You Ask, I Answer: Imitation Crabmeat

I'm curious about imitation crabmeat, [the kind used to make most] California rolls.

What is it made of? Someone told me that it's vegetarian?

How healthy (or unhealthy) is it?

-- Corinne Harris
Fort Lauderdale, FL

Practically all imitation crab meat (also known as surimi) is made by deboning and mincing Alaskan pollock -- an inexpensive, very mild-flavored fish -- and mixing it with a variety of other ingredients.

What ingredients, you ask?

Mainly sugar, oil, artificial and/or natural flavorings, and a variety of stabilizers and thickeners like egg whites and potato starch (to give it that chewy texture.)

It is certainly not vegetarian.

That said, there are vegetarian mock crab meats out there. These can be very hard to find even in specialty vegetarian stores, so your best bet is to look for online suppliers.

There are also some tofu-based recipes for "Do It Yourself" vegetarian crab meat.

From a nutritional standpoint, imitation crab meat contains half the protein, three times the carbohydrate, and approximately twice as much sodium as real crab meat.

Calorically, though, they are almost identical.

Numbers Game: Answer

An average 6-piece inside-out 'uramaki' sushi roll (rice on the outside, nori on the inside, as pictured at right) at a Japanese restaurant in the United States contains 1 cup of rice.

(Note: 1 serving of rice = 1/2 cup)

This is a perfect example of a relatively healthy, low-calorie Asian meal undergoing a monstrous caloric metamorphosis upon arriving to the United States.

In Japan, the vast majority of sushi is eaten nigiri style (this is where rice is compacted into a small rectangle underneath each piece of fish) or maki style (nori/seaweed on the outside of each piece.)

It's also significant that maki rolls are approximately a half or a third of the size of inside out varieties common on this side of the Pacific Ocean.

This figure means that 6 pieces of an inside-out roll pack in slightly less than 200 calories from the rice alone.

Order two of those puppies and you are up to 4 servings of grains, per USDA pyramid standards.

Another calorie shocker? Spicy rolls contain anywhere from 100 to 150 moe calories than their traditional counterparts -- the special sauce is basically mayonnaise with a kick.

Numbers Game: Rice 'n Roll

An average 6-piece inside-out sushi roll (rice on the outside, nori on the inside, as pictured at left) at a Japanese restaurant in the United States contains _________ of rice.

(Note: 1 serving of rice = 1/2 cup)

a) 1/3 cup
b) 1/2 cup
c) 1 cup
d) 1.5 cups

Leave your guess in the "comments" section and come back on Wednesday for the answer.

Numbers Game: Answer

A standard shrimp tempura roll provides 550 calories.

From a strictly caloric standpoint, that's equal to 13 Chicken McNuggets!

Sushi can actually be very nutritious, thanks to its healthy proteins and fats (especially avocado), but tread carefully when it comes to rolls with tempura (a.k.a. "deep fried" -- a real shame to do to something as healthy as fish) and/or eel (which is cooked in a special sauce that contributes calories and added sugars).

Best bet? Start off with a high-fiber appetizer like edamame, steamed broccoli with garlic, or steamed spinach to make up for the white rice's lack of fiber. Then, choose any rolls that do not include tempura or mayonnaise.

Every sushi place I have ever gone to serves green tea for free, so have a cup or two along with the beverage of your preference for some bonus phytonutrients.

Above all, savor and enjoy!

The Mighty (Fish) Egg

It's easy to cast caviar (fish eggs) aside as little black pellets for the elite, but a tablespoon of this delicacy is no nutritional joke.

Just one tablespoon of caviar provides:

40 calories
4 grams protein
53% Vitamin B12 requirements
11% daily recommendation of iron
9% Vitamin D requirements

And, if that wasn't enough -- a whole gram of Omega-3 fatty acids (50% of the daily recommended amount)!

The only downside comes for sodium-sensitive folks, as one mere tablespoon contains 240 milligrams of sodium (approximately 20% of the maximum sodium limit for people on low-sodium diets).

Next time you're feeling fancy (or see these aquatic eggs on top of a sushi roll), gobble up some caviar. It does a body good.

Numbers Game: Sayonara, Healthy Eating

A standard shrimp tempura roll provides ___________ calories.

a) 290
b) 360
c) 485
d) 550

Leave your guess in the "comments" section and come back on Friday for the answer!