Calories in Sushi: a Typical Serving, Broken Down by Ingredient
Quick answer: A California roll made with 120 g of sushi rice, imitation crab, avocado and cucumber is about 245 kcal, with 5.8 g of protein and 4.1 g of fat. The seasoned rice is 71 % of the calories. A spicy tuna roll is about 315 kcal because of the mayonnaise, two pieces of salmon nigiri are about 110, and five slices of salmon sashimi (75 g) are about 155 kcal with 15 g of protein. A tablespoon of soy sauce adds only 8 kcal but about 880 mg of sodium.
A typical serving, ingredient by ingredient
Restaurants don't publish standard roll weights, so here is the roll we counted: one inside-out California roll with 120 g of cooked rice. Each ingredient comes from one USDA record (SR Legacy); the record number is in the first column, so you can repeat the calculation.
| Ingredient (USDA NDB No.) | Amount | kcal | Protein | Fat | Carbs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Short-grain white rice, cooked (20053) | 120 g | 155 | 2.8 g | 0.2 g | 34 g |
| Sugar, for the rice (19335) | 4.2 g (1 tsp) | 16 | 0 g | 0 g | 4.2 g |
| Vinegar, for the rice (02053) | 10 g (2 tsp) | 2 | 0 g | 0 g | 0.0 g |
| Nori (laver) (11446) | 1.3 g (½ sheet) | 0 | 0.1 g | 0.0 g | 0.1 g |
| Imitation crab (surimi) (15138) | 30 g | 29 | 2.3 g | 0.1 g | 4.5 g |
| Avocado (09037) | 25 g | 40 | 0.5 g | 3.7 g | 2.1 g |
| Cucumber, with peel (11205) | 20 g | 3 | 0.1 g | 0.0 g | 0.7 g |
| Total | 211 g | 245 | 5.8 g | 4.1 g | 46 g |
How it is calculated: value per 100 g × grams ÷ 100, summed across ingredients, and only the total is rounded. The rows are rounded for display, so they do not add up exactly. The sugar, vinegar and nori weights are the household measures in the USDA records (USDA lists 10 sheets of laver as 26 g). The 120 g of rice and the filling weights are amounts we chose; restaurant rolls vary. USDA has no record for rice vinegar, so distilled vinegar stands in for it; either way it adds about 2 kcal.
Where the calories come from: the rice with its sugar and vinegar is 71 % of the roll, the avocado 16 % and the imitation crab 12 %. The roll has only about 160 mg of sodium before any soy sauce.
Variations
Every roll below uses the same 120 g of seasoned rice and half a sheet of nori, unless the row says otherwise.
| Version | What's in it | kcal | Protein | Fat | Carbs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California roll | Base recipe above | 245 | 5.8 g | 4.1 g | 46 g |
| Salmon avocado roll | 40 g raw farmed Atlantic salmon (15236) + 25 g avocado | 300 | 12 g | 9.3 g | 41 g |
| Spicy tuna roll | 40 g raw yellowfin tuna (15127) + 1 tbsp mayonnaise, 13.8 g (04025) + ½ tsp sriracha (06631) | 315 | 13 g | 11 g | 39 g |
| Philadelphia roll | 30 g raw farmed salmon + 2 tbsp cream cheese, 29 g (01017) + 20 g cucumber | 340 | 11 g | 14 g | 41 g |
| Tuna roll, thin | 60 g rice + 30 g raw yellowfin tuna | 120 | 8.8 g | 0.3 g | 19 g |
| Salmon nigiri, 2 pieces | 20 g rice + 12 g raw farmed salmon per piece | 110 | 5.8 g | 3.3 g | 13 g |
| Tuna nigiri, 2 pieces | 20 g rice + 12 g raw yellowfin tuna per piece | 84 | 6.8 g | 0.2 g | 13 g |
| Salmon sashimi, 5 slices | 75 g raw farmed salmon, no rice | 155 | 15 g | 10 g | 0 g |
A typical sushi dinner of a California roll, a spicy tuna roll and a tablespoon of soy sauce is about 570 kcal, with about 20 g of protein and 1220 mg of sodium.
