Edible seaweed is considered a sea vegetable, along with algae such as wakame, arame, nori, dulse, kombu, Irish moss, spirulina, and kelp. Nori is one of the most common seaweeds, especially for dry shelf stable snacking as it dries out into a crunchy satisfying sheet that is fun to eat. But is this sea vegetable vegan friendly?
Yes, seaweed is vegan. Since seaweed or algae are considered to be sea vegetables, they are the same as a land vegetable. The best vegan seaweed options include gimMe Organic Roasted Seaweed Sheets, SeaSnax Organic Roasted Seaweed Snacks, Thailand Organic Sushi Nori or gimMe Sushi Nori, and seaweed salads such as SeaVegi Seaweed Salad or Azuma Seaweed Salad.
In this article, we’ll discuss the nutritional value of seaweed and highlight top vegan seaweed brands. Let’s dig in!
Contents
Seaweed: A Vegan Food
Scientists are constantly discovering new types of seaweeds and algae. Seaweed is rich in antioxidants and vitamins, and it is considered paleo and keto friendly. There are great seaweed snack options, as well as seaweed salads to consume.
Seaweed is widely used in Japanese and other coastal Asian cuisines. Seaweed is salty and chewy in taste when fresh. And crunchy or hard when seaweed is dried. Seaweed is full of savory and umami flavors. Seaweed is packed with antioxidants, omega-3’s, iodine, potassium, and magnesium. Seaweed is also full of essential vitamins like vitamin A, B12, B6, C, zinc, and iron. With over 10,000 species of seaweed there is a lot to choose from. Listed below are commonly used edible seaweed varieties.
Types of Edible Seaweed
- Wakame: a type of brown algae that is used in salads, soups, and as a dried snack.
- Kelp or Kombu: brown algae used to make potent broths for use in favorites like miso soup. It’s also used as an alternative flavoring to MSG.
- Nori: a type of red algae that is mostly used for wrapping sushi, dried as a crunchy snack, or as a shredded topping for rice.
- Dulse: a type of red algae that is served fresh and has a very chewy texture.
- Spirulina: a green alga that is widely found in powder form and is used to color smoothies a blue hue.
- Chlorella: a green alga that is often taken as a supplement for blood sugar regulation and heart health.
- Arame: look like dark green or black noodles and is typically used in seaweed salads.
- Irish moss: a very fun textured seaweed that is reminiscent of frilly lettuce, often served fresh in salad, or dried as a snack.
Seaweed Snacks
Crunchy, crispy, salty, and fun to eat, seaweed snacks are healthy to-go option. Here are some top brands of seaweed snacks on the market.
Top Brands of Seaweed Snacks
- gimMe Organic Roasted Seaweed Sheets
- Jayone Seaweed, Roasted and Lightly Salted
- Annie Chun’s Organic Seaweed
- SeaSnax Organic Roasted Seaweed Snacks
- Kimnori Organic Seasoned Roasted Seaweed Snacks
- Choi’s 1 Daechun Seaweed Snacks
- Seaweed Love All-Natural Roasted Seaweed
gimMe Organic Roasted Seaweed Sheets
Here is a list of ingredients for gimMe Organic Roasted Seaweed Sheets:
- Organic Seaweed
- Organic Sunflower Oil
- Sea Salt
Nutrition summary:
- Calories 25
- Fat 2g
- Carbs 1g
- Protein 1g
- Fiber 1g
- Sodium 50mg
There are 25 calories 5g of gimMe Organic Roasted Seaweed Sheets. This organic seaweed snack option is high in vitamin C and low in carbohydrates.
Jayone Seaweed, Roasted and Lightly Salted
Here is a list of ingredients for Jayone Seaweed, Roasted and Lightly Salted:
- Seaweed
- Non-GMO Corn Oil
- Non-GMO Expeller Pressed Sesame Oil
- Non-GMO Expeller Pressed Perilla Oil
- Salt
Nutrition summary:
- Calories 20
- Fat 2g
- Carbs 1g
- Protein 1g
- Fiber 1g
- Sodium 50mg
There are 20 calories 5g of Jayone Seaweed, Roasted and Lightly Salted. This seaweed snack is a no sugar, no preservatives, and no trans fat option.
