Is Sushi Or Sashimi Good For Weight Loss?

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Sushi and sashimi are popular choices of food during some weight loss diets. This delicious Japanese dish consists of fresh, raw fish or seafood, making it a great option for those who are trying to increase their protein intake.

But not all sashimi is created equal when it comes to calories and nutritional content. In this blog post, we’ll take a closer look at different types of sashimi and how they can fit into a weight loss diet.

Sushi vs sashimi

Sushi is differentiated from sashimi in that sushi is prepared with rice. It includes maki, which are the rolls and cones with rice, or nigiri, which is the fish placed on the little rice brick.

Sashimi refers to the raw piece of seafood or meat sliced thinly, with no rice added.

Although both are frequently served together in Japanese cuisine, both sushi and sashimi are very different dishes, with very different histories.

The earliest forms of sushi originated in China, and was introduced to Japan around 300 BC to 300 AD. Sashimi originated in Japan much later.

When deciding what foods you should eat on your weight loss diet, limiting your intake of simple carbohydrates like sushi rice can be helpful to reduce spikes in insulin, and reduce the amount of fat your body might store as a result.

Meanwhile, increasing your dietary intake of protein can also help suppress appetite and reduce hunger.

So if you enjoy sushi and sashimi, you might want to focus on sashimi while on your weight loss diet, since it’s high in protein and does away with any simple carbs from sushi rice.

In this article we’ll take a look at different types of common sashimi, and compare their nutritional values and uses in a weight loss diet.

Is sashimi healthy?

There are two sides to this argument, but I’ll very briefly outline the main points.

On one hand, sashimi provides some healthy omega-3 oils, and fish protein.

High intakes of both have been associated with some health benefits, like a reduced risk of heart disease or reduced inflammation.

On the other hand, commercially available seafood tends to have higher levels of heavy metals and contaminants that are found in these types of top feeder fish.

Sashimi is mostly composed of top feeder fish. These types of fishes eat other smaller fishes, and tend to have higher concentrations of any contaminants that might be found in the water, since contamination concentrates up the food chain.

High intakes of these heavy metals like methylmercury, or other contaminants like plastics, have been associated with an increased risk of a variety of health issues, like cancer and hormonal issues.

So a diet high in sashimi may present as a double edged sword, and something you should keep in mind. Admittedly more so for your health than your weight.

Mercury content

Here are some examples of sashimi and their respective methylmercury content:

• Tuna: Tuna is a popular type of sashimi that is rich in protein and omega-3 fatty acids. However, it is also known to contain high levels of methylmercury. The methylmercury content in tuna can vary depending on the species, with some types of tuna containing higher levels than others. For example, bluefin tuna can contain up to 0.8 parts per million (ppm) of methylmercury, while skipjack tuna may contain less than 0.1 ppm.
• Salmon: Salmon is another popular type of sashimi that is high in omega-3 fatty acids and protein. It generally contains lower levels of methylmercury than tuna. The methylmercury content in salmon can vary depending on the species, with wild salmon generally containing lower levels than farmed salmon. Wild salmon typically contains less than 0.02 ppm of methylmercury.
• Yellowtail: Yellowtail, also known as hamachi, is a type of fish commonly used for sashimi. It is known to contain moderate levels of methylmercury, with some samples containing up to 0.28 ppm.
• Squid: Squid is a popular type of sashimi in Japan. It is a low-calorie, high-protein seafood that contains relatively low levels of methylmercury. The methylmercury content in squid can vary depending on the species and location, but is generally less than 0.05 ppm.
• Halibut: Halibut is a type of flatfish that is commonly used for sashimi. It is known to contain moderate levels of methylmercury, with some samples containing up to 0.24 ppm.
• Mackerel: Mackerel is a popular oily fish that is sometimes used for sashimi. It contains high levels of omega-3 fatty acids, but also contains moderate levels of methylmercury. The methylmercury content in mackerel can vary depending on the species and location, but can be as high as 0.5 ppm.
• Octopus: Octopus is a low-fat, high-protein seafood that is often used for sashimi. It contains relatively low levels of methylmercury, with some samples containing less than 0.01 ppm.
• Shrimp: Shrimp is a type of shellfish that is sometimes used for sashimi. It contains low levels of methylmercury, with some samples containing less than 0.01 ppm. However, it’s important to note that shrimp can also contain high levels of other contaminants, such as antibiotics and pesticides, if it is farmed or caught in polluted waters.