The rolls with the most protein per calorie are the plain fish ones. A thin tuna roll has 8.8 g of protein for 120 kcal. Salmon sashimi has 15 g for 155 kcal. A California roll has 5.8 g for 245.
What moves the number
- Rice. It is most of the calories in any roll. Cooked short-grain rice is 130 kcal per 100 g, so every extra 30 g of rice adds about 39 kcal. Rice is also why sashimi is so much lower than a roll with the same fish.
- Mayonnaise and cream cheese. One tablespoon of mayonnaise (13.8 g) is about 94 kcal, which is 30 % of a spicy tuna roll. Two tablespoons of cream cheese (29 g) add about 100 kcal to a Philadelphia roll.
- Which fish. Raw yellowfin tuna is 109 kcal per 100 g. Farmed Atlantic salmon is 208, and wild Atlantic salmon is 142. Cooked eel is 236 kcal per 100 g before any sauce.
- Fried rolls. Tempura rolls and crunchy toppings add fried batter. USDA has no record for a sushi tempura roll, so we did not put a number on it.
- Soy sauce. One tablespoon is about 8 kcal and 880 mg of sodium, more than five California rolls. Low-sodium soy sauce has about 510 mg per tablespoon. How much salt per day →
How to log it
Photo counts the pieces and tells nigiri from rolls and sashimi. It cannot see what's inside a roll (mayonnaise, cream cheese, tempura) or how much rice the restaurant uses. Add a voice note: "one spicy tuna roll, one California roll", or "salmon roll with cream cheese".
Voice works on its own if you name the rolls and pieces: "two salmon nigiri, two tuna nigiri and a California roll."
Name the sauce. "Spicy" and "crunchy" usually mean mayonnaise or fried bits, and those are what make one roll 245 kcal and another 315.
FAQ
How many calories are in a sushi roll? About 245 kcal for a California roll with 120 g of rice, and 300–340 kcal for salmon avocado, spicy tuna or Philadelphia rolls made with the same amount of rice. A thin tuna roll with half the rice is about 120 kcal.
How many calories are in a California roll? About 245 kcal, with 5.8 g of protein, 4.1 g of fat and 46 g of carbs. The seasoned rice is 71 % of the calories.
How many calories are in a piece of nigiri? About 54 kcal for one piece of salmon nigiri (20 g of rice and 12 g of farmed salmon) and about 42 kcal for tuna nigiri.
Is sushi good for weight loss? It can be. Sashimi and plain fish rolls give a lot of protein for the calories: five slices of salmon sashimi are about 155 kcal with 15 g of protein. Rolls with mayonnaise, cream cheese or tempura cost more, and the rice adds up quickly when you eat several rolls. Calorie deficit for weight loss →
Is sashimi lower in calories than sushi? Yes, because there is no rice. Five slices of salmon sashimi (75 g) are about 155 kcal. Put the same salmon on rice and every 100 g of cooked rice adds 130 kcal, plus the sugar in the seasoning.
Data: recipe calculation from USDA SR Legacy (NDB numbers): rice, white, short-grain, enriched, cooked (20053); sugars, granulated (19335); vinegar, distilled (02053); seaweed, laver, raw (11446); imitation crab, made from surimi (15138); avocados, raw (09037); cucumber, with peel, raw (11205); salmon, Atlantic, farmed, raw (15236); salmon, Atlantic, wild, raw (15076); tuna, yellowfin, raw (15127); mayonnaise, regular (04025); sriracha (06631); cream cheese (01017); eel, cooked, dry heat (15026); soy sauce (shoyu) (16123); soy sauce, low sodium (16424). Household weights from the same records. Values checked October 2026.
Related: Calories in rice · Calories in salmon · Calories in avocado
CalMePlease logs sushi from a photo of your plate plus a quick voice note about the rolls and the sauce, with protein and fat per meal. Free on the App Store.
