All Hail Sushi

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Don't be scared. She won't bite.

Also known as: Nigiri, Maki

Likes: The freshest of seafood, wasabi

Dislikes: The unappreciative diner, too much soy sauce

Hobbies: Entertaining diners with beautiful presentations and subtle flavors, thrilling the more adventurous eaters with some of her unusual ingredients

Find her: In her namesake Sushi bars around the world, her favorite place to be found, being painstakingly prepared by her very own specially trained chefs

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Sushi is light and fresh with an elegant sophistication that has earned her scores of admirers around the world in recent years.  With origins in Japan in approximately the 16th century, she did not roll onto the worldwide stage until the last several decades.  While she originally was the meal of choice only for a select and sophisticated few, today she has come to be appreciated by a majority both for her variety and her health benefits.

With the popular belief that Sushi is always “healthy,” you may think you can’t go wrong with her, but choose carefully when faced with the menu at your local Asian restaurant to ensure health benefits without added fat or calories:

Bring on the seafood – This main ingredient in Sushi is again and again proven to dish up high levels of essential omega-3 oils with low levels of saturated fat.  Opt for fresh seafood instead of the tempura-fried seafood choices that can be high in saturated fat.

Look for veggies – Often veggies like cucumber, seaweed, asparagus, sprouts and carrot are an integral part of Sushi.  These high vitamin, high mineral and high fiber ingredients are always a good addition to your healthy diet.  Enjoy other high calorie ingredients like avocado in moderation to get health benefits while maintaining a healthy weight.

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Choose your Rice – For the most nutrition, choose brown rice whenever possible.  This whole grain provides more vitamins, minerals and fiber than its refined counterpart.

Skip the high fat additions – Sauces with a mayonnaise base and cream cheese filling used in popular rolls can be high in calories and fat without a nutritional payoff.

Limit or dilute soy sauce to control sodium – If you are concerned about sodium intake, use soy sauce in moderation or dilute for flavor with less sodium.