The 10 Worst Sushi Rolls (and What to Order Instead)

Sushi may seem like a healthy option for lunch or dinner, but there are actually certain types of sushi that you are best avoiding if you want stay on the healthy train. You may think a combination of rice, vegetables, and fish or meat is good for you but it is usually the added extras such as the sauces that add on the calories. These are the top 10 worst sushi rolls you should avoid getting:

Eel roll

Although Eel may contain a lot of Omega-3, it is usually drowned out by soy sauce or some other unidentified sugary brown sauce so you not only lose the taste of the eel but also lose out on the benefits of it. Although you could always opt for no sauce and instead add some avocado with it for both a healthier and tasty combination.

Shrimp Tempura Roll

Tempura = Fried. Although it may be extremely tasty the thick batter means the poor shrimp has been fried so much it has lost its nutritiousness. So if you are watching them calories fried foods are a no go, sorry.

Vegetable Tempura Roll

Again stay away from the tempura. You may think because it contains vegetables it is instantly healthy but if vegetables are fried they are basically no longer vegetables, so you are best steering clear of them and opting for regular vegetables rolls such as Cucumber and Avocado rolls.

Spicy Roll

Whether you are a spicy tuna roll or spicy chicken roll type they both contain the same spicy ingredients, which is usually a lot of mayo with a few drops of chilli. Unfortunately, as we all probably know mayo is not your healthiest sauce option, so if you want spicy you should maybe enquire about wasabi or a little bit of ginger in your sushi rolls to give them a little extra kick without the added calories.

Philadelphia Roll

Think Philadelphia, philly cheese steak anyone? Well not exactly cheesesteak but they do contain cream cheese, and cheese equals fat, and an unnecessary amount of fat is not what you need when watching your calorie intake.

Spider Roll

These contain fried crab, cucumber, avocado and spicy mayo, so probably one of the most unhealthy sushi rolls you can order with the combination of fried crab and mayo, the calories intake is as high as it can get.

King Crab Roll

King Crab and mayonnaise, besides the mayo which is obviously high in fat you need to also be careful of the crab. Make sure you are not being served imitation crab as it contains A LOT of sodium, which means A LOT of salt, which is awful for your health. So make sure you check if the crab is fresh, and maybe lose the mayo.

Dragon Roll

Basically another eel roll covered in eel sauce (or unidentified sugary brown sauce) which includes cucumber, avocado, and crab. All the ingredients may sound very healthy but again the sauce dilutes the nutrition, and you also have to be careful with the crab, if it is not fresh then it is definitely not nutritious. So maybe lose the sauce and ask if the crab is fresh before you decide to order.

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Ginza Roll

Containing salmon, caviar, sriracha, cucumber, cream cheese, teriyaki and mayo? Come on the ingredients speak for themselves, you cannot get a more unhealthy roll and it is also probably one of the most expensive rolls you can order because of the caviar. Although you could always treat yourself once in a while.

Blossom Roll

A very pretty dish you can get from YO! Sushi which contains prawn katsu, avocado, purple shiso yukari (Japanese seasoning) and spicy mayo. The ingredients contain a lot of sugar and salt, which may look pretty but does not have a pretty calories intake. They may be the worst for being unhealthy but maybe not for taste.

The best alternative to the top 10 worst sushi rolls is opting for sashimi, as long as it is fresh. Although it is usually served alongside sushi you may want to choose to eat it on its own, as it is full of nutrition, including a lot of Omega-3 and Vitamin B, and a great source of protein. As an added bonus it also tastes so good, and tastes even better with a tiny little bit of ginger. Remember don’t go overboard on the ginger unless you have a really high tolerance for spice.