It’s official. Our campus has a sushi obsession.
With a reputation for being a delicious, low-calorie meal, sushi is in high demand and University students can’t seem to get enough. After all, it can’t be worse than Pokey Sticks or McDonalds, right?
Depending on the rolls you choose and how often you eat them, this obsession could be a bad raw-mance. Here’s your guide to eating sushi in Champaign – the health benefits of sushi, the best places to eat, the healthiest choices and the things to avoid.
Nutritious and delicious
When done right, sushi can be packed with nutritional value. Justine Karduck, a registered dietician and health educator at McKinley, said that sushi can be rich with omega 3 fatty acids, which are essential brain components and extremely beneficial to our health. Omega 3 fatty acids and the ginger served with sushi can also help cardiovascular health.
Karduck said that nutritionists recommend consuming 12 to 14 ounces of fish per week. Any more than that, however, can lead to health problems.
Where to go
On our campus, there are more than enough sushi restaurants to choose from and there isn’t necessarily one that is above the rest – it all depends on what you’re looking for.
If you want a nice, sit-down dinner with a large selection of rolls, try Kamakura, Sushi Kame, or Ko-Fusion. Ko-Fusion is a favorite for many students because it has a modern atmosphere and delicious rolls, but some say it is over-priced. Sushi Kame and Kamakura have more reasonable prices.
If you’re looking for something nice but still in walking distance from your dorm or apartment, try Sushi Avenue or Sushi Rock, both located on Green Street.
My (frugal) recommendation is to choose your restaurant based on the special. Ko-Fusion has dollar sushi night every Sunday and Monday, Kamakura has dollar sushi night every Monday and Sushi Avenue has a great lunch special.
Things to avoid
If you’re watching your caloric intake, stay away from anything that says it is tempura fried. Even though these rolls are “lightly fried” in a “light batter,” and are arguably the most delicious rolls (like the Big Roll or Fusion Maki at Ko-Fusion), the bottom line is fried food is bad for you, no matter how many times it says “light” in the description.
Also be careful of too many thick, creamy sauces. Some rolls are topped with spicy mayo, jalapeño mayo or other sauces and the extra calories can add up. Once rolls are covered in batter, deep fried and smothered in sauce, they can have more calories than a Big Mac.
It’s also important to watch your total sushi intake. Overconsumption of fish, specifically tuna, can lead to mercury poisoning, Karduck said. It is safe to east sushi one or two times a week.
The basic nutritional info
The simplest sushi rolls (with the fewest ingredients) can be extremely low in calories but still filling. The website www.sushifaq.com provides estimated nutritional information for some of the lowest-calorie choices. While many restaurants add more ingredients to make the simple rolls even more delicious, this list of nutritional facts should give you a basic idea of what you’re consuming.
Avocado Roll (rice, seaweed, and avocado)
Calories: 140
Fat: 5.7 grams
Carbs: 28 grams
Fiber: 5.8 grams
Protein: 2.1 grams
California Roll (rice, seaweed, avocado, and surimi based fake crab)
Calories: 255
Fat: 7 grams
Carbs: 38 grams
Fiber: 5.8 grams
Protein: 9 grams
Cucumber Roll (rice, seaweed, cucumber)
Calories: 136
Fat: 0 grams
Carbs: 30 grams
Fiber: 3.5 grams
Protein: 6.0 grams
Spicy Tuna Roll (rice, seaweed, tuna, mayo, hot pepper)
Calories: 290
Fat: 11 grams
Carbs:26 grams
Fiber: 3.5 grams
Protein: 24 grams
Shrimp Tempura Roll (rice, seaweed, shrimp, tempura batter, oil from being fried)
Calories: 508
Fat: 21 grams
Carbs: 64 grams
Fiber: 4.5 grams
Protein: 20 grams
Salmon and Avocado Roll (rice, seaweed, salmon, avocado)
Calories: 304
Fat: 8.7 grams
Carbs: 42 grams
Fiber: 5.8 grams
Protein: 13 grams