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Is sushi keto? No, but I have a way to make sushi keto-friendly…..with these two words, “Minnesota Sushi.”

And I’m still laughing over the words, Minnesota Sushi.

If you’ve never heard them, then you’ll likely understand why after I share with you more about it.

But first….

Is Sushi Keto?

Traditional sushi uses some form of sticky rice. When you’re shopping at the grocery store, the bag will be labeled “sushi rice,” “calrose rice,” or the like. 

The best rice for sushi is short-grain Japanese rice — this is what’s in the bags labeled “sushi rice” at the store.

This glutinous rice has a higher starch content than other varieties, which gives it the sticky texture you’re after when you make sushi.

Actually, it’s one of the most important ingredients for this Japanese dish.

The sticky rice is what holds it all together, perfectly intact.

And I love this rice, but it’s high carb and definitely not part of a ketogenic diet.

1 cup of sticky rice contains 37 grams of carbohydrates, which won’t fit into the daily carbohydrate budget for the keto lifestyle.

That being said, here are the other pieces to traditional sushi rolls:

• nori sheet
• a raw fish like salmon
• vegetables like carrots and cucumbers
• avocado
• sweet sauces or soy sauce
• sometimes​ a cream cheese
• sesame seeds

Some of those ingredients could make for naturally keto-friendly sushi.

But overall, and mostly due to the white rice, no.

What is the Ketogenic Diet?

According to Healthline, there are several versions of the ketogenic diet, including:

STANDARD KETOGENIC DIET (SKD):

This is a very low-carb, moderate-protein and high-fat diet. It typically contains 75% fat, 20% protein and only 5% carbs.

CYCLICAL KETOGENIC DIET (CKD):

This diet involves periods of higher-carb refeeds, such as 5 ketogenic days followed by 2 high-carb days.

TARGETED KETOGENIC DIET (TKD):

This diet allows you to add carbs around workouts.

HIGH-PROTEIN KETOGENIC DIET:

This is similar to a standard ketogenic diet, but includes more protein. The ratio is often 60% fat, 35% protein and 5% carbs.

Only the standard and high-protein ketogenic diets have been studied extensively.

So How Can I Get Regular Sushi with Low-Carb Alternatives?

I’m presenting two ways today.

One way would be to swap the high-carb ingredients for low-carb options. 

And the other way is to just make Minnesota Sushi 🙂

If you want to simply swap, then here’s how you could do it:

1. Swap the traditional rice, the white, sticky rice for a cauliflower rice mixture.
2. Use the sheet of nori as usual
3. Choose a vegetable without a lot of carbs: cucumber would be my first choice
4. For the sauce, use plain soy sauce (better yet, gluten-free soy sauce) or if you want something sweeter, consider coconut aminos as a great option for low-carb
5. Cream cheese is definitely part of a keto diet, so keep that, if desired (I might suggest a better alternative like Miyoko’s Cream Cheese)
6. And of course, keep the sesame seeds + avocado!

That’s how you can have traditional sushi on a low-carb diet.

But if you just like the idea of a rolled snack for your low carb diet, consider the Minnesota Sushi.

Desperate for a Snack

A couple weeks back, my fridge looked pathetic and the kids wanted a snack before we headed out. I opened the door and found some lunch meat, mayo, and a few pickles. I remembered a little snack (also an appetizer) I’ve had several times over the years.

You take that lunch meat, spread cream cheese over it, and insert pickles. Then you roll it up, and bam – you have a snack.

Well we rarely eat cream cheese because of the dairy factor (except for Miyoko’s) so that wasn’t an option at the time.

The mayo was an option. I swapped in the mayo for the cream cheese, and delivered to the children (and myself). 

Ryan had just left for a work trip, so I sent him a Marco Polo (with my face stuffed obv), and told him all about the brilliance of this snack. He Marco’d me back, and said,

Yes, it’s called Minnesota Sushi.

