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The raw truth on sushi
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Over the past couple of years sushi has become the latest food craze. It is definitely an acquired taste that we either.jpg)
love or hate. For those of us who love it, it can become quite an obsession of tasty goodness. Some people automatically associate sushi with the word healthy. But is it all that its cracked up to be? And is this delectable food really good for you? Let’s take a closer look.
love or hate. For those of us who love it, it can become quite an obsession of tasty goodness. Some people automatically associate sushi with the word healthy. But is it all that its cracked up to be? And is this delectable food really good for you? Let’s take a closer look. Traditional Japanese sashimi, which is just the raw fish, could easily be a dieter’s dream. Just make sure that you eat it at a reputable restaurant to avoid any bacteria or parasite issues. The amounts of calories found in a thin slab of sashimi are very low and have many overall healthy benefits.
Even sushi, which is raw fish on a bed of rice, can still be healthy to eat, but in moderation because of the rice. The rice actually contains sugar and vinegar to make it sticky. And as we all know white sugar is not our friend but an evil enemy that stands in our way to stay fit and loose weight.
But leave it to us America, to supersize anything we can get our hands on. What started out in Japan as a healthy source of food has now become pure gluttony, with all you can eat sushi bars all across the country and specialty rolls that have more calories than you realize. These rolls contain oil, flavored mayo and sometimes even tempura batter which are all big no no’s if you are watching your health or your waistline.
So what’s a person to do if you have a passion for sushi? The best thing one can do is make smarter choices. Also don’t be afraid to ask the sushi chef or waitress questions in regards to what ingredients are used in the food you are ordering. It is your right as a customer to be informed. Let’s examine some of the best and the worst things to order at a sushi restaurant or bar.
Chubby choices
1) Tempura Rolls
These deep fried rolls are bad to the bone on many different levels. First of all they are deep fried, second they are rolled in lots of rice, and finally most of these have sauces on top which are not good for you at all. Let’s take a look at the shrimp tempura roll for example. It is made from nori, rice (which contains sugar, salt and vinegar), shrimp, tempura batter, oil from frying, and usually a sauce made with mayo or oil. To make matters worse the nutrition facts are so shocking that it would make your hair on your head stand up. One roll contains 508 calories, a whopping 21 grams of fat, 64 grams of carbohydrates and 20 grams of protein. So the next time you decide to eat sushi and you are trying to watch that waistline, tempura might be something to omit from your meal.
2) Spicy tuna rolls
Believe or not these tasty rolls are not what they appear to be. Most of the time the tuna mixture you find in the roll is mixed with spicy mayo. Always make sure to check this out with your server. Not all restaurants use mayo but a large percentage of them do. One tablespoon of spicy mayo alone is approximately 99 calories and 11 grams of fat. So the average roll contains approximately 400 calories, 11 grams of fat and 30 grams of carbohydrates. After reading that information it is easy to see how this roll falls into the category of chubby choices.
3) Philadelphia rolls
Just when you thought California was special for having its very own roll, move over and give Philadelphia a turn. These rolls contain salmon, cream cheese, nori, rice, cucumber and sometimes even avocado. While these rolls may be yummy, they are not friendly to your tummy. The average philly roll has an estimated 319 calories, 7 grams of fat and 40 grams of carbohydrates. This one roll is enough calories for one meal alone, especially if you try to eat 5 -6 times a day. The problem here is that most people don’t just have one roll. As you can see the calories can add up pretty quickly this way.
There are many other rolls that would easily fall into the “chubby choices” category. These 3 were singled out just to give you an idea of what is really in some of these specialty rolls. Now that we have examined what not to eat at a sushi restaurant, let’s delve into some of the good choices. .jpg)
Slim selections
1) Sashimi
Sashimi is hands down one of the best things to order at a sushi restaurant. It is basically just thin sliced raw fish. It’s a very good source of protein and very low in calories. The average piece of sashimi is approximately anywhere from 30 – 50 calories depending on what type of fish you choose. Salmon is obviously higher in calories and fat but is still a very healthy option. You can still even eat wasabi and ginger with this too. They both are extremely low in calories as well. Wasabi is only 10 calories per teaspoon and ginger is 2 calories per teaspoon. So go ahead and enjoy some sashimi.
2) Vegetable rolls
These little rolls are very delicious and come in a variety of combinations. The most common is the cucumber roll. A cucumber roll typically has approximately 110 calories, 0.5 grams of fat and 25 grams of carbohydrates. Most of the time these rolls do have rice, but because they are made smaller your not eating as much rice this way. So if you’re a vegetarian or raw fish is just not your cup of tea, try a veggie roll and you’ll be addicted to them in a heartbeat.
3) Sushi
As it was mentioned above sushi is not necessarily a bad choice but it does contain rice that is mixed with sugar. The raw fish is also placed on a bed of rice. The only downside to eating sushi is portion control. When you eat too many pieces you will be taking in way too many carbohydrates and sugar and this is definitely not a good thing. The average piece of sushi is approximately 60 calories, 10 grams of carbohydrates and the fat will vary depending on the type of fish you are eating. So if you choose to eat sushi try your best to exercise some good portion control and you will be just fine.
Overall sushi can be very healthy and a good source of nutrition. However it is best to limit how much of it you consume due to the amount of mercury present in fish and some of the caloric amounts found in some types of sushi or specialty rolls. Just try your best to make smarter choices and you will be able to enjoy this delectable Japanese delicacy without guilt or an expanded waistline.
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