We remember the first time we tried sushi. We didn’t grow up with it and didn’t instantly love it, but by the time we downed our second sushi piece, the love affair was beginning. And a little wasabi and a little low-sodium soy sauce later… and we were hooked. Every chance we got, we were going out for sushi. As you can imagine, it wasn’t long before we were wondering how we could make it ourselves with some brown rice for some extra fiber! 😉
As registered dietitians, one of the first things that we tell our clients to focus on at each meal is protein and fiber. The combination will help to keep you lean by filling you up with few calories and then staving off hunger (oh yeah, gotta love it!). And we’re always working to create food that explodes with flavor while also being satisfying and gentle on the waistline, so this meal does just that! Calling all sushi lovers… this meal is for you…
Pssst… looking for more healthy and delicious recipes? Please feel free to search this site! And here are a few to try…
Spaghetti Squash with Red Lentil Pumpkin Sauce
Black Bean Quinoa Chili with Avocado
The salmon is rich in protein to keep you satisfied, as well as omega-3 fatty acids that help to calm inflammation that damages your body and leads to disease. The fiber and nutrient-rich carbs from the brown rice provide energy. The veggies are packed with fiber and phytonutrients to keep you healthy and fight disease!
Ordering sushi in a restaurant or buying it prepackaged usually means you don’t have much control over the ingredients. By making your own, you can avoid the extra salt, fat (thanks to frying, mayonnaise and “spicy” sauces) and even sometimes, sugar that’s often added. Feel free to mix and match the veggies with your favorites!
FYI—many of our clients who frequently eat sushi that contains tuna have been tested and have high amounts of mercury in their blood. When they choose salmon instead, they no longer risk mercury toxicity.
DIY Brown Rice Salmon Sushi
Makes 2 servings
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice
2 Tbs. brown rice vinegar
1 1/2 tsp. low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 tsp. freshly grated ginger
1 green onion, chopped
1/2 cucumber, sliced into thin strips
1 cup baby spinach, roughly chopped
2 small carrots, sliced into thin strips
4 ounces canned salmon (without salt), drained well (if you’re concerned about farm-raised salmon, choose sockeye Alaskan salmon—it is wild)
4 nori seaweed sheets
Directions:
1. Combine brown rice, vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, and green onion in a large bowl.
2. Assemble sushi rolls by placing one sheet of nori, shiny side down, on a cutting board and layering with about 1/3 cup of rice mixture, veggies, and 1 ounce of salmon. Gently roll into a log and slice crosswise into desired number of pieces. Repeat with the remaining nori sheets. Enjoy!
Nutrition Facts (2 full rolls per serving): 291 Calories, 6 g Fat, 1 g Saturated Fat, 25 mg Cholesterol, 223 mg Sodium, 43 g Carbohydrate, 5 g Fiber, 4 g Sugar, 17 g Protein
- 1½ cups cooked brown rice
- 2 Tbs. brown rice vinegar
- 1½ tsp. low-sodium soy sauce
- ¼ tsp. freshly grated ginger
- 1 green onion, chopped
- ½ cucumber, sliced into thin strips
- 1 cup baby spinach, roughly chopped
- 2 small carrots, sliced into thin strips
- 4 ounces canned salmon (without salt), drained well (if you’re concerned about farm-raised salmon, choose sockeye Alaskan salmon—it is wild)
- 4 nori seaweed sheets
- Combine brown rice, vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, and green onion in a large bowl.
- Assemble sushi rolls by placing one sheet of nori, shiny side down, on a cutting board and layering with about ⅓ cup of rice mixture, veggies, and 1 ounce of salmon. Gently roll into a log and slice crosswise into desired number of pieces. Repeat with the remaining nori sheets. Enjoy!
