Calories in Spring Rolls with Fresh Shrimp

Spring roll calories are low, and the appetizer offers health benefits from its protein and calcium content. A popular delicacy in Asian cuisines, fresh spring rolls differ from typical egg rolls because you don't fry them. Instead, the ingredients get precooked before they are wrapped.

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Gi cun (also known as spring rolls) contain 100 calories for three pieces, which includes shrimp, according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). A Vietnamese appetizer, spring rolls include healthy ingredients such as:

• Rice paper made from rice flour, water and salt. The rice paper doesn't get fried like traditional egg rolls. This keeps the ingredients fresh and full of nutrients.
  
  
• A host of vegetables, such as cabbage, cucumber and lettuce, which are loaded with vitamin C to keep you from getting sick, and vitamin K, which helps prevent blood clots and excessive bleeding.
  
  
• Fresh cilantro. In a June 2015 study from Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Biomedicine, researchers found that cilantro can help fight off infections due to its antimicrobial properties and antibacterial compounds.
  
  
• Rice noodles. According to the USDA, rice noodles don't have any cholesterol, no lipid fats, no fatty acid and no sugars. They also contain white rice flour rather than the standard wheat flour and eggs like a lot of Asian noodles do. This makes rice noodles friendly for gluten-free dieters.
  
  
• Sauces that include hoisin, peanut butter and healthy ginger. Researchers in a March 2016 study from Integrative Medicine Insights stated that ginger has been used since ancient times as a remedy for gastrointestinal issues. They also found that ginger can help prevent nausea and vomiting in pregnant women and during chemotherapy treatment.
  
  
• Lean proteins such as shrimp, tofu and crab. You can easily turn spring rolls into a vegetarian appetizer by leaving these out.

Vietnamese spring rolls nutrition includes the following:

• 4 grams of protein to regulate the body's tissues and organs
• 20.2 milligrams of calcium for strong bones
• 1 gram of fiber for proper bowel function
• 1.2 milligrams of vitamin C for a healthy immune system

However, you will find a few unhealthy elements of spring rolls. Consuming three spring roll pieces will give you 6 grams of sugars, 135 milligrams of sodium (8 percent of your recommended daily value) and 30.2 milligrams of cholesterol (9 percent of your recommended daily value). Because of the high amount of cholesterol and sodium, you might want to limit your consumption to the USDA recommended serving size of three pieces.

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If must have the outer crunch of the classic, fried egg roll, you can try these alternate cooking methods to keep the food healthy:

Air fry the spring rolls. You simply spoon your vegetable and shrimp concoction onto the spring roll and brush the corners with water to make them stick. According to a December 2017 study from the Journal of Food Science, air fryers present an alternative thermal process for cooking fish, which is both more convenient and healthier than using oil.

You can also grill the proteins to make the spring roll warm, as an egg roll would be. You could try grilling the shrimp and immediately transferring them onto the rice paper and eating them right away. Foodsafety.gov says you should cook the shrimp until the flesh is pearly or white for safe eating. Raw seafood can contain toxins such as mercury or bacteria. But grills marks are welcome.

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