Annie Chun’s Organic Seaweed
Here is the ingredient list for Annie Chun’s Organic Seaweed, Sea Salt Flavor:
- Organic Seaweed
- Organic Sunflower Oil
- Sea Salt
- Organic Rosemary Oleoresin
- Organic Olive Oil
Nutrition summary:
- Calories 30
- Fat 2g
- Carbs 1g
- Protein 1g
- Fiber 1g
- Sodium 50mg
There are 30 calories 5g of Annie Chun’s Organic Seaweed, Sea salt. This seaweed snack in non-GMO and organic certified.
SeaSnax Organic Roasted Seaweed Snacks
The ingredients for SeaSnax Organic Roasted Seaweed Snacks are:
- Organic Seaweed
- Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Sea salt
Nutrition summary:
- Calories 15
- Fat 2g
- Carbs 0g
- Protein 3g
- Fiber 0g
- Sodium 40mg
There are 15 calories in 5g of SeaSnax Organic Roasted Seaweed Snacks. Gluten-free, Vegan, and non-GMO Seasnax is a great seaweed choice.
Kimnori Organic Seasoned Roasted Seaweed Snacks
The ingredients for Kimnori Organic Seasoned Roasted Seaweed Snacks, sea salt flavor:
- Organic Seaweed
- Organic Sunflower Oil
- Sea Salt
Nutrition summary:
- Calories 20
- Fat 0g
- Carbs 1g
- Protein 1g
- Fiber 1g
- Sodium 50mg
There are 20 calories 4 g of Kimnori Organic Seasoned Roasted Seaweed Snacks, Sea Salt Flavor. Kimnori snacks are made in the USA, non-GMO verified, gluten free certified, organic certified, low in calories, low in fat, and no MSG used.
Choi’s 1 Daechun Seaweed Snacks
The ingredients in Choi’s 1 Daechun Seaweed Snacks are:
- Organic Seaweed Laver
- Organic Sunflower Oil
- Organic Sesame Oil
- Salt
Nutrition summary:
- Calories 20
- Fat 1g
- Carbs 2g
- Protein 1g
- Fiber 1g
- Sodium 35mg
There are 20 calories in 4g Choi’s 1 Daechun Seaweed Snacks. The Choi’s seaweed snack is very low in sodium. It is a product of Korea.
Seaweed Love All-Natural Roasted Seaweed
The ingredients in Seaweed Love All-Natural Roasted Seaweed are:
- Seaweed
- sea salt
- corn oil
- sesame oil
Nutrition summary:
- Calories 25
- Fat 5g
- Carbs 4g
- Protein 4g
- Fiber 0g
- Sodium 40mg
There are 25 calories in 5g of Seaweed Love All-Natural Roasted Seaweed. Not an organic seaweed product and also the highest in fat and carbohydrates from our list of top brand seaweed snacks.
Nori Seaweed Sheets
Nori is unseasoned dried or roasted seaweed sold in sheets. Typically used for wrapping musubi and sushi, making seaweed soup, or producing rice balls. If you are looking for a topping or snack that is low in oil and salt usage, then plain nori sheets are a great alternative to a “seaweed snack pack”. Here are some top brands of nori seaweed sheets.
Top Brands of Nori Sheets
- Yatta Sushi Nori
- KIMNORI Sushi Nori Premium Roasted Seaweed
- Best of Thailand Organic Sushi Nori
- gimMe Sushi Nori
- Yamamotoyama Roasted Sushi Nori Seaweed Original
Yatta Sushi Nori, Roasted Seaweed, Full Sheet
The ingredients in Yatta Sushi Nori, Roasted Seaweed are:
- Nori seaweed
Nutrition summary:
- Calories 10
- Fat 0g
- Carbs 5g
- Protein 1g
- Fiber 5g
- Sodium 15mg
There are 10 calories in 2.5g of Yatta Sushi Nori, Roasted Seaweed. No oil added. Just simple roasted nori.
KIMNORI Sushi Nori Premium Roasted Seaweed Rolls Wraps
The ingredients in KIMNORI Sushi Nori Premium Roasted Seaweed Rolls Wraps are:
- Organic Seaweed
Nutrition summary:
- Calories 5
- Fat 0g
- Carbs 0g
- Protein 1g
- Sodium 0mg
There are 5 calories in 2.5g of KIMNORI Sushi Nori Premium Roasted Seaweed Rolls Wraps. KIMNORI Sushi Nori Premium Roasted Seaweed Rolls Wraps are USDA organic, gluten free, no MSG, non-GMO, vegan, and Kosher.