I literally spit my water out because I was laughing so hard. In all these years, I had never heard that term. Google it, though, and you’ll see.

It’s also commonly referred to as “the pickle roll-up.” 

That makes sense, and isn’t that funny, but Minnesota Sushi? Classic.

p.s. The next time I made this, we did use the Miyoko’s cream cheese and it was fantastic!

Minnesota and California Sushi

Here’s the deal, after living on the West coast for 11 years, I wasn’t afraid to admit (once I had been back to Minnesota a couple months) that I had been living in the California Bubble. 

Before moving out West, I never ate Sushi. I didn’t even really know what it was. Out there, though, it could have been a 5th food group for us. We had access to everything, and thus my sushi cravings were always met. 

I was thinking, while noshing on my Minnesota Sushi, about how (funny!) vastly different Sushi and Minnesota Sushi are; two completely different lives. 

I thought about the comments people have made to me over the years. Those from here, “You’re so lucky you lived in California; I’d love to move there.” 

And those from California, “Why would you ever move back to the Midwest; it’s so dull, cold, and basic there?” 

And it’s funny using those comments and the two different Sushi’s as metaphors for both. 

I couldn’t care less about all the upscale, delish Sushi in the world at this point (by the way, go to Minneapolis and you’ll find Sushi that rivals Sushi found in California). 

Nope. I’m totally cool being basic – killin’ it with this Minnesota Sushi.

Minnesota Sushi

Click HERE to save this article on ‘Is Sushi Keto?” + the Minnesota Sushi for later.

Even though I’m all about the Minnesota Sushi, I’m still not interested in just buying any old lunch meat and mayo. 

For these, I used:

1. Applegate Ham
2. Applegate Turkey (no, these are not traditional, but we love them using turkey instead of ham, too)
3. Sir Kensington’s Classic Mayo (an alternative would be their Avocado Oil Mayo)
4. plain pickles (the ones this time were the Tru brand, but usually we buy Bubbies Pickles)

Before anyone gets in a tizzy about these being “uncommon” foods and hard-to-find, I’ll let you know where I got each:

1. Applegate – Found at Hy Vee (in Owatonna, Mankato, and Shakopee). They have been on sale lately for $3.99 a pack, so I will buy like 5 or more, and freeze what we won’t use in a week.
2. Sir Kensington’s – Found at Walmart in Waseca. Yes, it’s true. Just go where the mayo is.
3. pickles – I got the Tru brand at Hy Vee (same as above)

These ARE Keto Sushi Rolls

With the Minnesota Sushi, there are almost no grams of carbs.

If you’re watching your carb intake for whatever reason, these are the perfect pick-me-up snack to rival traditional low-carb sushi rolls. 

And best of all? It’s such a simple recipe that contains protein and fat, which I have found to have massive health benefits for stabilizing blood sugar. 

Best Option with What You Have

I continue to do the best with what we have in a 30-mile radius.

There is no recipe card for these little delights. It’s so simple. Lay out your ham or turkey, coat with mayo, place little pickles inside, roll up, cut, and enjoy. 

Here is how easy it is to make them.

Click HERE to save the video for later.

Now listen, you know you want to make these ASAP. If you are Gutsy like me, know that they are: low-FODMAP, low-carb, gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, corn-free, sugar-free, and grain-free. 

They are Paleo-ish (the Mayo is where the -ish part comes in for me). The Mayo has egg in it, so they are not egg free. 

If you don’t want egg, you could sub in Just Mayo (It’s also found at Walmart, but I don’t like the ingredient list as much in that one, way too many ingredients). OR just swap out the mayo all together and use the non-dairy cream cheese.

I hope you love this little snack idea.

Serve it at your next party, no matter where you live. Even if you get a silent eye roll or two, they will be gone because they are so d#$% good.

If you liked this article on is sushi keto, you might also enjoy:

1. Best Electrolyte Supplements for Keto
2. Personalized Weight Loss Plan for My Body
3. Healthy Fats

Xox,
SKH