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Sushi - Safety & Calories

Reader Alan-Scott Majeski asked about the safety of and calories in sushi.

Good question!    This is a discussion that has taken place several times in this household.  My son Mark believes sushi is manna from heaven, more or less.  He's been known to eat so much of it at one sitting, with fiery wasabi and all the trimmings, that the Japanese restaurant owners were profoundly impressed, sort of "adopted" him and began inviting him into the kitchen to eat with the family.   I won't eat it, myself.  

Part of my problem is that I have dressed out many a fish that had live parasites.  Second, I'm a little suspicious of fish anyway  (although I realize it is one of the healthiest forms of protein)  because of the incredible pollution being poured into our streams, lakes and oceans, which then becomes concentrated in the bodies of the fish we eat.  It has to stop, or we'll completely poison our oceans and ultimately ourselves.  It's not necessary; there's other alternatives.  But I realize the benefits of eating fish outweigh the risks.  See Ten Commandments for Eating Fish.   See more at our sushi forum.

Millions of people eat sushi every day, and I'll have to admit that the vast majority never get sick from it.  As to the nutritional values, that depends on the individual ingredients.   Here's an estimate of nutrients from EatSushi.com:   

"Not only is sushi full of protein and low in fat, but it also contains B-vitamins, minerals like selenium, and Omega 3 fatty acids.  Omega 3's are extremely valuable, as they help keep a healthy heart.  The seaweed is rich in Vitamin A, iodine, and contains other vitamins and minerals.  Also most sushi (a four ounce serving) contains fewer than 200 calories, with the average piece being a mere 50 calories." 

A Report of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2000, issued a warning against eating raw fish and other seafood for persons at special risk, including:

• Pregnant women 
• Young children 
• Older persons 
• People with weak immune systems 

Incidentally, wasabi, that incredibly hot sauce often served with sushi, has excellent health benefits too, and recently was even discovered to have protective effects against tooth decay!

Here's some sources of information:

• Sushi Education Video from Pepperjam
• Frequently Asked Questions from StickyRice.com
• Sushi:  A Healthy Choice? from ParentsPlace

You can even learn to make your own sushi:

• Rolling Your Own Sushi by Mark Hutchenreuther
• How to Make Sushi Rolls from Stash Tea
  (This site provides recipes including instructions for making sticky rice.)
• Learn2 Make Sushi from Learn2.com

So, if you enjoy sushi and don't have any risk factors, pig out!  It's a nutritious.  But personally,   I'll stick with cooked fish.

See Fuller Brush

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