It’s sushi night. You’ve been working out, eating healthy, and losing weight, and now you’re about to join your friends at the new sushi restaurant down the street. Reaching for your keys, you pause.
How many calories are in sushi?
Can I eat sushi and still lose weight?
What kind of sushi should I order?
Don’t worry, I’ll answer all this and more. I’m going to go over the calories in sushi, whether or not sushi can help you lose weight, and the best type of sushi to order if you’re trying to lose weight.
Let’s dig in.
Types of sushi
When you think of sushi, colorful rolls and fried shrimp probably come to mind. But that’s just one type of sushi. And it’s actually a lot more American than it is Japanese. A lot of the sushi we’ve become familiar with in the United States is not that common overseas.
I could write a novel on the different types of sushi and its history. But for the purposes of this article, I’m going to assume you want to be able to eat sushi without upending your fitness routine, not become the next Jiro Uno.
I’ll keep it simple. There are three different types of sushi you’ll find at your local sushiya.
Sashimi
This actually isn’t sushi at all..
Sushi is Japanese for “sour rice” and refers to the rice used to make other types of sushi (which we’ll get to in just a minute).
Sashimi is a piece of thinly sliced raw fish, all by itself. Typically, sashimi is served with pickled ginger, soy sauce (for dipping), and wasabi.
Nigiri
Nigiri is a piece of raw fish on top of sushi rice.
The rice used is typically seasoned with vinegar and sugar. In Japanese, “nigiri” means two fingers, which refers to the amount of rice used to make it.
Maki (sushi rolls)
When you think of sushi, Maki is probably what comes to mind.
Maki, or sushi rolls, are combinations of ingredients rolled up with rice into a sheet of dried seaweed. The seaweed sheet, called “nori”, can be on the inside or the outside of the roll.
There are lots of different types of sushi rolls, and many ways of creating them. Unfortunately, these Maki rolls are also the most calorie dense and usually the lowest in protein. Most Maki rolls have high calorie ingredients, like:
-
- Sugary sauces
- Spicy mayonnaise
- Battered and fried seafood
The good news is that you can still enjoy your favorite concoction of fried shrimp, rice and spicy mayo in moderation, as long as you account for the calories.
What are the calories in sushi?
The amount of calories in sushi is going to depend on what type of sushi you’re eating.
You can get a California roll at three different restaurants, and they all might have different amounts of calories!
This is because every sushi chef, or “itamae”, has a slightly different way of preparing your favorite kind of sushi. They may use slightly more or less rice, different types of sauces or even different amounts of fish in their dishes.
Lucky for you, I’ve scoured the internet to find the most accurate estimates for the amount of calories in different types of sushi. Are these estimates perfect? Most definitely not.
But they are good enough, provided you’re eating sushi occasionally and you’re not a bodybuilder looking to get on stage at 4% body fat..
Below you’ll find a search bar where you can look up popular types of sushi and see the calories, protein, carbs and fat.
You’re welcome.
Calories in Sashimi
(These calories and macros are for one ounce of fish, which is the standard serving size)
Calories in Nigiri
(The calories and macros listed are for half an ounce of fish and 20 grams of sushi rice, which is a standard serving size)
Calories in Maki (Sushi Rolls)
(These are ESTIMATES! It’s impossible to know exactly how many calories are in your specific sushi roll..)
Can you lose weight by eating sushi?
Yes, you can. You can eat any food in moderation and lose fat, because the most important thing when it comes to fat loss is your overall calorie balance.
To lose fat, you need to be in a calorie deficit. As long as you are burning more calories than you consume, you can include sushi into your diet and you will still lose fat, even while enjoying your favorite sushi in moderation.
Tracking your calories is going to be the fastest, most efficient way to make sure you’re in a calorie deficit.
What’s the best sushi for weight loss?
While even the most calorie dense sushi rolls can fit into your fat loss plan, it’s going to make things a lot more difficult.
Eating an entire Dragon roll or Rainbow roll won’t do much to fill you up, but can set you back 400-500 calories.
If you’re trying to lose weight, sticking to Sashimi and Nigiri are going to make it much easier to stick to your fat loss goals.
Sashimi is almost pure protein, depending on the type of fish you choose. One piece of Sashimi is pretty low in calories, and high in protein, making it easy to fit into your fat loss plan.
Nigiri is almost completely protein and carbs, which again make it easier to include if you’re trying to lose fat. Nigiri isn’t very high in calories, and can help you hit your protein goal for the day.
Maki, or sushi rolls, are going to be the hardest to include if you’re trying to lose fat. They are a combination of protein carbs and fats and are easily the highest in calories. If you’re trying to lose fat, limit how many sushi rolls you’re ordering.
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Wrapping up: Sushi and Weight Loss
Sushi can absolutely be something you enjoy while staying on track with your fitness and nutrition goals.
As long as you account for the calories in sushi, you can enjoy it in moderation like any other food.
Keep in mind that no estimate will ever be perfect when it comes to the calories in sushi. There’s simply no way to know the exact amount of ingredients used.
Use these estimates to help you account for the amount of calories in sushi, and don’t stress out over the exact amount of calories.
At the end of the day, it’s far more important that you’re consistent with your fitness and nutrition, not the specific food you have at any one time.
If you’d like someone to take all the guesswork out of your fitness and nutrition, you can apply for coaching to see if we’d be a good fit for each other. I’ll show you exactly how you can include sushi into your fat loss plan.
If you have any questions, please leave them below!