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How healthy a food is sushi?

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I would say it's pretty healthy. Sushi is not something people eat 3 times a day, and if we keep it, and all things in moderation, we can live pretty healthily.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Don't know. Has protein and starch but not sure about minerals and vitamins.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

It's polished white rice, sugar and dead fish. Not a veggie in sight, apart from the occasional bit of cucumber.

The only healthy bit is the vinegar and the seaweed.

When we have it at home I add in grilled paprika, avocado and radish sprouts as a replacement for the dead fish, but even then, as Maria says, it's not something you'd want to eat 3 times a day.

-3 ( +6 / -9 )

Cleo- got something against dead fish, trying to make it sound distasteful? The fish part of it at least is a good source of lean protein.

You need that stuff to be healthy to. Just because there is not a veggie in sight, doesn't mean it is unhealthy. There would be some angry kids in the house if momma Tokyo tried to full a fast one like switching out the fish for dead plant matter on the family, how sad...

8 ( +10 / -2 )

Eating a variety of fresh fish and other seafood is definately healthy. Actually, sushi at home here in Japan often includes many types of vegetables in roll sushi. Seaweed of is chock full of minerals. Ever seen iodised salt for sale in Japan?

1 ( +2 / -1 )

The sushi "chef?" looked like I slapped him in the face and said something to the effect "how/why the hell should I know that."

Good on him. I'd have asked "Do I look like a freakin nutritionist??"

0 ( +2 / -2 )

There would be some angry kids in the house if momma Tokyo tried to full a fast one like switching out the fish for dead plant matter

lol Actually sushi is the one dish Mr cleo refuses to follow me in my plant-eating ways. He does his own shopping for it, and has his slices of dead bodies on a plate over on his end of the table. He buys in extra when the kids come round (usually the only time we have sushi anyway).

-4 ( +2 / -6 )

@reckless So, you'd ask a sushi chef if his fish contained traces of mercury or radioactive substances? Would you ask a barber if you needed a haircut? I'd love to have your faith in my fellow creatures.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Here's an interesting article about how healthy sushi is - or isn't. Mind you, they're talking about sushi as it's served in the UK but it still has some good points about processed carbs and mercury in the fish, which is pretty much the same no matter where you're getting the sushi.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2291221/How-sushi-make-FAT-Japanese-dish-calories-McDonalds-Big-Mac-fries.html

-1 ( +4 / -5 )

Wow! Thumbs down for a post with no opinion for or against but a link to an article on sushi. You've got to laugh!

-2 ( +3 / -4 )

Generally sushi is healthy if you choose wisely. But you will have to avoid certain types of fish such as roe which is high in cholesterol and control the amount of shoyu especially if you have high blood pressure. However the level of mercury can be excessive depending on the type of fish used and some activists feel that a warning should be nationwide and the FDA should do more testing. Yeah, well. Whatever. But the most important part of a sushi roll is the sushi rice. My favorite sushi is the Bluefin Tuna Belly, Snapper, Yellowtail (buri), Salmon, Mackerel and Crab. Once a sushi lover always a sushi lover forever.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

It's polished white rice, sugar and dead fish. Not a veggie in sight, apart from the occasional bit of cucumber.

LOL. The Japanese have among the world's highest average life expectancies, have for decades, and Cleo trashes one of their most traditional meals, because it does not please her Vegan sensibilities. Gotta love it. And in case you missed it Cleo, "dead fish" isn't such a bad thing. In fact, fish is one of the key elements in the "heart-healthy" Mediterranean Diet, that is increasingly popular here in the states.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

one of their most traditional meals

...which in its present form is quite different from what it was traditionally - a way of preserving food. And when the Japanese were eating their traditional diet (in the 1920s and earlier) the average life-span was in the low 40s.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Has protein and starch but not sure about minerals and vitamins.

Most sources of protein are also sources of vitamins. The starch has negligible nutrition.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Depends on what you order. If you order Kurazushi's 105 yen ebi-avocado, bintoro or tuna salad, it's delicious, and good for your mental health and your pocketbook.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

My Dad's a long time mid-westerner, who's major life traumas were a smoking habit he finally ditched about 1980 and 19 months as a POW in Germany.

I don't think he's ever had, nor could I could get him to eat sushi, and he's now 94. It's not all about the fish.

Friday dinner is our temaki day. I'm stingy with the rice, generous with the fish and veggie toppings, and then switch about halfway thru to just eating the fish (as sashimi).

btw, buri is the best fish in the world, not tuna.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Just because there is not a veggie in sight, doesn't mean it is unhealthy.

This is great. Nasty white rice, sugar and sodium. Yes, as healthy as can be.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

I'm sorry to have to say this but... everyone has their opinion right? I love sushi but that's not enough a good reason to thumb down other people's opnions. Also since people on this board don't seem very knowledgeable about the risks one takes eating fish in general(not just raw fish- if you had watched a tv program about fish parassites you'd know) should not thumb down people that decide not to eat it because they don't like it or don't think it's healthy.

The omega3 in the fish is something great but the short life sushi has on the counter should tell you to take in consideration not eating sushi that often. There's a law in Italy(which should be considered common sense) that says that raw fish can only be sold and be eaten raw if it has been deep frozen first: this is done in order to kill the most part of the fish parassites.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Silvia Acquati

Sea fish mostly do not have parasites due to the salt concentration in the sea. You can easily identify a healthy fish from a not so healthy fish that is infested by sea parasites which bores through the skin of a living fish leaving tell told signs.

Same with mercury concentration, most small fish are do not live long enough to accumulate large quantity and the ones that had did it in a short period resulting to acute poisoning developing abnormalities in their bones also a tell told sign which can be identified.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

SamuraiBlue: Same with mercury concentration, most small fish are do not live long enough to accumulate large quantity and the ones that had did it in a short period resulting to acute poisoning developing abnormalities in their bones also a tell told sign which can be identified

That's true but the most popular sushi in Japan is tuna, a large fish and one of those with the highest mercury concentrations, particularly bigeye and there is no realistic way for the average consumer to tell if it has dangerously high levels of mercury or not.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

As eaten across Asia by, what, 2 billion people?

You think Japanese rice is the same as what they eat in Thailand, Malaysia... Good lord, go and travel a bit. Or heck, say that to a local and what their reaction. Nice try though.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Tuna caught by researchers off the coast of S California were found to be contaminated with Cesium 137.

Healthy?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Not healthy; white rice is bad and large fish (e.g., tuna, salmon, etc.) contain very high levels of mercury. Best bet is sardine sashimi and other small fish sashimi with brown rice.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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