Japanese people have one of the long life expectancies in the world, and their diet contributes to their longevity. One of their staple foods in Japan is sushi. It is a traditional dish of seasoned short grain rice cooked in vinegar and served with ingredients and toppings such as vegetables, fish, or seafood.
Sushi is familiar to the American food scene either. The number of Japanese food restaurants in the United States has steadily increased over the past decade, and he now has over 28,000 restaurants in the United States.
Here’s a bit more about sushi, the health benefits of eating it, sushi diets, nutritionist-recommended tips for ordering healthier, and what to look for on a menu.
What is Sushi?
Rice is a common ingredient in all types of sushi except sashimi. Rice is prepared with vinegar and other spices to keep it in shape. Sushi comes in many forms: maki rolls with rice, seaweed, and various ingredients (usually vegetables or seafood).
Nigiri
Temaki, hand rolls filled with rice and fish or vegetables using seaweed (aka seaweed) as a wrap. Even if you’ve never had sushi, it’s never too late to try this delicious food and discover its nutritional benefits. If you already love sushi, you’ll want to know more about why sushi is good for you.
Sushi Nutrition
Traditional rolls are typically 20-28 calories. For example, depending on the ingredients, one slice of vegetable roll (20g) is 20kcal, and one slice of tuna roll (30g) is 29kcal. One salmon nigiri (35g) has 37kcal, and one slice of salmon sashimi (1oz) has 36kcal.
Sushi’s health benefits come from its two ingredients: fish and seaweed.
Fish
Sushi is a great way to get lean protein for fish lovers, but if you’re a vegetarian or vegan, enjoy sushi made with vegetable proteins such as tofu to help you get your day going. You can also meet the recommended protein intake.
American Heart Association recommends eating at least two servings per week of cooked fish, especially fatty fish like salmon. Fish contains more vitamin D and B12 than any other food and is also a source of important vitamins such as selenium, zinc, and iodine.
Seaweed
If you choose maki or temaki, you can enjoy the dark purple seaweed covering the rice and bean paste. You might get surprised to learn that this type of seaweed contains iodine, an essential nutrient for making thyroid hormones that control your body’s metabolism.