Weight Loss: Make Perfect Sushi    

A cheeseburger is a thing of beauty. But from an aesthetic and health viewpoint, sushi is possibly a nearly perfect food. "It's very attractive and very tasty--plus it's in a neatly controlled package," says Leslie Bonci, M.P.H., R.D., a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association.

 

More important, these finger foods are nutritional smart-bombs--with potassium and iron in the seaweed, fiber in the vegetables, and omega-3 fatty acids and protein in the fish. Plus, sushi has a low calorie count--about 200 for five pieces.

 

You can get all of this without dropping a couple of bills at a sushi bar. Just buy some sake and the sushi ingredients, and call friends. "Let people make their own," says Jonathan Silverman, editor of Sushi (Silverback, $8).

 

The seaweed wrapper (nori) can be found at high-end grocery stores. For the fish, visit a good supermarket or a fishmonger, and ask for sushi-grade fish. If they stare at you like a grouper, go elsewhere. The flesh should bounce back when pressed with your finger, and it should smell of seaweed, but not strongly of fish, says Silverman.

 

Follow these construction tips from Masato Shimizu, chef at New York's sushi hot spot Jewel Bako.

 

1. Dampen hands with water and vinegar to keep rice from sticking. Spread a handful of rice evenly downward on the dull side of the nori (seaweed).2. Leave a half-inch margin free of rice on the top edge, and hollow out a horizontal indentation midway for the filling. Spread a thin layer of wasabi.3. Fill in the hollow from edge to edge with thin tuna slices. Place your thumbs underneath the nori and lift the top edge.4. Align the roll half an inch from the top edge of a bamboo sushi mat, roll the bottom of the mat to the bottom edge of the nori, and roll forward.5. Gently continue to roll the mat forward until you reach the top edge of the nori.6. Rotate 180 degrees, and press firmly along the roll to tighten and pack in the filling.7. Gently peel back the mat and remove the sushi. Cut into six pieces. Stuff face.

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