As this iconic Japanese dish becomes increasingly popular in Italy, many people are asking the same question: can sushi be part of a balanced diet?
SUSHI AND DIET –
The dilemma arises from the ingredients of sushi: raw fish and, above all, rice. As a cereal rich in carbohydrates, rice is often regarded as a source of calories and fat. One thing should be clarified straight away: carbohydrates are sugars.
They provide calories, but do not contain fat. The fish used in sushi and sashimi is raw and mainly provides protein and unsaturated fats that are valuable to our bodies. Nevertheless, sushi cannot strictly be described as a diet food: even if a roll with fish, seaweed, rice and avocado contains between 150 and 180 calories, sushi is not necessarily low in calories. This is because a sushi meal, whether at a restaurant or as a takeaway, rarely consists of just rice and raw fish.
First, a distinction: sushi should not be confused with sashimi. Sushi consists of the familiar rice-and-fish rolls, sometimes with seaweed, fish roe, pieces of omelette, fried tofu or avocado. Sashimi is essentially raw fish: a kind of fish carpaccio usually eaten on its own or with soy sauce. Assuming the fish is of excellent quality and stored properly, sashimi can be considered a low-calorie food. Sushi, however, is more commonly eaten, and contains rice and other ingredients added during preparation. Some of these are adaptations to Western tastes: mayonnaise and cream cheese, often found on Italian sushi bar menus, are not part of traditional Japanese sushi recipes. They also increase the calorie count. Even if an individual roll, with around 10 grams of rice and 3–5 grams of fish, contains fewer than 100 calories, a whole sushi meal can easily reach or exceed a thousand calories.
Japanese cuisine is not something to eat, but something to look at.
(Jun’ichirō Tanizaki)
IS SUSHI GOOD FOR YOU? –
Why does this happen? First, because sushi is undeniably tasty and appealing, so people tend to eat a lot of it. Plain boiled rice contains 100 calories per 100 grams, and in a complete sushi menu rice makes up three quarters of what is eaten. Of the 12–16 bites that usually make up a portion, fish and seaweed are only a small part, with a relatively modest calorie contribution. Eating only rice and fish would therefore provide calories with very little fat, which is why sushi is often considered a healthy option on paper. In practice, things are more complicated: alongside the fish and rice comes soy sauce, the dark liquid used for dipping and adding flavour. Made by fermenting soybeans, soy sauce has very few calories but is very high in salt. The amount used with a portion of sushi can contribute to exceeding the six grams of salt per day recommended by nutritionists. Too much salt can encourage fluid retention and increase blood pressure.
SUSHI FOR WEIGHT LOSS? –
When eating sushi, people often choose a set menu because it is quicker and cheaper. These menus may include seafood salads, small appetisers, often fried, and miso soup: a broth with seaweed, tofu, vegetables and plenty of salt. Such extras may not fit a weight-loss diet. A meal consisting only of raw fish and boiled rice, without mayonnaise, cream cheese or fried prawns, could be compared with a serving of rice and a fish main course. Rice still counts towards carbohydrate intake, for which each diet has its own guidelines. A tray of sushi for lunch does not automatically cause weight gain, but eating sushi every day, especially with generous amounts of soy sauce and other extras, may lead to gaining a few kilos.
THE BENEFITS OF SUSHI –
As mentioned above, fish, cooked or raw, contains unsaturated fats and omega-3 fatty acids. Carbohydrates should not simply be removed from the diet, even during weight loss, because they contribute to proper nutrition. Traditional sushi also contains no cooking fats. For these reasons, eating sushi can have benefits, as well as the pleasure of enjoying food we like. There are other considerations, however: sushi provides relatively few vitamins and little fibre, so adding fruit and vegetables helps make the meal more balanced. Particular care must be taken with fish: raw fish needs appropriate storage and treatment, including suitable freezing procedures, to reduce the risk of contamination by dangerous parasites.
SUSHI AND THE DUKAN DIET –
Finally, what about the Dukan diet? Can people following the eating plan proposed by French doctor Pierre Dukan eat sushi? The answer is no during the phases that prohibit carbohydrates. The Dukan diet has several phases in which different foods are restricted, and carbohydrates are expressly prohibited in its first two phases. Rice therefore makes sushi unsuitable for those phases. Sashimi is different, provided it consists only of raw fish, perhaps with a little soy sauce. Watch the salt, though!
