The best part about sushi is that you have endless options for how you can order. And while you can absolutely make healthy decisions at the sushi bar, there’s also plenty of battered, mayo-filled and sugar-coated items on the menu.

If you’re tracking your macros and the restaurant doesn’t have nutrition information, we suggest using menu items from Benihana, Ra Sushi or Sushifaq.com. They may not have the exact macros, but estimating is always better than nothing!

 

Start Smart

• Edamame
  These little soybeans are steamed with a touch of salt and are a perfect snack. Half a cup (half the size of your fist) has 9 grams of fiber, 11 grams of protein and 13 grams of carbs. You’ll be surprised by how quickly this power food will fill you up!
• Cucumber or Seaweed Salad
  These low-calorie appetizers can help you fill up so that you’re not starving by the time you dig into the rice rolls! Ask for the dressing on the side and what’s in it to make sure there aren’t hidden oils or sugars.
• Miso Soup
  One cup (the size of your fist) of miso has only around 35 calories, 1 gram of fat, 4 grams of carbs and 2 grams of protein, making this warm, soothing starter a no-brainer!

 

Tips for Macro Friendly Sushi

A great option when looking for less rice is to order your rolls Temaki (hand roll) style. These cone-like rolls are made out of seaweed and wrapped around small amounts of rice and whatever fillings you choose.

Make any roll lower carb:
Get your sushi roll wrapped in cucumber (“naruto style”), nori or soy paper instead of rice. Or take the rice out of half your roll!

Cut back on Fat:
It’s incredibly easy to consume a lot of fat at a sushi restaurant. Now some of that may come from some really good quality sources like salmon, eel or avocado, but there are lots of additional fats that you can easily cut back on like the spicy mayo, cream cheese and deep fried rolls! 

• Use ginger and wasabi to add more flavor to your roll instead of spicy mayo (any roll that’s “spicy” is usually going to come with spicy mayo and can add up to 12grams of fat to your roll);
• Avoid ordering deep fried rolls, choose rolls with tempura or a tempura crunch instead;
• Choose a roll with cream cheese or avocado instead of both.

 

Beware of High sodium sauces:

Sushi restaurants serve their dishes with many high sodium sauces, including soy sauce, eel sauce, and more.

To reduce your salt intake, swap regular soy sauce for low sodium soy sauce and limit your overall intake of salty condiments.

 

Other great options to enjoy:

Sashimi

Raw fish without all the fluff is typically a healthy way to go. Balance your meal out by ordering some steamed vegetables and brown rice. It’s easy to identify the ingredients in sashimi and track the macros if you are doing so.

Nigiri

Still want the rice? We got you! A great option is “Nigiri,” which is thin slices of raw or seared fish served over a small ball of rice.

 

Grilled, Steamed & Raw Proteins

Say “yes” to grilled, steamed and raw proteins. These options are typically 100 percent pure protein and oil-free, so no hidden fats, but we’d suggest asking the server to make sure.

Tip: Instead of making your whole meal sushi, you can always order a healthy roll and ask for a side of protein. This will help satisfy your cravings, but also keep you on track

 

Plan ahead – 

Don’t go hungry – Now this may not work for all of you, but for me and most of my clients, I find that going to a restaurant starving usually results in me going over my macros as my body keeps telling me I need to eat the world! ? I like to plan for a small snack consisting mainly of protein about an hour before leaving the house. That way if others decide to order a starter and I haven’t planned for one, I’m not easily lead astray and persuaded to order a starter too.

Be flexible and find balance – it’s tempting to want to eat every delicious sounding thing off the menu, but remember, there will be more opportunities for you to go out and eat more sushi! You don’t have to have all speciality rolls. Go for one specialty roll and some sashimi and maybe skip the dessert.

Be Prepared for the next day-

If you are weighing yourself daily. Weight will be up likely due to sodium and some extra carbs.  Don’t freak out.  Know and be prepared for this.  It will go down just hydrate well and give it a day or two.

Most of all enjoy your meal with friends or family.  Find a way to balance what you love with what your goals are and you will have a balanced sustainable plan to enjoy sushi for life!!!