What’s (good) on the menu: Sushi edition

Today, we’re launching a new SG feature we’re incredibly excited about. Every few weeks, New York nutritionist Stephanie Middleberg will be taking us through the paces of a specific cuisine or type of meal (be it dinner out or cooking alone). Our goal? To dig in and uncover the best-tasting, most satisfying ways to eat great food healthily. Launching the experiment, we went for a the big fish–literally– heading to East Coast chain Haru for a sushi feast. What follows is Stephanie’s playlist of tips and advice. We tried it all, and were blown away.

  1. Size matters: “Sushi is actually one of my clients’ biggest pitfalls,” says Middleberg. “We eat with our eyes more often than our stomach and sushi tends to appear small visually. But if you look at how sushi is made, much of it involves rolling large amounts food into very compact, bite sized-portions. If you’ve ever tried taking apart a roll, for example, you’ll remember suddenly having heaps of rice and ingredients all over the place.” All in all, one roll actually contains about a half cup of rice (which in itself amounts to somewhere between 175 to 200 calories). Add in the fish and vegetables, and you can count on two rolls measuring in at about 500 calories. Middleberg’s strategy? Order just one, then branch out to other things.

2. A few words on rolls with brown vs. white rice: Both kinds of rice have the same number of calories and carbohydrates. From a pure health perspective, brown rice does still come out ahead, though. It’s less processed and therefore higher in nutrients, especially fiber, which will be better absorbed into your bloodstream (read: less likely to be stored as fat) and keep you feeling full longer. However, especially if you’re sticking to just one roll, Middleberg says you’re absolutely okay going for whichever of the two you actually prefer.

3. Try a sashimi roll: “I tell clients who like the concept of eating rolls, or need a little help easing their way into getting more sashimi onto their plates to try a sashimi cucumber roll,” says Middleberg. These typically contain sashimi and avocado wrapped in cucumber, making for a great crunch/creamy texture contrast. Cucumbers, in addition, are a good source of vitamin A, potassium, fiber, and sterols (which have been known to lower cholesterol).

 

4. First place isn’t always best: “Because sushi is considered finger food, we tend to eat it exceptionally fast. Sashimi in particular comes in such long strips, it’s easy to take in a lot very quickly,” Middleberg explains. She stresses breaking those bigger pieces up, trying to really savor each bite, and being mindful of not racing against your dinner companions. You can always order more. “Additionally, aim to finish an entire glass of water during the meal,” she says. “This will not only slow down your intake—helping you feel fuller because your body has time to absorb the calories it’s taken in—it will also help you avoid feeling bloated from all the sodium you’re getting in the soy sauce.”

5. Know the code words: When it comes to rolls, “spicy” means “they’ve mixed the fish with mayonnaise,” while “crunchy” is “tempura all the way.” On the healthier side of things—and to keep the game going—“sunomono” is “seafood in vinegar sauce,” “oshitashi” is “steamed spinach with soy sauce,” and “oshinko” is “pickled vegetables.”

6. Sake is not wine: Sake contains twice the number of calories as wine. One ounce sake contains 39 calories. Wine, by contrast, contains about 20 calories per ounce. Worth taking into account, too: Sake is considerably higher in alcohol than is wine (18-20 percent versus 12-13 percent).

7. Good things to know about edamame: Soy is, indeed, thought to have some great properties. People who eat soy tend to live longer and have fewer signs of dementia, a recent study found, and it’s been shown to increase antioxidant properties in the liver as well as lower cholesterol. Because it can be so fun to mindlessly eat it, use this as a rule of thumb: Four ounces will set you back 170 calories and six grams of fat. Alternatively, you can think: Ten pods has 29 calories and 1.5 grams of fat.

8. Don’t be a dipping champ: “We tend to create a sushi bath and drench our sushi in soy sauce which not only high in sodium but destroys the taste,” says Middleberg. Moreover, we often carry this behavior over to the ginger dressing we get with our salad and some rolls. It’s still salad dressing—a small serving of just 2 tbsp can equal around 100 calories, and can sometimes climb right up there with the fat content. Bottom line: Go for low-sodium soy sauce, keep the salad dressing to a light drizzle, and crank up the taste by mixing both with some wasabi.

9. A few great fish to try: Fish is low in fat and calories, and high in protein, iron, and omega-3. Here, the Washington State Department of Health has constructed a great list to show which fish are heart-healthy and low in mercury. Additionally, to make your meal as good for the planet as possible, we’re including this sustainable fish guide, one that Middleberg often recommends to her clients.