Confessions of a Sushi Virgin

Confession: Until a couple of months ago I. HATED. SUSHI.

Mom always told me, “Hate is a strong word,” so, sorry Ma, but it’s true. I saw it as slimy and salty (no denying that!) and never understood the appeal of eating something that tastes like the ocean. 

Well, I APOLOGIZE sushi lovers. You know what they say when you make ASSumptions right?  

And a HUGE assumption I made.

Because here’s the thing — I never even TRIED sushi before declaring it inedible…

(GASP!)

Aside from having a fear of Japanese restaurants because they’re filled with sesame seeds (one of my several food allergies), I honestly wasn’t even open to trying a piece of slimy raw fish! I mean, I love lox…but that’s the only raw fish I’ll eat and it belongs on a bagel!

Well so long dinners of sitting at the end of a big table eating a bland bowl of brown rice and edamame at a friend’s birthday dinner!

I recently decided to step out of my comfort zone (which, if you know me, can be extremely difficult when it comes to food…probably because of the mental games my food allergies have played in my head…but I’m not making excuses or anything…), and I actually really enjoyed my sushi-perience! I let all nutrition knowledge I’ve accumulated float out of my brain and just ate what my sushi-tour guide told me to (within my allergen-limits, of course!).

The next day, I woke up thinking about how pleasantly surprised I was with my dinner and got thinking about it from a nutritional perspective (duh, it’s what I do!).

Sushi CAN be a very healthy meal. Roll up some veggies, lean fish, brown rice, and seaweed. Viola! A perfect combo of complex carbs + lean protein to keep you full (do I sound like a broken record yet??). But is this really what we’re eating? 

Your typical fancy sushi roll can pack in 500 calories…and most people don’t just eat ONE roll!

Let’s break it down!

The Starters: 

Miso Soup with Tofu: Your average cup contains under 100 calories & a good amount of protein (8g), but you’ll be slurping (hopefully not too loudly!) about 800mg of sodium!! And that’s before you dunk your sushi in sodium-filled soy sauce! (FYI- Sans tofu, a cup of miso soup has about 40 calories, 2g protein, and 630mg sodium.

Edamame: These green beans are unprocessed soybeans. A ½ cup serving, in the pods, provides 75 calories, 2.3g fat, 3g fiber, 6g protein. Ask your server to lightly salt or omit the salt dusting on top to make this an excellent way to start your meal! Order for 2, please!

The Main Event: 

Seaweed: I’ve spoken about the health benefits of seaweed consumption before, but here’s a refresher: You’ll consume iodine, soluble fiber, protein, and omega 3s!

Brown rice: If you opt for brown rice instead of white you’ll eat 3.5g fiber and  5g protein for 215 calories (per cup) versus 267 calories for no fiber and 5g protein.

Lean fish: A 3 oz piece of tuna sashimi contains 60 calories and 21g protein…the healthiest sushi option out there!

Tempura-anything: I don’t need to give you the details… you know that fried-anything does nothing to benefit your health…so stay away from ‘crispy!’ But it is yummmm…(moderation, please!)

Spicy mayo: According to various sources, a tablespoon of spicy mayo contains 100 calories and 11g fat, with little other beneficial nutrition. And it’s likely there’s more than one tablespoon in your rolls.

Ask for the spicy mayo ON THE SIDE or opt for low-cal WASABI with the avocado in your roll for the same spicy/creamy effect!

Soy sauce: A tablespoon of soy sauce may only have 11 calories, but it packs over 1,000mg of sodium! That’s just about all we should be consuming in a day! Be sure to ask for the lower-sodium version…but don’t be fooled because it still has just under 600mg!

Stats on some of your favorite rolls: 

California Roll: 266 calories, 8.5g fat (some healthy from avocado!), 6g fiber, 9g protein

Avocado Roll: 140 calories, 5.5g fat (healthy from avocado), 6g fiber, 2g protein

Spicy Tuna Roll: 290 calories, 11g fat, 3.5g fiber, 24g protein

Shrimp Tempura Roll: 544 calories, 13g fat, 4.5g fiber, 20g protein

I didn’t tell you all of this so you abstain from sushi…let’s be realistic!!! I just think we should be educated consumers, so enter that sushi restaurant with eyes wide open & enjoy your meal (and if you’re feeling a bit bloated the next day, you’ll know why!)!

If you want more nutritional stats about sushi, click here!