Is sushi healthy?

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  • Ok, my earlier post said I cannot afford to eat out (which is true) but now and again I do like to eat sushi...I just recently discovered that I love it. Anyway, if I get to eat out where I want now and again, I would probably pick a sushi place or maybe seafood.

    MY QUESTION: How healthy is sushi?
  • I think "sushi" isn't specific enough--some kinds of sushi are VERY healthy and some probably less so, depending on how their ingredients mesh with your diet plan.

    For example, you can have a roll with shrimp tempura, fatty eel, sweet sauce, white rice, and lots of high-sodium soy sauce, which doesn't seem too good for you.

    Or, you can pick something healthier, like a brown rice roll with tuna and yellowtail and cucumber, etc. etc. I like to get a big plate of sashimi and a salad.

    I think sushi has the potential to be a super healthy, nutrition-packed meal--or a rather bad one. Depends on what you order, I guess.
  • Ahhhh! the Sushi question. The answer : It depends. Anything with "Dynamite" or "Blazing" in the name means mayo which means calories. I always go for California Rolls or Veggie rolls - they're pretty safe. The plain ol raw fish fillets are good too although I never get up the courage to try it Oh, and of course, soy sauce has uber sodium.

    Yum, I want sushi now!!
  • You can easily make your own sushi. I don't eat meat so I make veggie sushi rolls. Nori wrappers are pretty inexpensive in the store. You can buy some sticky rice like calrose. Add in various veggies. Also buy some wasabi, I don't use soy sauce but I love wasabi on my rolls.
  • Load up on edamame beans before eating sushi! Edamame beans pack an extra punch of protein and plus it's very healthy (it's steamed, although salt is added so just ask for no salt and put your own salt on so it's not too much). This way, if you have an appetizer first, you won't end up eating 2 or 3 rolls.

    I agree with everyone else, make your own sushi if you can but if not, stick to the sashimi rolls and just plain rolls (like tuna or cucumber). Ask for brown rice if you can.
  • I love sushi, but I usually order wakame (a seaweed salad) and octopus, squid, or mixed seafood salad before or with my sushi, because they've got a better carb to calorie ratio (no rice).

    For me though, I can easily overdo sushi, if I'm not careful. Especially since my all-time favorite is smoked eel. The eel is a slightly oilier fish, but that's not the problem it's the soy/sugar barbecue sauce that it's basted with that can be a problem.
  • I usually do california rolls..a place near me is now making with brown rice..mmmm..sushi!
  • I LOVE sushi!

    Like the others have said, it depends on what you order.

    Many rolls are filled with fatty stuff, like tempura and sauces, that add loads of calories and gunk. (But they're so tasty!) If you're looking to stick to the healthiest options, then plain sushi with brown rice is a good way to go.

    And loading up on edamame is a sensible suggestion, but I don't personally like to do that since it makes me really gassy! (I know, TMI! LOL!)
  • I've recently just started munching on edamame as a snack. LOVE IT!
    I'm not huge into sushi. My problem is the texture.. I don't like mushy, rubbery, moist combinations in my mouth. I love the taste of smoked salmon, but I can only eat a little bit at a time or else I start to gag!
    I have been thinking about trying some sushi though. I think next time we go to eat at a wegman's I will try some..
    So how exactly do you make a sushi roll??
    I think I'll have to try some already made sushi to see if I like it before I get into making it!
  • http://www.makemysushi.com/how_to_make_sushi.html
  • it can be if you can control your rice intake
    If it wasn't for the rice and tempura, Sushi would be extremely healthy
    Just avoid eating anything oily
  • I think fairly healthy - rice and fish, come on...
  • The protein part is definitely healthy and offers Omega-3 fatty acids which is essential to combating toxic fat and inflamation in the body.
    I usually order a small salad and a cup of soup before the sushi feast begins. :-)
  • Asking whether sushi is healthy, is a bit like asking whether sandwiches are healthy. They can be, but it really depends on the filling - and that's just as true with sushi.

    I can't remember the title of the book (it's still packed up from the move), but I bought a little pocket guide to sushi (in fact, I think pocket guide is part of the title). There are also good online guides to sushi (I printed one, but that's also in the packing boxes) I just googled "sushi guide."

    That helped alot because knowing the sushi lingo helped me select better choices. There are even calorie estimations for the different types of sushi (I just googled "sushi calories"), and I printed those too.

    I usually take the folder of printouts and the pocket guide with me to the restaurant. It probably looks like I'm studying for an exam, not reading a menu - but the wait staff are usually relieved that they're not going to have to spend twenty minutes translating the menu for me. I love restaurants that have photo menus, but they're not that common, so a pocket reference or at least a cheat-sheet really comes in handy.
  • Most aspects of sushi are very healthy:

    - raw fish sushi
    - sashimi
    - seaweed

    But some are unhealthy:

    tempura
    eel
    sauces
    spicy mayo

    I don't worry about it too much. I have a spicy salmon roll, 3-4 pieces of raw fish sushi, and a couple of pieces of shumai and I'm good. Thank goodness I'm not attracted to those fancy rolls with the goopy sauces and all the fried stuff.