Sushi

Sushi ~ The RawTruth

Is Sushi Healthy?

Here's the Raw Truth

This traditional Japanese cuisine is a dieter's dream, thanks to its heart-friendly, low-fat ingredients.

But leave it to North Americans to fat it up.

What started out as truly lean cuisine now arrives on platters for one that could easily feed a family of four.

Japanese kitchens wouldn't think of using oil or mayo.

Yet, chances are your favorite sashimi bar serves fried shrimp and spicy tuna plumped up with the bad stuff.

What's a calorie counting toro lover to do?

For starters, don't tackle a 20-piece sushi boat yourself!

And follow our lead: Get the skinny on the four fattest and leanest choices right here.

Meshi-agare (Japanese for bon appetit)!

The Chubby Choices

1. Tempura rolls: Any tempura dish ~ can you say "deep-fried" ~ is a big-time diet buster.

Just one shrimp tempura roll, for example, can deliver 500 calories and 20 grams of fat.

Plus, breading and deep-frying jack the cholesterol, as well.

2. Spicy tuna and other mayo-based rolls: Before you order, ask if the minced fish is mixed with mayonnaise.

If so, that delicate roll may hide as many as 450 calories and 11 grams of artery-clogging fat.

3. Philadelphia rolls: Unheard of in Japan, this salmon and avocado wonder is smeared with something a purist wouldn't even consider, cream cheese.

Calories for a roll start at 300 and rise, depending on how much cheese is used.

A clue: Two tablespoons of cream cheese add 10 grams of fat (6 saturated), and some recipes use four times that amount.

4. Dragon rolls and pretty much anything else made with eel and/or toro: Just 1 ounce of raw eel has 3 grams fat, and toro ~ sliced from the fatty belly of tuna ~ packs a shocking 7 grams per ounce.

Even though the fat is the heart-healthy omega-3 kind, all fat is still loaded with calories, and the trade-off here is too high.

The Skinniest Sushi

1. Assorted sashimi: Sashimi is sliced fish a la carte, and by omitting the sticky rice, you save 30 calories per piece.

Plus, eating an assortment of fish, (white, red, oily) creates delicious synergies: You get the flavors and benefits of each.

For example, delicate white fish has fewer calories, while richer mackerel and salmon have more omega-3s.

2. Veggie rolls: Cucumber rolls and tangy pickled vegetable rolls are free of fat and provide a pleasantly crunchy contrast to the soft texture of fish rolls and at only about 150 calories per.

For a vegetarian entree that packs heart-friendly fat as well as some iron and protein, try a shiitake, avocado, and pickled ginger roll.

That little sheet of seaweed that holds it all together?

It gives you calcium, vitamins-C and K, and folate.

3. Edamame (soybeans): Okay, okay, they're not sushi.

But they're a staple at Maki bars and one of the healthiest menu choices you can make, brimming with fiber, folate, iron, and protein.

Half a cup of steamed edamame has 127 calories and a whopping 11 grams of protein, thus its nickname: "meat from the vegetable garden."

4. Tako (octopus) or ika (squid): Though high in cholesterol, both are even higher in protein, B-vitamins, iron, selenium, and taurine, an amino acid that helps keep your arteries, heart and eyes healthy, for almost no fat and only 25 calories an ounce.

There you have it, sushi on a diet.

But, actually, it's just the way it ought to be: naturally healthy.

So don't hesitate to indulge based on these guidelines.

Eating at least one serving of fish per week is highly recommended.

Here are simple step-by-step instructions for a Japanese favorite at home.



Maki is the Japanese word for “sushi rolls.”

Maki lend themselves to endless variety, from vegetarian fillings to cooked meat to raw fish.

Whatever the filling, the real secret to great sushi is the perfect rice.

It’s a combination of careful cooling and handling along with a balance of sugar, vinegar and salt for seasoning.

Make Your Own Sushi Rolls



Place a nori (seaweed) sheet on a bamboo sushi-rolling mat, shiny side down, with a short end close to you and pat a thin layer of rice over the nori, leaving a 1-inch border at the top.



Place a thin strip of filling ingredients about 1 inch from the bottom of the rice.

Use the bamboo mat to help you roll the maki closed.

Gently press the closed mat over the roll to seal it, getting the mat out from inside the maki as it rolls up.



Trim any ragged edges and slice the roll into pieces with a wet sharp knife.

It's important to wet the knife, otherwise the roll will stick to it and you'll end up with a big mess.

There are special knives you can buy with holes in them but I would suggest saving that expenditure until you get good at making these and you're doing it often enough to warrant the expense.

And there you have it.

Keep practicing and keep enjoying healthy, inexpensive and low fat sushi at home.

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