We are living in a generation where people are so aware of their health and wellness it’s far easier to make the right food choices. However within these right choices there are still options that let us down. Today I want to talk about the Sushi sensation that has taken over our traditional Sunday night pizza takeaway!! Is eating sushi healthy?

Growing up in Australia, Sunday night was always pizza night. It was our treat night. I knew what I was getting involved with. High calorie, high saturated fat, carbohydrate dense, greasy Sunday night comfort food. And that’s ok because I had planned for the excessive eating. However there is a new sensation that has taken over the take away world. Its sushi, and depending on how you play it, it can either be very healthy, packed with good fats and a low in sugar meal, or it can be just as calorie dense as the old school pizza!!

Is eating sushi healthy?

So does sushi fit in with your nutritional goals? Absolutely it can. But, proceed with caution. There can be a lot of diversity with the calories you’re consuming depending on whether you order sashimi, sushi or a sushi roll. That’s rule number one. The second rule is, people get lost with the volume of sushi that you can order and eat. So remember portion control!

Sashimi (just fish) sits at the top of the pyramid. No hidden calories, good fats, no sugar. Simple right? Slight problem. Most people don’t like the taste of raw fish so we need to mask it with other ingredients. This is where it starts to be a problem. Now enter sushi, this has rice as well as the fish. . While it is true there is very little fat in the rice there is sugar and sometimes vinegar.

Finally the most calorie dense item is the sushi roll. Packed full of fats, carbohydrates and protein. A roll will often be made up of four to five ingredients and each roll could have in excess of 350kcals (I’m making the assumption that there a 6 pieces in the roll). Have four of these and you can see how the meal is now a 1400kcal plus meal. Compare this to salmon sashimi at 45kcals a piece and you can now see that unless you eat 31 pieces of salmon sashimi you will not come close to the calories that the four rolls give you.

Hidden Calories

Most rolls include ingredients such as mayonnaise, tempura, avocado, fish and the rice. You may say to yourself its ok I’m ordering a fireman roll and it’s healthy because of the Tuna and mango but you really are entering dangerous territory. The fireman roll also has spicy mayonnaise, mango, tempura, avocado and very little tuna. (It’s a lot harder to kid yourself when eating a slice of pizza!)

Summary

If you are on a weight loss regime then be careful about the choices you make when ordering sushi. Sashimi is by far the easiest to know the calories you are consuming and in keeping with a weight loss plan. Just remember, sashimi is packed full of healthy fats (fat is still more calorie dense then carbohydrates so keep this in mind. 1g of fat= 9kcals). In second comes sushi and in last position are the rolls. If you’re looking to lose weight for the summer and have that flat stomach then the only real option when it comes to sushi is sashimi. Once you have ordered this the next step is to display portion control. Sashimi/sushi can be eaten in one mouthful, therefore, chew your food, sip on water and eat slowly! I would advise not to exceed 12 pieces! If you’re out with friends plate up first so you are aware about how many pieces you have taken! Finally there is soya sauce. Soya sauce is full of SALT. One tablespoon is the equivalent to 13% of your daily requirement of sodium. Don’t drown you sushi in this, instead dip your sushi into it

At the end of the day everything in moderation is fine for you. Just don’t try and kid yourself that you are ordering the healthy option by putting away 3-4 rolls.