Japanese Sesame Hot Pot with Pork and Vegetables
Post workout hotpot for sensitive tummies 🍲 eating high protein + high fiber to recover and get those gains!
Alice Sun (@alicecsun) shares a unique view into her life through the ways she uses food to nurture wellness, cross cultural divides, and bring people together, all through the medium of storytelling.
Alice Sun•
May 11, 2026
Recovering from long runs with high protein meals that don't upset my stomach has been harder than I expected. The usual protein bowls that I’d find on socials and recreate were delicious initially, but I couldn’t keep it up. Eventually my gut would feel the consequences cuz I wasn’t getting enough fiber alongside all the good protein AND the protein bowls were dehydrating my internal systems more.
Because I approach eating healthy with Chinese medicinal principles, I knew I had to find an alternative way that would get me fiber, keep my hydrated, and simmer the protein so it’d be easier to digest. And what meal would be better at doing all the above than hot pot??!
Yes, hot pot doesn’t immediately sound like the go-to post workout recovery meal but hear me out. In Chinese medicine, how you cook your food matters just as much as what you eat. Broth hydrates from the inside out in a way that drinking a glass of water simply doesn’t. It carries nutrients directly into your system while soothing your gut at the same time. And protein that’s been gently simmered in broth? It’s already halfway broken down before your digestive system even has to do its job.
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Hot pot also gets you to eat a ton of fiber without feeling like you’re a rabbit. Whatever vegetables you’re throwing in the pot, they’re softened, warm, and easy on a sensitive stomach.
After a long run, sitting down to a hot pot feels like a reward. Salad could never!! This is something warm, intentional, built to actually take care of you. Here’s how to make your own.
Ingredients (8)
Ingredients (8)
Instructions
Slice the napa cabbage (½ head) into 1 inch pieces, crosswise.
Slice the kabocha squash (½) into thin pieces so it cooks quickly.
Cut the japanese green onion (1) into 1 inch pieces, but you can also sub this by slicing up 4 green onions.
Add the cabbage into the pot first to create a layer on the bottom, then place the kabocha squash, japanese green onion, mushrooms (1 package), protein (1 lb), and wontons (5–8) on top.
Top off with the pre made nabe broth (1 package), then bring to a simmer.
Let everything simmer for ~20 mins or until kabocha can be easily poked by a chopstick or fork.
Enjoy with rice or noodles!
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