The timing of this blog and the question, can you have sushi on keto might seem a little off, but some quick research revealed that sushi happens to be one of the most popular New Year’s Eve treats. That seems a little strange to me, but in Nova Scotia we tend to do American style Chinese food or lobste, but that likely seems a little strange to you.
The simple answer to this question is no. Sushi in it’s true form is in rice. That makes it a non-starter on keto, but like anything in life, it’s not that easy. If you dig around, you’ll find what has become known as sushi isn’t exactly accurate to what it is.
What is Sushi?
Sushi in its traditional Japanese form is a raw or salted fish that is wrapped in a vinegar treated rice. The word sushi translates literally to “sour rice,” with the practice used to help preserve fresh fish. The vinegar in the rice helps keep the fish longer much like pickling does to foods such as cucumbers or eggs.
The western style of sushi still has some of those traditional practices but has branched into two kinds. If you go into any sushi restaurant now you will find two main categories. One is a no on keto, the other is an eat it up for keto.
Eating Sushi on Keto
The sub-heading there is incorrect right off the bat. The fact is you cannot in its truest form eat sushi. Rice will never fit in a keto diet and true sushi as we discussed before is wrapped in rice. You can however eat Sashimi.
Sashimi is often confused with sushi and found in all modern sushi restaurants. Sashimi is sushi without the rice. That’s right folks, it’s just the fish. Fish is a staple to a nutritional keto diet. Is the fish raw? Sometimes. Is the fish salted? Sometimes. The fact is Sashimi opens the door to hitting that local sushi spot with your friends.
Ingredients to Eat Sushi on Keto
For the sake of argument if we are going to call sashimi sushi there is a lot of standard ingredients we can enjoy on a keto diet. There are several proteins including tuna, salmon, and crab meat. A little caveat to the crab meat. Make sure you ask some questions about this and ensure it is real crab meat. Imitation crab meat has fillers that ups the carb count significantly.
Modern sushi also has options you can add to your dish that are common keto such as avocado, cucumber, and cream cheese. Like any restaurant you attend, ask questions, but rest assured there are many options to make this a tasty experience.
Sushi Sauces for Keto
This is the part that excited me most. The sauces. This can be a tough sell in most restaurants, but sushi style joints will fill your sashimi with things like spicy mayo, hot sauce, sriracha, and even lemon mayo. Those are low to zero carbs sauces that will pack the flavor on any dish.
The most common sauces for sushi happen to be soy sauce and wasabi. Both are keto friendly but make sure to keep track as a tablespoon equals about one carb, so get it on the side so you can keep track of how much you’re adding.
The Verdict for Sushi on Keto
Even though we have played the semantic game of sushi and sashimi I can say this. If you go out with a group of friends and hit a sushi restaurant you will be fine. Ask questions, use keto friendly ingredients, and enjoy yourself. Have the fish, skip the rice.
Bill
