All About Sushi

Choosing sushi for a meal is usually a healthy choice when you order most sushi or sashimi (sushi means a piece of fish sitting on a rice pillow; sashimi is just the fish, totally naked) or even a sushi roll. As a general rule, the combination of rice (carbohydrate), seaweed (veggie), seafood (protein), and avocado (healthy fat) makes for a low-calorie, high-protein meal that will fill you up and hopefully provide a healthy dose of heart-helpful omega-3 fatty acids.

Sushi can be nutritionally tricky with all of the choices on the menu. Many sushi rolls labeled with the words "spicy", "crunchy", or "special" tend to be covered in sauces, mayo or cream cheese.

While fish is a healthy lean protein, not all the meat is actually "real" - imitation crab comes with only 40% of the protein of the real deal and offers almost no omega-3s.

For anyone who is looking to lean out or is having a low-intensity training day, naruto rolls are an excellent choice.  Ordering a sushi roll “naruto style” means the roll is wrapped in thin slices of cucumber instead of rice.  A typical sushi roll is prepared with one cup of rice, which means three servings of carbohydrates (~45g carbohydrates) and 240 calories.  While naruto rolls are not always listed on the menu, most restaurants will accommodate the request.

Below are some of the most popular sushi rolls & how they can fit into your daily meals depending on training & body composition goals:

Cucumber Roll

136 calories
0 g fat
6 g protein
3.5 g fiber
30 g carbohydrates

It's hard to go wrong with cucumbers and seaweed. Though not a nutritional powerhouse, cucumbers are a low-calorie delivery system for vitamins A and C, fiber, and silica, a compound that has been shown to foster healthy skin.

Good Snack for Easy Training: (1) Cucumber roll + 10-15 almonds

Good Snack for Moderate/Hard Training: (2) Cucumber rolls + ¼ avocado

Tuna Roll

184 calories
2 g fat
24 g protein
3.5 g fiber
27 g carbohydrates

More than half of the calories in this simple, classic roll come from protein, making it a great light meal or a snack with substance.

Meal for Off Day/Easy Training: (2) Tuna Rolls

Meal for Moderate Training: (2) Tuna Rolls + Fruit

California Roll

255 calories
7 g fat
9 g protein (low if imitation crab)
6 g fiber
38 g carbohydrates

There is no raw fish in this roll which makes it good for first-time sushi eaters. There are also no real healthy fats either (aside from the avocado), since the fake crab (made from a variety of processed and compressed fish) has 1/15 the amount of omega-3s as the real stuff. Many places now serve real crab in their rolls so watch for this.

Meal for Off Day/Easy Training: (1) California Roll + Edamame OR Miso Soup

Meal for Moderate/Hard Training: (2) California Rolls

Spicy Tuna

290 calories
11 g fat
24 g protein
3.5 g fiber
26 g carbohydrates

In the world of sushi, "spicy" means a spoonful of mayo spiked with an Asian chili sauce. The calorie counts can climb higher than this, depending on how heavy a hand the sushi chef has with the spicy stuff. For a healthier dose of spice, add extra wasabi to your soy sauce or on top of the roll.

Meal for Off Day/Easy Training: (1) Spicy Tuna Roll + Edamame OR Miso Soup

Meal for Moderate Training: (2) Tuna Rolls + Fruit (No more added fats)

Salmon & Avocado Roll

304 calories
8.5 g fat
13 g protein
6 g fiber
42 g carbohydrates

High in calories, but nearly all of those calories come from the one-two punch of healthy fats found in the salmon and the avocado. This is a great balance for nutrients for a post-workout lunch.

Meal for Off Day/Easy Training: (1) Salmon/Avocado Roll + Avocado Salad Roll (appetizer)

Meal for Moderate/Hard Training: (2) Salmon/Avocado Rolls

Shrimp Tempura Roll

508 calories
21 g fat
20 g protein
4.5 g fiber
64 g carbohydrates

The crunch is usually blocked by the moist rice, so this one doesn't make much sense from either a flavor or a nutritional perspective.

Rainbow Roll

476 calories
16 g fat
33 g protein
6 g fiber
50 g carbohydrates

This roll contains substantial portions of numerous raw fish, avocado & rice so most of the calories are the good kind. The balance of fat, carbohydrate and protein grams are portioned well for an active person.

Meal for Off Day/Easy Training: (1) Rainbow Roll

Meal for Moderate/Hard Training: (1) Rainbow Roll + (1) California Roll

Try sushi for a quick lunch or light dinner this week!