Sushi - Yay or Nay?

The other day a client asked me the question, “so what about sushi, is that healthy for me?” And this got me thinking….

Foods should not necessarily be placed in the category of “healthy” or “unhealthy.” I always tell my clients that they should focus on the specific ingredients in their food, rather than the entire meal itself. Now, back to sushi.

If you’re craving sushi, but still looking to maintain your healthy lifestyle, there are rolls you can certainly enjoy, and there are a few rolls you should stay away from.

1.) Stay away from any roll with the word “tempura” in it. Tempura is a fancy word for ‘fried’ and ‘covered in fat.’ If this particular roll sounds appetizing to you, perhaps you can ask the server if they can steam the shrimp, rather than serving it tempura style.

2.) The word “crunchy” is bound to throw you off track! Crunch is fried tempura flakes- therefore, you should try to avoid rolls with this as well.

3.) Avoid anything with spicy mayo. The spicy mayo adds unnecessary calories to your sushi! If you can’t seem to resist, ask them to place the spicy mayo on the side, rather than on top of the roll. In this case, you can now control the amount of spicy mayo that you consume.

4.) Now that restaurants are becoming more health-conscious, certain Japanese restaurants now offer brown rice for their sushi. If your go-to sushi restaurant offers brown rice, jump on the opportunity! The brown rice will offer more vitamins, minerals, and fiber to your sushi roll.

Want more tips and tricks regarding your favorite meals? Schedule your Initial Nutrition Consultation with Nutrition Specialists of New Jersey today!