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Vegan Seafood Is On The Rise, But Is It Healthy? Experts Weigh In.

Samantha Schwab

Nov 22, 2023

Is packaged vegan seafood actually healthy?

According to Kristy Del Coro, MS, RDN, LDN, Culinary Nutritionist and co-founder of the Culinary Nutrition Collaborative, packaged vegan seafood can be an excellent source of lean protein and minerals such as calcium, iron and potassium. Most of the products are made from plant-based proteins, like soy, jackfruit, and mushrooms, which tend to be more nutrient-dense.

That being said, Del Coro says that vegan seafood is often made from more highly processed ingredients such as protein isolates (e.g. pea protein or soy protein), can be high in sodium from preservatives that are added during processing, and may contain gelling agents or emulsifiers (e.g. tapioca starch, xanthan gum, modified vegetable gums, and soy lecithin)....


If solely eating faux fish for the protein, there are other vegan sources of protein that are less processed, such as tempeh, a fermented soy product that is considered a whole food and complete protein. According to Del Coro, seitan, quinoa, buckwheat, and whole grains and legumes are also great ways to get protein that also naturally carry other essential nutrients along with them.

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