Few foods feel as much like an experience as sushi. Whether it arrives on a beautifully arranged platter, is made in the comfort of your home or comes packed in a takeout container, sushi has become a go-to choice for date nights, special celebrations and even quick, healthy lunches.
Its popularity is easy to understand as sushi has “a light, fresh taste, but is still very satisfying,” says Bonnie Taub-Dix, a registered dietitian nutritionist and author of “Read It Before You Eat It − Taking You from Label to Table.” And its seemingly endless varieties also offer different flavors and textures to enjoy, along with “the social experience of sharing and exchanging our favorite types,” she adds.
Even better, sushi often contains nutrient-rich fish,
seaweed and important nutrients in vegetables − though not every roll is equally healthy. Here’s what sushi is, how it may benefit your overall health and why you still don’t want to overdo it.
What is sushi?
Sushi is a Japanese dish built around specially prepared vinegared rice that’s “served with ingredients such as fish, vegetables, avocado or egg,” Taub-Dix says. She explains that the rice − not raw fish, as is commonly believed − is the defining component of the dish, which is generally seasoned with rice vinegar, salt and sugar before being paired with or rolled around other ingredients.
Sushi’s earliest roots can be traced to a method of preserving fish in fermented rice that spread through parts of Southeast Asia and later Japan before the technique eventually evolved into the freshly prepared dish so many enjoy today.
Abbie Gellman, a registered dietitian and New York City-based chef, explains that several major dish styles now fall under the sushi umbrella, with maki being the rolled variety most familiar to Americans. It contains rice and fillings wrapped in seaweed and sliced into rounds, resulting in popular roll options such as California, spicy tuna and lobster rolls.
Another popular style, called uramaki, reverses that arrangement by placing the rice outside the seaweed, while temaki is shaped into a handheld cone.
Nigiri is another variety, consisting of a small mound of rice with a piece of raw or cooked seafood or egg placed on top, Gellman says. And while it is often grouped with sushi, sashimi has no rice and consists only of thinly sliced, raw − or occasionally cooked − fish or seafood, and is therefore not technically sushi, she says.
Is sushi good for you?
Regardless of how it is formed or rolled, sushi can be highly nutritious, particularly when it is kept relatively simple and contains fish, vegetablesand other nutrient-rich ingredients.
Fish and seafood such as shrimp are other valuable ingredients, Taub-Dix says, because they provide complete protein, which supports muscle maintenance and growth as well as tissue repair. Gellman adds that fatty fish such as salmon and Atlantic mackerel contain omega-3 fatty acids that support heart and brain health and play a role in regulating inflammation.
Fish also “supplies vitamin D, vitamin B12 and selenium,” Taub-Dix adds. Vitamin D supports bone, muscle and immune health, while vitamin B12 is needed to maintain healthy nerve and blood cells. Selenium helps protect cells from oxidative damage and supports thyroid function.
And Nori, the dried seaweed used in many rolls, supplies iodine, which the body needs to produce thyroid hormones that regulate metabolism. This is one reason the National Institutes of Health lists seaweed and seafood among the best dietary sources of iodine, though Taub-Dix cautions that the amount used in sushi “can vary widely.”
Gellman adds that rolls containing vegetables such as avocado, cucumber, carrots and asparagus have the added benefit of providing varying amounts of vitamins A, C and K and folate, along with minerals such as potassium, magnesium and manganese. Collectively, these nutrients support functions ranging from immune health, vision and blood clotting to blood pressure regulation and bone health. "Vegetables also add fiber,” she says, which supports digestive health, helps regulate blood sugar and contributes to a longer-lasting feeling of fullness.
Still, the nutritional quality of sushi varies considerably, and “the word ‘sushi’ does not automatically mean ‘healthy,’” Taub-Dix says. “What’s inside it and on top of it matters.”
Can you eat sushi every day?
Despite so many potential upsides, moderation is still key. One reason is that “some specialty rolls are fried, covered in creamy sauces or are large enough to be several servings,” Taub-Dix says. “And between the seasoned rice, fried oil or these sauces, fat content and added sugars can add up quickly.”
Specialty rolls may also contain cream cheese and mayonnaise, which can further increase their calorie and saturated-fat content. And sushi is commonly dipped in soy sauce, “which is very high in sodium, so using a low-sodium variety can be helpful or watching overall how much you may be using,” Gellman says.
Mercury is another important consideration, Taub-Dix says, because exposure to high levels of mercury can damage the brain and nervous system, posing particular risks for certain groups of people. But mercury levels vary substantially by species and popular sushi ingredients such as salmon and shrimp are generally lower in mercury, while bigeye tuna and king mackerel contain much higher levels. In fact, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s fish guidance categorizes seafood according to mercury levels and provides recommendations for pregnant or breastfeeding women and young children.
Raw seafood can also carry harmful bacteria or parasites to be mindful of. Although reputable restaurants reduce the risk through proper sourcing, freezing, storage and handling, no raw fish is completely risk-free. “So those with weak immune systems or pregnant women should avoid all raw seafood and meat and opt for cooked items and vegetables only,” Gellman advises. Adults 65 and older and children under 5 also face a greater risk of serious foodborne illness and should exercise similar caution.
For most healthy adults, though, sushi can fit comfortably into a balanced diet a couple of times per week or even more often when the fish, ingredients and preparation methods are varied. Choosing lower-mercury seafood, cooked options, vegetable-filled rolls and lighter sauces − and going easy with the soy sauce − can make sushi meals especially nutritious.
Because, in the end, "sushi is one dish where you really can balance your meal,” says Taub-Dix, “if you choose its contents wisely.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Here’s when sushi is healthy, and when it’s not
