Not-so-fishy challenge comes to a close

IT’S low in fat and packed with nutrients but, even so, most people would shudder at the thought of eating sushi for 100 days in a row.

However, this is the challenge Alan Jones, from Barnsley, has set himself in a bid to raise money for the Marine Conservation Society.

The 23-year-old, an events administration assistant at Barnsley Civic, is set to finish his 100-day sushi-eating challenge next Tuesday, January 31.

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For more than three months he has eaten various types of the Japanese dish for both his lunch and dinner – though it’s not just about raw fish.

He said: “I try not to use as much fish because the main point is that this is raising money for the Marine Conservation Society.

“If I do eat fish I make sure that it’s sustainably sourced. But, still, I only eat fish around 10 per cent of the time, usually it’s meat or vegetables.”

Mr Jones said that he first got the idea after a post on the Barnsley Oriental Facebook page.

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He added: “It was about how buying ingredients in bulk quantities can save you money.

“I worked out how much ingredients I would need to make sushi for 100 days for lunch and dinner, and gave them a call.”

Before beginning the 100-day challenge, Mr Jones set himself a monthly budget of £80 for food and calculated that the basic ingredients of sushi rice, sushi vinegar and nori seaweed sheets would account for £30 of that.

That left £50 a month to spend on fillings such as chicken, turkey, vegetables and sustainably-caught tuna and salmon.

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He also went for a check-up with his GP in Barnsley – who advised him against undertaking the challenge and said that eating just one type of food could potentially lead to health complications.

However, Mr Jones pushed ahead nonetheless, eating a “normal” breakfast of cereal or toast before preparing sushi dishes in the afternoon and evening.

He said: “Sushi is a very healthy food. The nori seaweed most sushi is wrapped in is full of vitamins and minerals, and sushi tends to use a lot of oily fish like tuna and salmon, which is also very good for you in moderation.

“Sushi is not just about raw fish like most people think.

“You can make it with anything you like.

“It is eaten like we eat sandwiches in lots of countries.”

The biggest problem, Mr Jones said, is explaining his 100-day challenge to friends and family.

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He said: “Most people don’t understand that sushi isn’t just raw fish. It also can get a bit time-consuming when you have to prepare it every day.”

To sponsor Mr Jones’ challenge, visit his fundraising website at www.justgiving.com/100daysofsushi

The Marine Conservation Society says it promotes “marine wildlife protection, sustainable fisheries and clean seas and beaches.”