The Japanese dish can be bought from every major supermarket (where sales have risen a staggering 88 percent in the past two years).

 

Indeed, the British sushi industry — of which Tesco has a 60 percent market share — is worth more than £56 million annually³.

 

The main reason for its surge in popularity is its reputation as a healthy meal. Japanese women are among the healthiest in the world, while slender celebrities⁴ such as Victoria Beckham, Cheryl Cole and Keira Knightley are all fans of the raw fish dish.

 

But do sushi's nutrition credentials⁵ — especially the Western version — stack up（堆积，累计）? Not always, according to dietitian⁶ Rachel Beller. In her book Eat To Lose, Eat To Win, she says a 'light lunch' of sushi may mean you overdose on calories and carbohydrates⁸.

 

'A typical sushi roll contains 290 to 350 calories and has the carbohydrate⁷ equivalent of two-and-a-half to four slices of bread,' says Ms Beller.

 

'So a California roll (round rolled sushi, containing a small piece of fish and avocado plus fatty mayonnaise) equals two sandwiches filled with crab⁹ sticks (processed fish that is flavoured and coloured to look and taste like crab), a sliver¹⁰ of avocado（鳄梨） and a tiny bit of veg.'

 

Bear in mind a sushi lunch contains two or three of these rolls, a total of up to 1,050 calories, and it's easy to see how we're conning¹¹ ourselves that we're enjoying a low-calorie, healthy lunch.

 

Many of us believe eating sushi is a good way to get the Government's recommended two portions of fish each week, but here's the problem: most sushi contains very little protein, despite its expense.

 

Health experts say a portion of fish should weigh 140g, but on average, the fish in a California roll or piece of nigiri (rice with fish balanced on the top) weighs just 5g.

 

You'd need to eat 28 pieces of sushi to reach your 140g portion — or more, if you choose a mixed sushi box containing vegetarian¹² varieties.

 

Even 'fish' sushi boxes don't contain much. Marks & Spencer Fish Sushi Selection (191g, £4.68) has just 36g of fish, meaning you would have to eat four boxes and consume 1,184 calories to get one of your recommended fish portions.

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