Sushi

If it's your first time, try a California roll. It's got crab in it, which is cooked so you don't have the "ew" factor; it's got avocado, which tastes really good with crab; and it's got cucumber, which makes a nice crunch in the middle of the creamy avocado. It's really pretty sitting there on your plate too: pink and green, like a tiny edible Lululemon display.

If you are way scared of raw fish, then get vegetable rolls. I've seen cucumber, asparagus, and/or avocado rolled up in rice.

Edamame. Those are soybeans, boiled in the shell and delivered to your table in a little bowl. You pop them out of the shell into your mouth. They're fun and full of protein.

I swore I never would try sea urchin but I did last week by mistake and when I realized what I had in my mouth I was too polite to yell "Yuck Ptew" in the middle of the restaurant ... and it was actually really good. So I was kind of shamefaced about my prejudice. But my point is, the "ew" factor can be pretty high even for people who have eaten sushi for years. Don't let anyone guilt you into eating something you don't want to. You can always go another time and try something new then.

Just avoid stuff with tempura, be aware of how much rice you're eating, be careful with the rolls as they are often filled with mayo, and try to stick to raw or grilled items. My boyfriend and I get a huge plate of salmon sashimi, a grilled squid appy, and one order of small maki to share just so we can have a bit of rice and avocado and roe and spicy mayo and all the good stuff while keeping it to a small portion. He can eat his weight in salmon sashimi, but I find a few pieces are very filling because salmon is a pretty rich, fatty fish.

Just had sushi with a colleague for lunch today. I always tell myself I am going to stick to certain things and not go overboard.. but it never happens! Enjoy yourself, throw in a longer work out tomorrow and don't sweat it! A first experience only happens once, so do it right! Must try a spicy tuna roll - Rainbow rolls are pretty stellar too.As others have said, Sashimi is a great option but hard to stick to and resist everything else.
Enjoy your meal!

I love sushi. Would just stay away from rolls with deep fried fillings such as shrimp tempura and soft shelled crab. Also limit the rolls containing mayonnaise such as California roll.

If you are low carbing, have sashimi and plain rice instead of sushi. Sushi rice is dressed in sweetened vinegar, with quite a lot of sugar dissolved into it. (According to my Japanese cookbook you actually have to warm the vinegar to get that quantity of sugar to dissolve in it.) Keep in mind that chirashi sushi (rice bowl topped with raw fish) is also made with sushi rice, and not plain rice.

A previous suggestion about miso soup was really good. Also Japanese salad dressings contain no oil so are very low calorie.

If you decide you are too squeamish for raw fish and want a cooked dish, teriyaki (in caramelized soy sauce) and sukyaki (braised) dishes are good. Avoid the katsu (breaded and deep fried) and tempura (very lightly battered and deep fried).

Hope you enjoy it.