Tips for keeping sushi healthy

Since my car is snowed in (still), and my kitchen is empty (still), I ordered sushi for dinner tonight.  From my experience, I always try to make my own meals instead of ordering out to ensure that I know exactly what's in them.  When I do order take-out, for example a sandwich, sometimes I'll say no mayo, etc and put on the light mayo I have at home.

Here are some tips for keeping take-out sushi healthy (cause let's face it...we're not going to be making our own sushi regularly...at least I'm not).

1) Stay away from tempura!

• Tempura is code for battered and deep fried.  Not so good calorie wise at all.  One shrimp tempura roll (only 6 pieces!) is almost 550 calories and 13 grams of fat!  I could easily eat two rolls by myself, so I try and opt for healthier proteins.

Tempura = bad

2) Choose brown rice over white rice.

• Tonight was actually the first time I had tried brown rice with my sushi.  It honestly tasted the same (delicious) and there are a lot of benefits to making this switch. 
• The process that produces brown rice removes only the outermost layer, the hull, of the rice kernel and is the least damaging to its nutritional value. The complete milling and polishing that converts brown rice into white rice destroys 67% of the vitamin B3, 80% of the vitamin B1, 90% of the vitamin B6, half of the manganese, half of the phosphorus, 60% of the iron, and all of the dietary fiber and essential fatty acids. Fully milled and polished white rice is required to be "enriched" with vitamins B1, B3 and iron. Source
• Brown rice, and the consumption of whole grains has been medically proven to help women keep weight off. In fact, in a Harvard Medical School/ Brigham and Women's Hospital study, women eating whole grains were 49% less likely to gain weight than women eating refined grains.  Source

3) Just say no to the cream cheese!

• Although I am from Philadelphia, a Philly roll is not your friend when trying to stay healthy and/or lose weight. 
• Although not all cream cheese is bad (I always use reduced fat at home), Japanese restaurants rarely use a healthier cream cheese and this addition really packs in more calories to the roll.  
• Calories in a Philly roll is 320 calories 5 grams of fat for 6 pieces.

and a little taste of cellulite...

Cream cheese filling inside the roll makes it a Philly roll!  Yummy but not for those who are trying to keep it light!

4)  Say no to making it crunchy

• As you can imagine, making it "crunchy" just adds more unnecessary calories in the form of fried carbs.

5)  Start the meal off with an appetizer

• I always order edamame with my sushi.  Edamame is whole soy beans that are boiled then usually salted and served whole.  Only 120 calories for a half cup of beans!
• There are usually also great soup and salad options to choose from as well which are low calorie sand can also fill you up...miso soup, seaweed salads, etc.  Miso soup = 36 calories for 1 cup, seaweed salad = 70 calories for 2 oz.

6)  Opt for sashimi

• Sashimi is a slice of pure lean protein!  It was about 35 calories and 1 gram of fat per ounce.
• Sometimes I get one roll and then some sashimi to balance it out (get some pure, lean protein) and not eat as much rice while filling up. 

7) The biggest secret: Low sodium soy sauce...it tastes the same!

• I don't really know why low sodium soy sauce isn't just "soy sauce".  If it tastes the same, why not make it the norm? (I suppose some people think the other soy sauce tastes better, but I want to give those people the "Pepsi challenge" and test their pallets)
• More sodium in your diet can cause increased water weight and water retention.

8) Go veggie.

• Veggie sushi rolls are low in calorie and oh so yummy!  Always a good option when the other tips are also followed!

My meal tonight:  Spicy tuna roll and a half with brown rice, edamame, a piece of tuna sashimi and a piece of salmon sashimi.  I ordered from Mizu sushi in Philadelphia.  They have several locations and great inexpensive sushi.

Diet soda in my favorite pill pusher mug!  Yay pharmacy school!

I hope you guys enjoyed my healthy sushi tips!  Please comment and share some of your own healthy sushi tips with me if you have any! 

I will also be hosting another giveaway soon so stay tuned!