Seitan is a high-protein processed food widely used by vegans and vegetarians. Throughout this text we are going to see everything that this food can provide us, how it is cooked, how we can eat it, the benefits it has and if it hides any important contraindications. It is well known for its high protein intake, in fact, in recent months it has become a constant in the diets of millions of athletes.
The good thing about seitan is that it is a quality process, as long as we know how to choose it when buying it already prepared. It is made from wheat and is low in fat and carbohydrates, but very rich in protein, reaching close to 25 grams of protein per 100 grams of seitan.
A food that combines perfectly with countless stews, vegetables, meat, fish, etc. as we will see throughout this text. We will start by looking at what it is and we will end with the main contraindications that this food has, and there are many.
What is it and how is it done?
Seitan is a preparation based on wheat gluten, and its appearance is very similar to meat, which is why it is known as vegetable meat. In addition, this food is very tasty, as long as it is of good quality and we know how to cook it well, since it is not only turned over and over in the pan, but we can mince garlic and parsley, as is done with veal, for example.
Seitan is made with soy sauce, kombu seaweed, and ginger, apart from wheat gluten. This perfect mix is the one that provides its nutritional values and that rich contribution of proteins. It is eaten cooked and allows us to mix it with other foods, whether of animal or vegetable origin. It is a tasty, healthy and protein-rich food, as we will see in the next section.
Nutritional values
The nutritional values of seitan are quite good. On the one hand, 100 grams of this food only have 120 calories, almost 25 grams of protein, 3,60 grams of carbohydrates, 1,50 grams of fat, half a gram of fiber and no cholesterol or sugars. These last two components refer to seitan alone, if we mix it with ultra-processed sauces, meats, fried foods, and so on, it is normal for them to add fat, cholesterol, and sugar.
Broadly speaking, the truth is that seitan is not very complete in vitamins and minerals, since it stands out mainly for being a healthy breath, easy to cook and very rich in protein. As for vitamins and minerals, we know that it is a source of group B vitamins and iron, an essential mineral for the normal functioning of the body.
We also have 150 mg of potassium and 60 mg of sodium, so if we have a diet low in potassium and/or sodium due to kidney problems, seitan is still not entirely recommended.
Services
The main benefit of seitan and for which it is famous is because it has become the perfect substitute for animal meat. It is also common to consume seitan in normal diets (without being vegan or vegetarian) due to its high protein content for training.
It helps to lose weight thanks to its low caloric intake, which is why it is used in weight loss diets, but it is best to combine it with vegetables to increase the nutritional value, otherwise, we could suffer certain deficiencies in the long term.
It may seem like a joke, but the consumption of seitan could improve the health of our heart, given the low percentage of salt and the fact that it is free of cholesterol. As long as we combine it well, since it is not the same to eat seitan with vegetables and rice, than seitan with macaroni, bacon, sausage, etc.
Contraindications
If we are celiac, we should not consume seitan, since it is made with wheat gluten, so it is 100% gluten and not suitable for celiacs. If we are only sensitive to gluten, we can develop adverse effects such as bloating, fatigue, loose stools, stomach pain, gas, general discomfort, etc.
It is not a very nutritious food either, so it needs to be combined with others, and although it looks like animal meat, it is not, and therefore it does not have the amino acids of meat of animal origin.
Be careful with the seitan that we buy in the store, since the vast majority is unnatural and has additives, colorings and unnecessary ingredients such as flavorings and others. The more natural it is, the better. We will notice it in its nutritional values and in its taste, of course. The low-quality ones are usually dry and even with gelatinous edges.
If we are diabetics, we should not consume seitan either. In addition, whether we are diabetic or not, it is not recommended to consume this vegetable meat or any other single n in large quantities, but it is better to combine it with cereals, vegetables, legumes and others. For the sake of our digestion and for providing nutritional value to our body.
How to eat?
Seitan is consumed in a thousand different ways. We have seen that it is a very beneficial food for the body, as long as it is of quality and we know how to combine it well and do not abuse quantities. Experts point out that we should not eat more than 100 grams of seitan a day and that the ideal are portions of 80 or 85 grams combined with beans, chickpeas, vegetable stew, stewed, cereals, pasta, etc.
We can also bread it, but that adds extra calories, so be careful. There are those who bread it with cheese, but all that is extra calories that we will have to spend later maintaining our exercise routine.
We can also eat seitan boiled, battered, stewed instead of using animal meat, baked, as a filling for empanadas, in pizzas, scrambled with vegetables, with eggs, in kebab-style wraps, etc. There are endless possibilities when it comes to consuming this vegetable meat, beyond going back and forth in a pan. What's more, if we do it like this, we have to remember to season it in conditions so that all the flavors explode in our mouths.