How many kilojoules are in sushi?
A plain salmon or tuna roll of six to eight pieces is about 1,050 to 1,250 kJ (251 to 299 Cal) - a fairly light lunch, because most of a roll is rice at about 700 kJ per 100 g. The rolls that stop being light are the fried ones: a prawn tempura or chicken katsu roll is about 2,100 to 2,250 kJ, from the batter and the mayonnaise. So sushi isn't one number - it's the filling and the sauce that decide it. Energy's in kilojoules on the label, so you can see it without any converting or any diet talk.
Key numbers
- Sushi rice ~700 kJ/100 g - most of a roll is rice
- Plain salmon or tuna roll ~1,050 to 1,250 kJ
- Tempura or katsu roll ~2,100 to 2,250 kJ
- Spicy / crunchy mayo adds ~400 kJ a roll
- Soy sauce is almost no kJ but ~330 mg sodium a packet
Sushi rolls by the number
| Roll (6 to 8 pieces, ~180 g) | Energy | Calories |
|---|---|---|
| Avocado roll | ~1,100 kJ | 263 Cal |
| Tuna roll | ~1,050 kJ | 251 Cal |
| Salmon avocado roll | ~1,250 kJ | 299 Cal |
| Teriyaki chicken roll | ~1,350 kJ | 323 Cal |
| Crunchy / spicy mayo roll | ~2,000 kJ | 478 Cal |
| Prawn tempura roll | ~2,100 kJ | 502 Cal |
| Chicken katsu roll | ~2,250 kJ | 538 Cal |
| Sashimi, 6 pieces (no rice) | ~500 kJ | 120 Cal |
What moves the number
| Add or swap | Change |
|---|---|
| Soy sauce, 1 packet | ~+15 kJ, ~330 mg sodium |
| Spicy mayo drizzle (~20 g) | ~+420 kJ |
| Tempura or katsu vs a raw filling | ~+800 to 1,000 kJ a roll |
| Swap white rice for brown | about the same kJ, more fibre |
| Edamame side (~80 g) | ~+250 kJ, high protein |
| Miso soup (1 bowl) | ~+150 kJ |
Reading the sushi train without a lecture
- Most of a roll is rice. Cooked sushi rice is about 700 kJ per 100 g, so a six-to-eight-piece roll is 1,000 kJ-plus before the filling. That's why even a "light" roll isn't zero, and why sashimi - fish, no rice - is the lowest number.
- Fried is the jump. Tempura and katsu add batter and oil, and usually mayonnaise with it, so a fried roll is roughly double a raw-fish roll. It's the single biggest swap on the fridge.
- Mayo is the hidden one. Spicy and crunchy rolls get their flavour from mayonnaise, which is mostly oil - a drizzle is about 420 kJ. A plain salmon or tuna roll skips it.
- Soy sauce is salt, not energy. A packet is only about 15 kJ but roughly 330 mg of sodium, so if anything's worth watching with sushi it's the salt, not the kilojoules.
- It's lunch, not a budget. Knowing the number just lets you pick the salmon roll, the katsu or both on purpose, and get on with your day.
Stop guessing the number
OzCal logs a sushi lunch in about five seconds: snap it, scan the barcode or search it - or just say "a salmon avocado roll and miso soup". Kilojoules the way the label shows them, on 86,112 verified Australian foods.
Common questions
How many kilojoules in a sushi roll?
A plain salmon or tuna roll (6 to 8 pieces) is about 1,050 to 1,250 kJ. A fried roll - prawn tempura or chicken katsu - is about 2,100 to 2,250 kJ. Most of a plain roll is rice, at about 700 kJ per 100 g.
Is sushi low in kilojoules?
A raw-fish or veg roll is a fairly light lunch - mostly rice with lean fish. The rolls that aren't light are the fried ones and anything with spicy or crunchy mayo, which adds 800 to 1,000 kJ.
Which sushi has the lowest kilojoules?
Sashimi (fish, no rice), then tuna, salmon and avocado rolls at around 1,050 to 1,250 kJ. Tempura, katsu and spicy mayo rolls are the highest.
Does soy sauce add kilojoules?
Almost none - a packet is about 15 kJ. The catch is sodium, roughly 330 mg a packet, so it's the salt to watch, not the energy.
Is brown rice sushi lower in kilojoules?
About the same. Cooked brown and white rice are both near 700 kJ per 100 g, so brown-rice sushi is a similar number with more fibre.
Keep reading
Citing this page. OzCal (2026). "Sushi Kilojoules: Which Roll Is the Big Number? | OzCal". Retrieved from https://ozcal.com.au/kilojoules/sushi. Last updated 2026-10-03. Figures are per the serve stated in each row, converted at 1 Cal = 4.184 kJ.