Healthy & Delicious: Sushi Rock

I like sushi. It tastes good, you can eat it with your fingers and, depending on how you order it, it can cover some of the major food groups (lean protein, vegetables, grain, and fruit.) While fats and oils are not part of the main “food groups” certain types of fish used in sushi are good sources of heart healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Even though your sushi may come with veggies/fruit, it is not the best source of fiber, so order a side salad or edamame as an appetizer.

This “good” for you food can however become a caloric-fat bomb when your order is deep-fried, with tempura, spicy mayonnaise, or cream cheese. For example, a shrimp tempura roll (6-8pcs.) can have up to 500 calories and 21 grams of fat! This shows that even though a food is considered “healthy,” the way it is prepared can influence its nutritional profile.

If you look at the menu at Sushi Rock, you would notice many of the Big Rock Rolls have some combination of deep fried, tempura, spicy mayo, or cream cheese. “F” was up to the challenge to bring me something “Healthy & Delicious,” and I was excited to see what she presented.  

“F” served me the Soy Roll. The Soy Roll’s ingredients are: spicy salmon; shrimp tempura; crab; avocado; white tuna; kaiware (radish sprout); and mamenori (soybean paper). In order to make the dish “Healthy,” the salmon was not covered with spicy mayo and the shrimp was not fried. The rest of the ingredients were both fresh and prepared in the leanest way possible.

Fun facts about the Soy Roll. Salmon and tuna are good sources of omega-3 fatty acids. Shellfish, which is generally low in fat, contains cholesterol and is a good source of vitamins and minerals like zinc and iron. Although avocado has a bad rap for its high caloric/fat content, it is a source of monounsaturated fats. Given the small pieces of avocado in each roll, the benefits of avocado (in my opinion) far outweigh the amount of fat and calories. Kaiware is a sprouted daikon radish seed that has a peppery taste. If you have never had mamenori, I suggest trying it in lieu of nori seaweed. Soy paper has a soft, less chewy texture that makes biting into big rolls much easier. Like seaweed, soy paper is low in calories. I like both types, it just depends on your preference (chewy vs. not chewy). 

Overall, and compared to the original Soy Roll version, this was a perfect “Healthy & Delicious” dish. I would definitely order this again!

Note: Use low sodium soy sauce. It has approximately 350mg less sodium/tablespoon than regular soy sauce. Substitute brown rice instead of white rice.

* If you want to try the “Healthy & Delicious” Soy Roll, you need to go on any day but Thursdays. Sushi Rock will not accommodate substitutions on half-price sushi nights.