Meat & Seafood Archives – Choosing Nutrition

Originally made as a cheaper version of real crab meat, imitation crab is lower protein and higher in sodium. Still, most fake or imitation crab brands taste, cook, and look like real deal crab. Is Imitation Crab a vegan food? No, Imitation Crab is not vegan. Imitation crab consists of pulverized fish, either crab or crab flavor, coloring, and several other ingredients. The best vegan alternatives to imitation crab include Native Forest Organic Hearts of Palm, Edward & Sons Organic Young Jackfruit, Wildwood Organic Firm Tofu, Franklin Farms Organic Original Tempeh, and Lightlife Original Tempeh. In this article, we will discuss the nutritional value of imitation crab meat, as well as nutritious vegan alternatives. Let's dig in! Is Crab Meat Healthy? Crab has great health benefits. Crab is healthy because it is a lean protein that is loaded with nutrients. Many athletes will eat crab to increase their stamina while competing. Crab meat is also chalk full of folates, iron, selenium, and zinc. All important building blocks in protein retention and overall immune system support. Crab is high in Vitamin B12. Vitamin B12 is especially good for women’s metabolisms. Vitamin B12 can also help increase the fatty acids in your system which supports brain health. Brain cognition needs loads of healthy amino and fatty acids like omega 3s. Selenium and zinc in crab meat are immune system pillars. Both of these nutrients are known to stave off cancer causing cells and bacteria. Crab meat has three times higher amounts of selenium that red meat. And consuming high amounts of zinc and B12 on a standard basis can help to heal infections and wounds faster. Crab contains some fat, but it is mostly unsaturated fat. Consuming low saturated fat foods is good for your heart. Crab meat has a low caloric value with about 80 calories per 100 grams of crab meat. And only 0.2% of fat daily value in a serving of crab meat. Imitation Crab Nutritional Information Alaska Delights™ Flake Style Imitation Crab Here is a list of ingredients for Alaska Delights™ Flake Style Imitation Crab: Alaska Pollock (fish) Water Potato starch Sugar Sea salt Natural flavor (Alaska Pollock essence) Canola oil Paprika oleoresin Lycopene (color) Citric acid Nutrition summary: Calories 80 Fat 5g Carbs 10g Protein 7g Sugars 2g There are 80 calories ½ cup serving of Alaska Delights™ Flake Style Imitation Crab. This food is not vegan. This imitation crab is made from fish. Meijer Imitation Crab Meat The Meijer Imitation Crab Meat is made from a blend of pollock fish and king crab meat. The use of seafood in this imitation crab meat makes this item not vegan. Here is a list of ingredients for Meijer Imitation Crab Meat: Alaska Pollock (fish) Water Corn starch Egg Whites Sea salt King Crab Meat Fish Oil Rice Wine Yam Flour Carrageenan Potassium Chloride Carmine Paprika Disodium Inosinate Lycopene (color) Nutrition summary: Calories 80 Fat 0g Carbs 14g Protein 6g Sugars 3g There are 80 calories ½ cup or 85g per serving of Meijer Imitation Crab Meat. It is clear after reviewing the ingredient lists for these two products, that imitation crab is not vegan. In fact, most imitation crab meat products still contain real crab making it unsafe for those with a shellfish allergy. The use of eggs and random fish, usually pollock, also renders imitation crab meat not vegan. Let’s move along to foods that makes a great seafood substitute for vegans. We have a list of a few below and products that are available for purchase. We have also listed two of each item with nutritional values for comparison. And to assist you in finding the best vegan alternative for crab. Vegan Crab Alternatives There are some great vegan seafood alternatives to use in place of imitation crab. Here is a list of a few options to try out: Instead of Imitation Crab try: Hearts of Palm Shredded Jack Fruit Firm Tofu Tempeh Artichoke Hearts Native Forest Organic Hearts of Palm Hearts of Palm have been likened to the texture and flavor of artichoke hearts. They are kept in a brine or liquid either jarred ort canned. Hearts of Palm are known to assist in digestion, weight loss, stabilize blood sugar levels, and are high in iron to help with anemia. Here is a list of ingredients for Native Forest Organic Hearts of Palm: Organic wild hearts of palm Water Salt Citric acid Ascorbic acid Nutrition summary: Calories 190 Fat 1g Carbs 46g Protein 4g There are _ calories 28g or 1 ounce of Native Forest Organic Hearts of Palm. These hearts of palm are Rainforest Friendly, Organic, Vegan, and Gluten Free. Reese's Hearts of Palm Here