I am never without a package of WESTSOY Seitan, as it’s one of my favorite meat alternatives. Here’s some nutritional information:
Seitan (say-TAHN) is made from gluten. Gluten is the name of the insoluble protein in wheat, probably most familiar as the stuff that makes bread dough elastic. Known as “Seitan” in Japan, as “kofu” in China, and as “wheat meat” and “gluten” here in the U.S., seitan is a low fat, high protein, firm-textured meat substitute. It has been eaten in China, Japan, Korea, Russia and the Middle East for thousands of years. Gluten is often referred to in Chinese restaurants as “Buddha food”, because of the claim that it was developed by pacifist, vegetarian Buddhist monks as a meat substitute. It is a food rich in tradition as well as nutrition.
As a protein source, seitan contains about 31 grams of protein per 4 ounce serving (which means it has more plant protein per serving than tofu), provides a modest amount of B vitamins and iron and contains no saturated fat or cholesterol. A 3 1/2 ounce (100 gram) serving contains 118 calories, 18% protein and less than 1% unsaturated fat. The same amount of beef has 207 calories and 32.2% protein and is high in saturated fats.
So I plan to post a few recipes in my newsletter over the next few weeks on how I incorporate sietan into many delicious dishes. My favorite is corn-crusted seitan, which is really similar to fried chicken. Check out next Friday’s letter!
I haven’t used this particular product, but seitan itself has been a lifesaver for me. Last summer I decided to “go meat free” 5 days a week and that included the meals I prepared for my family. Over the summer, it was pretty easy to do, but in the winter months, I found seitan saved the day in many cases. My husband isn’t a huge fan of tofu unless I can hide it completely and I had to make sure my family was getting a healthy meal, complete with protein. I don’t think my husband would have stayed on the “meat free” plan if I hadn’t discovered seitan. Its a great product!