By Jennipher Walters for FitBottomedGirls.com
Sushi can be a fabulously healthy meal — if you stick to the right fare and have a game plan. (Key word there being “if.”) As a general rule, the authentic stuff is the best. So if it sounds like a frat boy named it (think: Santa Maria’s Suicide Roll, The Blur Roll or Acid Drops — all real names from real restaurants, mind you), you should probably stay away from it as they usually include more American ingredients such as mayo, cream cheese or something fried. Here are more tips for eating healthy at a sushi restaurant!
A Healthy Eating Sushi Game Plan
Get an appetizer or two. Go hog wild by ordering not one, but two appetizers. Edamame is my first choice because it’s really good for you, and it’s fun to eat. (127 cals, 6 grams of good fat and 4 grams of fiber in a 1/2 c. of shelled edamame). Miso soup is a close second with a yummy flavor and only about 50 cals per 1 cup.
Roll it on up. My faves are spicy tuna rolls, cucumber rolls and any type with salmon (omega-3s, woo-hoo!). Most of these contain about 200-300 calories per roll, and cucumber rolls clock in at only 130 calories per roll. In addition, many sushi joints have brown rice available, upping the nutritional quality of your meal, and most restaurants are happy to decrease the amount of rice used, you just have to ask. If you’re tempted to get the higher-cal stuff, go ahead, but pick one or two rolls to splurge on and split it with a couple of pals. (I’m a total sucker for spider rolls, so if you’re going to indulge, I suggest those!)
Try sashimi. Since sashimi is just rare fish over rice, ask what the freshest fish is and go with that. Fattier fish like salmon will have more calories and fat, but it’s all good stuff, so don’t worry about it; just keep your portion sizes in check and listen to your hunger. Yellowfin tuna sashimi is only listed at about 100 calories for three pieces.
Do sake OR dessert. When dining out, I usually pick either sake or dessert. Some days, a good house sake does the trick and others days mochi ice cream is all I can think about. Just an ounce of sake has about 40 cals and mochi ice cream (golf-ball sized mixtures of rice starch and ice milk) has about 100 calories per ball. So, pick your splurge and savor it.
Do you like sushi? What’s your favorite fare? And, when it comes to sake vs. dessert what do you say: Sake it to me or mo mochi, please?
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