is a list of ingredients for Reese's Hearts of Palm: Hearts of Palm Water Citric Acid Salt Nutrition summary: Calories 35 Fat 0g Carbs 6g Protein 3g Sodium 240mg There are 35 calories in ½ cup of Reese's Hearts of Palm. Aroy-D Young Green Jackfruit This jackfruit comes in a can stored in brine. Kept fully hydrated, this type of jackfruit resembles crab meat for meatless crab cakes the best. Here is the ingredient list for Aroy-D Young Green Jackfruit: Jackfruit Water Salt Citric Acid Nutrition summary: Calories 40 Fat 1g Carbs 3g Protein 4g Sodium 49mg There are 40 calories in 100g of Aroy-D Young Green Jackfruit. This product is fully vegan. Edward & Sons Organic Young Jackfruit This vegan and meatless young jackfruit is a great sub for any chewy seafood like clams or crab. The ingredients for Edward & Sons Organic Young Jackfruit: Organic young jackfruit Nutrition summary: Calories 40 Fat 0g Carbs 9g Protein 2g Sodium 10mg There are 40 calories ½ cup of Edward & Sons Organic Young Jackfruit. This jackfruit seafood alternative is soy and gluten free. Mori-Nu Silken Extra Firm Tofu Tofu is a time tested and approved seafood alterative for a vegan diet. The texture can be similar to a delicate fish. The ingredients in Mori-Nu Silken Extra Firm Tofu are: Soymilk Gluconic Delta Lactone (dairy free coagulant) Calcium Chloride Nutrition summary: Calories 45 Fat 5g Carbs 1g Protein 7g Sodium 45mg There are 45 calories in 85g or 3 ounces of Mori-Nu Silken Extra Firm Tofu. Wildwood Organic Firm Tofu The ingredients in Wildwood Organic Firm Tofu are: Filtered Water Sprouted Organic Soybeans Calcium Sulfate Magnesium Chloride Nutrition summary: Calories 45 Fat 5g Carbs 1g Protein 9g Sodium 15mg There are 45 calories in 85g or 3 ounces of Wildwood Organic Firm Tofu. Lightlife Original Tempeh Tempeh is another soybean product often with the addition of a starch or gluten ingredient to make it chewier like shrimp or lobster. The ingredients for Lightlife Original Tempeh are: Cultured Organic Soybeans Water Organic Brown Rice Nutrition summary: Calories 160 Fat 5g Carbs 12g Protein 18g Sodium 0mg There are 160 calories in 84g or 3 ounces in Lightlife Original Tempeh. Franklin Farms Organic Original Tempeh The ingredients for Franklin Farms Organic Original Tempeh are: Cultured Organic Soybeans Water Nutrition summary: Calories 170 Fat 7g Carbs 10g Protein 17g Sodium 0mg There are 170 calories in 84g or 3 ounces in Franklin Farms Organic Original Tempeh. This tempeh is gluten free. Cento Quartered Artichoke Hearts These artichoke hearts come in a can stored in brine. Here is the ingredient list for Cento Quartered Artichoke Hearts: Artichoke Hearts Water Salt Citric Acid Nutrition summary: Calories 30 Fat 0g Carbs 6g Protein 2g Sodium 240mg There are 30 calories in 80g of Cento Quartered Artichoke Hearts. Les Moulins Mahjoub Artichoke Hearts The Les Moulins Mahjoub Artichoke Hearts are stored in a jar with olive oil instead of a high sodium brine. These artichoke heats are also organic. The ingredients for Les Moulins Mahjoub Artichoke Hearts: Organic Artichoke Hearts Olive Oil Garlic Salt Laurel or Bay Leaf Clove Nutrition summary: Calories 57 Fat 4g Carbs 3g Protein 2g Sodium 35mg There are 57 calories in 50g of Les Moulins Mahjoub Artichoke Hearts. Final Thoughts There are great vegan options that can mimic seafood and shellfish. Whether you are making sushi, “clam” chowder, or “crab” cakes there is a plant-based option that will work as an alternative. To review the plant-based options for crab substitution there are: Native Forest Organic Hearts of Palm Reese's Hearts of Palm Aroy-D Young Green Jackfruit Edward & Sons Organic Young Jackfruit Mori-Nu Silken Extra Firm Tofu Wildwood Organic Firm Tofu Lightlife Original Tempeh Franklin Farms Organic Original Tempeh Cento Quartered Artichoke Hearts Les Moulins Mahjoub Artichoke Hearts Imitation crab is not vegan and contains fish, real crab, and sometimes eggs. For these reasons imitation crab or Krab is not vegan. We hope that you find a vegan alternative to fulfill your cooking needs with our list of vegan alternatives. Related Questions Is there gluten in Imitation Crab? There are some brands of fake or imitation crab that have gluten ingredients. Some ingredients to be cautious of are: artificial crab flavoring, wheat, soy/corn, yeast extract, and hydrolyzed soy protein. The brand TransOcean has gluten-free options for imitation crab available. Is Imitation Crab keto? No. Imitation crab includes sugars and additives making it no suitable for a keto diet. Related Guides Are Scallops Vegan? Is Eel Sauce Vegan? Is Soy Sauce Vegan?