Dining Out: Low Carb Sushi

Ever hear this line: “Wanna go out to eat? Where can we go to eat that meets your…dietary…needs…”?
Often times, a low carber might think, “Oh no…gotta think of a place I can find stuff to eat that others will like as well”. Fortunately, there are quite a few options you can retort with, and sushi is a great choice if you want to eat low carb and have a fun, social chow down time.

Sashimi is sushi without the rice. As this isn’t the place to get all technical on the exact Japanese terms, I give you this link to Wikipedia’s page on Sushi. Sashimi is your best bet and don’t be fooled – you can get full fast on yummy fatty fish such as salmon and fatty tuna.

Straight up raw fish not your deal? Craving some big, fat rolls? No worries, there are low carb work arounds that almost all sushi joints will accomodate. Many sushi places call their non-rice rolls “skinny rolls”, so take a look and see if there is a “skinny roll” on the menu or if the server if they know what that is.

You can get rolls wrapped in cucumber or soy paper. I actually prefer the cucumber because it provides a bit of ‘crunch’, as the fillings tends to be pretty soft. Fillings will usually include crab, avocado, and fish (salmon/tuna/yellowtail/etc). Oftentimes, the crab is used as the ‘filler’, replacing the rice.

WARNING: Krab (fake crab) is VERY high carb, with a 1/2 cup having up to 12g of carbs. This is because sugar and other high carbohydrate binding agents are used in making this product. Always ask for real crab to be substituted in to your roll if the roll comes with krab. You may be charged an extra dollar or two, but it’s worth it to have the real thing, since real crab is zero carbs.

Also be careful about sweet sauces on the rolls, which contain a lot of sugar. Ask for no sauce or try a different roll

Other non sushi low carb items commonly found at sushi restaurants are:

• Miso soup
• Chicken/Beef teriyaki (without the sauce!)
• Edamame
• Yakitori
• Salads (may have sashimi, seaweed, etc)

Reference list for sushi options:

• Sashimi
• Cucumber or soy paper rolls
• Real crab instead of krab
• No sweet sauces

Don’t be afraid to ask for modifications to existing rolls if nothing there meets exact criteria! If you are a regular and order it enough, you might end up with a roll named after you.

Ultimately, you can completely control exactly what you eat by making your own sushi! There are several sushi kits out there; ignore their recommendations on rice and use shredded crab or riced cauliflower instead.