How to Pick Healthy Sushi Rolls

While the basic ingredients of this Japanese mainstay are healthy, Americanized add-ons can pack on the fat and calories.

Step 1: Avoid fried items Avoid fried rolls or anything battered. Steer clear of dumplings, tempura, and spider rolls.
Step 2: Pass up extras Pass on ingredients in Americanized rolls, such as cream cheese, mayonnaise, and avocado, which pile on the fatty calories.
Step 3: Request less rice Ask your sushi chef to go light on the rice in your rolls. Opt for sashimi, which are plain slices of raw fish.
TIP: The word sushi does not refer to raw fish, but rather to the entire roll of filling and rice.
Step 4: Avoid fad sushi Avoid rolls made with unusual ingredients like duck or quail eggs. Although a traditional ingredient, eel is also higher in calories and fat than other fish.
Step 5: Pick condiments wisely Pick your accompanying condiments wisely. Opt for low-sodium soy sauce and limit wasabi paste and pickled ginger, which are both high in sodium.
FACT: The Japanese first began to cultivate rice about 300 B.C.E., after the Chinese introduced them to the grain.