Why you should love Sushi...

Do you ever have that conversation with your friends where you discuss what you would choose for your last meal ever? I don't know how I would ever choose for certain, but sushi would just have to be on the list somewhere. I just love sushi. There are just so many perks of sushi- despite the carbs in the rice, it is such a healthy and balanced meal to have.

I liken the way we 'learn' to like sushi to the way we 'learn' to like wine. I don't know if the experience has been the same for everyone, but I know in my circle of friends we all started off drinking moscato and passion pop, the 'soft drinks' of wine. As our palates changed, we slowly started to experiment with chardonnay, then sauv blanc until all of a sudden red wine was just as enjoyable as red, and then in my case, I became a Pinot Grigio and Pinot Noir drinker. Its been a long journey from that first sickly sweet glass of moscato.

Like wine, most of us seem to start off slowly with sushi also. The safest bet is the good old chicken teriyaki or cooked tuna- simple fillings so that the most adventurous thing you are eating is the seaweed. Once you become accustomed to the taste of the seaweed, you may move onto the good old california roll with crabmeat, or a cooked salmon. Then comes the raw salmon handroll, and once thats a favourite, you have nigiri, sashimi and maki rolls to try. All of a sudden the chicken teriyaki seems so boring and old school. I now consider myself to be one of those 'senior' sushi eaters, where I don't think there is anything I won't try on a bed of rice with some wasabi and ginger.

The health benefits of sushi are vast also:
- fish provides a low calorie, high quality protein
- sushi is low in saturated fats and cholesterol (you need to be careful about the addition of things like cream cheese, fatty mayonnaise, fried foods into the sushi which obviously raises the calorie count)
- salmon and tuna is high in Omega 3 fatty acids, which we need for healthy brain function, to improve cholesteral levels and lower blood pressure
- the seaweed wrappers contain huge sources of minerals and antioxidents, like calcium, magnesium and iron.

My favourite place for sushi in my area is Maki Sushi in Eltham. They have a wide range of freshly made sushi rolls, as well as hot dishes, and they also have brown rice sushi which is good for those of us trying to stay away from white carbs (I do love white rice in my sushi though!) I have never had a sushi roll from this venue that hasn't tasted fresh and delicious. I particularly love a combination of crispy prawn (I know, this is the calorie ridden one I warned about... but it tastes so good!) and raw tuna which is also packed with vegetables like spinach, carrot, cucumber and avocado.

So go on... if you haven't yet, get on the Sushi train today!