peppers. The final ingredient is bell pepper (paprika). Kato praises its vitamin C and E and encourages eating peppers when hungry. They anticipate the objection that vitamin C will leach out during cooking and answer that it doesn't matter as long as you drink the broth.

The stew simmers for 10 to 15 minutes and makes about four servings. Kato compares the flavor to cooking personality Akari Hasegawa's style of bringing out the natural taste of ingredients. They say they personally like light, dashi-based flavors. For viewers who prefer something stronger, they promise a spicier tomato-curry-style seasoning recipe in the description. They also emphasize that the stew needs no unusual spices such as oregano, bay leaf, or cardamom.

17:34

For People Who Can't Cook Yet

Kato acknowledges that some viewers won't manage even these recipes, so they offer lower-effort options. The first is an EAA supplement they like. They say it has no preservatives, coloring, or artificial sweeteners, contains dietary fiber, and provides the essential amino acids the body cannot make. They explain that protein is broken down into amino acids in digestion and suggest drinking something like this every morning. They make clear the specific product doesn't matter. The second option is a fiber-enriched water sold at FamilyMart, for people who find it easier to get fiber through a drink. Kato frames these as possible starting points for people who can manage strength training but struggle with meal management.

Their underlying point is that viewers should start with whatever feels easy and appealing enough to continue. They call the cycle of wanting to try something, enjoying it, keeping it up, feeling the effects, and wanting to do more "probably the most important thing."

18:48

Closing Position

Kato ends by saying they dislike seeing women try to lose weight by not eating, or push themselves through self-improvement they don't enjoy. They want to keep showing ways to change happily. They urge viewers who want to lose weight or improve their skin by summer to make these two dishes. Since miso soup is already a daily food in Japan, they argue, adding one dish like this is a realistic change, and they say it changed them dramatically. They plan to cover "the fastest way to lose weight by summer" in a future video. Their parting reminder is short: remember protein and fiber.

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