Tapeworms

Raw fish can potentially contain harmful parasites like tapeworms that can cause health issues if consumed.

Freezing the fish is one of the most effective ways to kill any parasites that might be present. The fish must be frozen at a temperature of -4°F (-20°C) or lower for at least 7 days. This process kills any parasites that might be present in the fish.

In Canada, any fish that is to be consumed raw, must first be frozen at a temperature of -20 Celcius or below for 7 days, or to a temperature of -35 Celcius for 15 hours.

In the United States, the FDA requires that all fish that will be served raw or undercooked be frozen first, with a few exceptions such as tuna and farm-raised fish that are fed a special diet.

These regulations help to protect consumers from the risk of parasitic infections and is the reason why you should only consume sashimi-grade fish or have sashimi at a proper eating establishment, if you are going to consume raw fish like sashimi.

Types of sashimi

Fish sashimi

So let’s say you want to eat sashimi for dinner, what types of sashimi might be best?

Let’s first take a look at the fishes. Salmon, mackerel, butterfish, and fatty bluefin tuna are your fattiest cuts of fish.

They also contain the most calories per 1 ounce sashimi piece, with salmon and mackerel leading the pack.

Yellowfin tuna, skipjack tuna, sea bass, and halibut are your leaner cuts of fish, having barely any fat in comparison to the other cuts.

Their protein density is quite high, having more protein than an egg, per same amount of weight.

The fattier cuts of fish also understandably have a much higher calorie density than the leaner cuts of fish, with 1 piece of salmon containing more calories than 2 pieces of halibut.

Non-fish sashimi

For the rest of the non-fish seafood, most everything is quite low in calories and fat, while maintaining a good amount of protein.

The only exception is sea urchin and roe, or fish eggs, both of which are some of the fattier and higher calorie non-fish sashimis.

The cuttlefish like octopus and squid do have small amounts of carbohydrate, something to keep in mind if you’re attempting a low carbohydrate diet.

However the amounts are small, amounting to around 1 gram of carbohydrate per cuttlefish slice.

Soy sauce and some dipping sauces do have small amounts of carbohydrate or sugar, however unless you’re pouring these sauces all over your sashimi, the amounts dipped are somewhat insignificant.

Sashimi and weight loss

Pro: High protein content

You don’t get a much leaner meat than sashimi. Sashimi contains a high amount of protein without too much fat, something that will help reduce hunger and suppress appetite.

Because other animal sources of protein like beef often come with significant amounts of saturated fat, sashimi is a good option to increase your dietary intake of protein without increasing saturated fats in your diet.

Con: Average appetite suppression

The magnitude of appetite suppression is very average, despite sashimi’s high protein density, and moderately high calorie density.

It may have to do with the fact that sashimi is quite low in fat, which is a good thing for many people on low-fat diets, but loses out fat’s very potent appetite suppressing effects.

Even the higher fat salmon or mackerel sashimis have less fat density than most cuts of beef or types of cheeses.

Having sashimi for weight loss

Overall, sushi may not be a great option for weight loss. However, sashimi can provide a good amount of protein to your weight loss diet, and is a great option for low carb or keto diets.

Due to its low fat density however, I suggest that as a meal, try to consume sashimi with something else like a salad or some roasted vegetables, since it could otherwise take quite a few pieces to feel full.

For example, an 8 ounce steak dinner can provide a very good amount of fullness due to it’s high protein and fat content.

But for many people, 8 one ounce slices of sashimi sounds more like an appetizer.

So it can be easy to overeat on sashimi if you’re not careful, and it makes sense from a fullness perspective when people want to eat sushi or rice with their sashimi to feel full.

Unfortunately, many dietary plans for weight loss limit rice and carbohydrate intake, and consuming too much rice with your sashimi might defeat the purpose of eating sashimi to help with weight loss in the first place.

Yes, the high-protein sashimi is harder for your body to convert into fat than carbohydrates, but the rice you might be consuming alongside will be converted easily.

So if you like sashimi, you can have it on your weight loss diet. Just make sure you control the amounts you eat, and have something else with it that will help you to feel fuller, like something with a good amount of soluble fiber and/or fat.

Learn more about

• What To Eat To Lose Belly Fat – Protein and Fat
• Other foods for weight loss

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