🇯🇵 Japanese
Cucumber-Avocado Maki Rolls
⏱ 35 min
🍞 ~18g (4 pieces / half roll)
🍽 4 (2 rolls, 8 pieces each) servings
⭐ 4/5
⚠️ Estimates only — not medical advice. Carb counts vary by brand and portion. Always verify with your endo or CDCES.
🌍 Cultural note
Maki ("rolled") sushi is the most popular sushi style outside Japan, and cucumber rolls (kappa maki) are the classic kid intro to sushi. We're using a lower-rice ratio — about half the rice of restaurant rolls — so kids can still get the rolling experience without the carb landmine.
Why this recipe is T1D-friendly
- Restaurant sushi rolls hide 40-50g carbs per roll thanks to all that sticky rice. This version cuts rice in half
- Avocado adds healthy fat that slows the glucose curve
- Easy to bolus: 4 pieces = 18g, predictable every time
- Sashimi-style option below for near-zero carbs
Ingredients
- 1 cup cooked sushi rice, cooled (44g total — half what a restaurant uses)
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar (0g)
- 1 tsp monk fruit sweetener (0g)
- 1/2 tsp salt (0g)
- 2 nori sheets (1g each)
- 1 small cucumber, julienned (4g total)
- 1 ripe avocado, sliced (8g total)
- Optional: 4 oz sushi-grade salmon or cooked shrimp (0g)
- Low-sodium soy sauce for dipping (1g per tbsp)
- Pickled ginger (1g per tbsp)
Directions
- Stir rice vinegar, monk fruit, and salt into warm rice. Let cool to room temp.
- Lay a nori sheet shiny-side down on a bamboo mat (or parchment paper).
- Wet your hands. Spread 1/2 cup rice over the bottom 2/3 of the nori in a thin layer — you should still see nori through it. This is the key to lower carbs.
- Line cucumber and avocado strips across the middle. Add salmon if using.
- Lift the mat from the bottom edge, tuck the fillings, and roll forward firmly. Seal the top edge with a wet finger.
- Slice into 8 pieces with a wet sharp knife. Repeat with second roll.
- Serve with soy sauce and pickled ginger.
Dash's kid tips 🐆
- Let your kid be the "sushi master" — wet hands and rolling the mat is the fun part
- Picky eaters? Just do cucumber + avocado, no fish — still authentic
- Tear nori into mini squares and let them make "sushi tacos" with the toppings on top