Sashimi for Bodybuilding - Fresh & Raw Healthy Food for Bodybuilders

DIET AND NUTRITION ARE KEY FACTORS

... in achieving peak competition condition and good health. As fitFLEX readers know a particular all-time favorite bodybuilding food is Sashimi. We're frequently asked to recommend a good restaurant that serves sashimi, but these days there are many around the\ world!

Sashimi is particularly nutritious because of its low-fat/high-protein content. At the conclusion of this article, I'll list the exact nutritional values of many types of sashimi as well as those of white steamed rice and soy sauce, both of which normally come with sashimi when ordered in a restaurant. This will be a departure from the usual Flexible Cuisine article in that I won't give you recipes, only food values.

Sashimi is purely and simply fish, sliced raw, and garnished with seaweed, kelp and sometimes white giant radishes. Steamed rice can be ordered to accompany your sashimi, and in some restaurants brown rice can be had on the side. I prefer white, sticky rice in a nice big bowl.

The rice ordered with sashimi is just steamed, with nothing added to it - no oil or salt. Don't confuse this with the rice that's found underneath pieces of fish in sushi orders. Sushi rice has sushi vinegar added to flavor the pieces. My advice to bodybuilders is to play it safe, which is why I always order sashimi instead of sushi. By ordering sashimi, I can get the rice separately and always be certain of what's in it and how much of it I'm eating.

When ordering sashimi, you will probably be served something called wasabi on the side. Wasabi is a green root that is ground down and mashed. Be careful of this stuff, because it's very spicy and hot. Depending on the condition of your mouth and taste buds after sampling it, you i may prefer to leave it where it sits. Adjust the amount of wasabi to your liking. I don't include its nutritional value, because the quantity eaten is invariably quite small.

While soy sauce is frequently used for dipping pieces of sashimi, a healthier alternative is lemon juice. This may be a little daring, but it makes better sense in terms of your sodium intake. Just make sure the lemons are sliced in half so you don't splash juice in your neighbor's face. This is just a little point of etiquette for sushi bar freaks.

Sashimi portions differ from restaurant to restaurant. Listed below are my favorite pieces of sashimi, which have been chosen based on their low fat content. Note that these nutritional values are based on three-ounce servings.

Maguro (tuna, very red) - calories: 108, protein: 23 grams, carbs: 0 grams, fat: 0 grams.

Red clam / giant clam - calories: 66, protein: 12 grams, carbs: 0 grams, fat: 0.87 grams.

Fluke - calories: 78, protein: 16 grams,carbs: 0 grams, fat: 1 gram.

Scallops - calories: 85, protein: 14.3 grams, carbs: 0 grams, fat: 0.64 grams.

Red snapper - calories: 85, protein: 17.4 grams, carbs: 0 grams, fat: 1.14 grams.

Crab - calories: 71, protein: 15.6 grams, carbs: 0 grams, fat: 0.51 grams.

Halibut - calories: 93, protein: 17.7 grams, carbs: 0 grams, fat: 1.95 grams.

Shrimp - calories: 90, protein: 17.3 grams, carbs: 0 grams, fat: 1.47 grams.

Kelp (per tablespoon) - calories: 18, protein: 0 grams, carbs: 5.53 grams, fat: 0 grams. Kelp is a great source of minerals and trace elements. White rice (cooked, 1 cup)-calories: 100, protein: 2 grams, carbs: 22 grams, fat: 0 grams.

Soy sauce (note high sodium content; portion size is one tablespoon) - calories: 11, protein: 1.56 grams, carbs: 1.5 grams, fat: 0 grams, sodium: 1,029 milligrams.