Health Food Imposters - Sushi

I love sushi. It's one type of food that when I haven't had it for a while I begin to crave and find myself sitting on my couch watching Japanese game shows sniffing the soy sauce from my refrigerator to make believe I am at Katsuya. Unfortunately sushi is pretty expensive, so it's not very often I get to eat it. Sigh. But as it turns out, it's probably good that I don't eat it all that often because although it can be considered to be a healthy well rounded meal, it isn't always, and if you don't know what to order, just one of those little rolls could sabotage your fat loss efforts and see you packing on the pounds faster than ever. That's right, sushi is another Healthy Boy Health Food Imposter... at least some of the rolls anyway. Check it out.

When you think of sushi, you think of healthy slices of raw fish, with a small amount of rice, rolled up in some nutritious seaweed paper. That's not so bad is it? A lean protein with some healthy carbs and some nutrient packed seaweed. Well it isn't...if that's where it ended. However sushi has become so diverse and flamboyant over recent years that those are not the only ingredients. Sushi now comes packed with fatty mayonnaise, artery clogging fried fats, and sugar laced white rice that make it tastier, and unhealthier, than ever.

So how do you know what pieces of sushi are the healthy ones and which ones are likely to widen your waistline? Well when looking at a sushi menu, there are a few things you should look out for:



"Spicy" generally means that the roll combines hot chili sauce mixed in with some fattening mayonnaise.
"Crispy" indicates that a portion of the roll, such as the meat or the onions on top of it, have been fried in fattening oils, giving your roll a huge increase in extra calories
"Tempura" is just a fancy name for deep fried. They dip that shrimp or vegetables in fattening batter then deep fry it making that roll about as healthy as a french fry.

Lets take a look at some of our favorite sushi rolls, how many calories are in each and which ones are wont see you turning into a pudgy roll yourself this summer;

Cucumber Roll

One of the lowest calorie rolls available, and the cucumber provides you with a healthy dose of silica for healthy skin, hair and nails and potassium to reduce blood pressure

Calories: 136
Fat: 0g
Protein: 6g
Carbohydrates: 30g





Avocado Roll

Another low calorie option with a healthy dose of monounsaturated fats from the avocado that has been shown to reduce cholesterol.

Calories: 140
Fat: 6g
Protein: 2g
Carbohydrates: 28g



Tuna Roll

An excellent source of muscle building lean protein that will keep you full.

Calories: 184
Fat: 2g
Protein: 24g
Carbohydrates: 27g




California Roll

The crab in this roll can be imitation, so request the real stuff.

Calories: 255

Fat: 7g

Protein: 9g

Carbohydrates: 38g

Spicy Tuna Roll

Not the best option as it can contain a big dollop of fattening mayonnaise. Request the roll without it.

Calories: 290

Fat: 11g

Protein: 24g

Carbohydrates: 26g

Philadelphia Roll

Philadelphia is known for cream cheese and cheese steaks. Neither are friendly to your waistline

Calories: 290

Fat: 12g

Protein: 14g

Carbohydrates: 28g

Salmon and Avocado Roll

A higher calorie option, however they are good calories coming from the Omega 3s in the salmon and monounsaturated fats in avocado.

Calories: 304

Fat: 9g

Protein: 13g

Carbohydrates: 42g

Eel and Avocado Roll

The thought of Eel makes me want to squirm. It is healthy however, but these rolls get smothered in a sugary sauce that turns it into fattening meal.

Calories: 372

Fat: 17g

Protein: 20g

Carbohydrates: 31g

Rainbow Roll

Higher in calories but are good calories from the muscle building protein in the fish.

Calories: 476
Fat: 16g
Protein: 33g
Carbohydrates: 50g



Shrimp Tempura Roll

Higher in calories and one of the worst options for your waistline. Tempura = lathered in fattening batter and deep fried.

Calories: 508

Fat: 21g

Protein: 20g

Carbohydrates: 64g

Other than some of the healthier rolls, you can also be making some wiser choices which will fill you up and not interfere with your fat loss efforts. Here are some that the Japanese actually prefer and have been eating for centuries for numerous health benefits:

Sashimi

Sashimi are thinly sliced pieces of raw fish. All lean protein, minimal calories and no carbohydrates. A great healthy alternative to traditional sushi rolls.









Nigiri

Nigiri are pieces of raw fish on top of small bundles of hand clumped mounds of rice.







Yakitori

Yakitori are chicken, beef, pork or shrimp skewers normally offered as appetizers. They are a great start to your meal by offering you a lean protein with little fat, carbohydrates or calories.










There are numerous benefits of choosing the right roll or right piece of sushi, and it can be a perfect snack or meal for the health conscious individual. The benefits of consuming healthier rolls, Sashimi and Nigri can include:

- Healthy dose of Omega 3 fatty acids for health skin and brain function
- No Cholesterol
- Antioxidants, vitamins and minerals from the fish and seaweed that have anti aging and anti cancer properties
- Lean protein for muscle growth
- Fish contains large does of Vitamin E that has been shown to reduce cardiovascular disease and cholesterol

Keep an eye on the amount of soy sauce you are dipped your rolls in. Just a dash in that little bowl next to your dish can have over 2000mg of sodium, which is nearly one day's worth of salt consumed in one sitting. Ask your server for reduced sodium sauce (which most sushi restaurants provide these days) or just make sure you are keeping an eye on your portion sizes and not drowning your roll in buckets of sauce.

Oh and that small appetizer salad that you order with that yummy ginger dressing? Not so good for your hips either. One small serving can have over 200 calories just from the dressing alone.

Now my regular readers will also remember my aversion to eating white rice. White rice is considered a refined carbohydrate because it has been stripped of nutrients due to a bleaching process to make the texture more light and fluffy. Where possible, always request brown rice. It's the healthier whole food option and contains more fiber and wont cause any of those nasty insulin spikes that can lead to weight gain. Unfortunately brown rice is not always available, but don't let this deter you from eating sushi - the rice is normally in small portions and it is still a healthier option than that burger and fries you were contemplating inhaling at lunch.

If you are watching your calories and carbohydrate consumption, always feel free to ask your server or sushi chef whether you can have the roll sans rice or with a smaller amount of rice than they would normally use. Most restaurants are very accommodating of this.

So when you venture to your local sushi restaurant for a lunch time snack or a quick and tasty dinner, always make sure you are considering the healthier options and avoiding any of the nasty fat inducing fried items or rolls containing large amounts of muffin top inducing mayonnaise or cream cheese. Make the right choices and you can still enjoy a tasty meal without any of the guilt.

Healthy Boy x