Erica Angyal, the 40-year-old official nutritionist of Miss Universe Japan, is on a mission to bring balanced meals back to the Japanese table.
"It's so 'mottainai' (a waste)" that a lot of Japanese women choose Western food over a traditional Japanese diet, said Angyal, who has lived in Japan for 14 years. "You have this incredible diet . . . but it seems to me all (the) amazing information, common sense and knowledge (on traditional food) is lost in a generation."
Since 2004, the Australian nutritionist has been working in Tokyo with finalists of the beauty contest.