Dining Out – Sushi for Starters

Sushi Restaurant Sushi bars have undergone an enormous surge in popularity both in Japan and abroad. Traditional Japanese sushi dishes are largely based on raw fish. Contemporary cooking styles are distinctly more westernized.

Sunomono, a traditional appetizer, is a tiny portion of cucumber, cabbage, or other vegetables. Boiled soy beans, known as edamame, are low in fat and high in protein. Soybean-based Miso Soup is popular but high in sodium (sorry about that!). Use salad dressings sparingly when they are made of sesame oil. Good substitutes are lemon or rice wine vinegar.

Entrées come complete or à la carte. It can be fun to create your own meal of many small dishes – plus, you can control your food intake better (or so you think). If you are not crazy about fish, get the Teriyaki Grilled Chicken or Beef. The cuts are lean and residual fat gets drained into the grill. However, Teriyaki glaze is high in sodium. If at all possible, ask that it be used lightly or even left off altogether.

Sashimi or Sushi – what’s the difference? Both use raw fish. One is just sliced fish; the other comes with seasoned rice. Both are nutritionally beneficial. Both are high in protein, but Sushi has more carbohydrate than Sashimi. Your best choices of fish are tuna, salmon and octopus. Be aware that some fish contain toxins, such as mercury. Some Sushi rolls have avocado, mayonnaise and cream cheese added. No need for that.

If you have the Green Tea Ice Cream, split one with a friend. Fresh fruit is always a better dessert choice (and sometimes it comes for free with the check).