Best of Thailand Organic Sushi Nori
The ingredients in Best of Thailand Organic Sushi Nori are:
- 100% Dried Seaweed
Nutrition summary:
- Calories 5
- Fat 0g
- Carbs 0g
- Protein 1g
- Sodium 20mg
There are 5 calories in 5g of Best of Thailand Organic Sushi Nori. Best of Thailand uses gold label seaweed made without any additives.
gimMe Sushi Nori, Roasted Seaweed
The ingredients in gimMe Sushi Nori, Roasted Seaweed are:
- Organic Seaweed
Nutrition summary:
- Calories 5
- Fat 0g
- Carbs 0g
- Protein 1g
- Sodium 5mg
There are 5 calories in 2.5 g of gimMe Sushi Nori, Roasted Seaweed. Considered to be the #1 organic seaweed brand.
Yamamotoyama Roasted Sushi Nori Seaweed Original
The ingredients in Yamamotoyama Roasted Sushi Nori Seaweed Original are:
- Seaweed
Nutrition summary:
- Calories 10
- Fat 0g
- Carbs 0g
- Protein 1g
- Sodium 20mg
There are 10 calories in 2.5g of Yamamotoyama Roasted Sushi Nori Seaweed Original. These Roasted Sushi Nori Seaweed are kosher certified, gluten free, vegan, fat free, non-GMO Project, and made in the USA.
Seaweed Salads
Seaweed salad is good for you. Full of dense nutrition in every chewy bite. Typically made with a combination of sea vegetables such as wakame, arame, and dulse. Made fresh at most delis or Japanese cuisine establishments. Here are some top brands of packaged and ready to eat seaweed salad options.
Top Brands of Nori Sheets
- Marky’s Seasoned Sesame Seaweed Salad
- Azuma Seaweed Salad
- SeaVegi Seaweed Salad
Marky’s Seasoned Sesame Seaweed Salad (Chuka Wakame)
The ingredients in Marky’s Seasoned Sesame Seaweed Salad are:
- Seaweed
- Agar-Agar
- Sesame Seed
- Sesame Oil
- Kakiage Mushroom
- Sugar
- Vinegar
- Salt
- Red Pepper
- Disodium 5’-Inosinate
- Disodium 5’-Guanylate
- FD&C Yellow #5
- FD&C Blue#1
Nutrition summary:
- Calories 100
- Fat 6g
- Carbs 9g
- Protein 2g
- Sodium 1000mg
There are 106 calories in 90grams or 1 cup of Marky’s Seasoned Sesame Seaweed Salad. This seaweed salad by Marky’s is full of additives and sodium. For this reason, it is not top on our list as a healthy seaweed food option. Agar-Agar is a binder that makes the look of seaweed salads shine and hold their moisture.
Azuma Seaweed Salad
The ingredients in Seaweed Salad from China by Azuma are:
- Seaweed
- Agar-Agar
- Sesame Seed
- Sesame Oil
- Wood Ear Mushroom
- Sugar
- Vinegar
- Salt
- Red Pepper
- Disodium 5’-Inosinate
- Disodium 5’-Guanylate
- FD&C Yellow #5
- FD&C Blue#1
Nutrition summary:
- Calories 100
- Fat 6g
- Carbs 9g
- Protein 2g
- Sodium 90mg
There are 100 calories in 100 g of Azuma Seaweed Salad. Only slightly less sodium than the Marky’s brand, Azuma Seaweed Salad is still full of additives and colorings making it not top of the list. It is however free of MSG.
SeaVegi Seaweed Salad
The ingredients in SeaVegi Seaweed Salad are:
- Wakame
- Agar
- Suginori
- Tsunomata
- Mafunori
Nutrition summary:
- Calories 14
- Fat 0g
- Carbs 3g
- Protein 6g
- Sodium 236mg
There are 14 calories in 5g of SeaVegi Seaweed Salad. This is our top choice for a seaweed salad option as it is free of any additives, preservatives, colors, or artificial flavorings.
Final Thoughts
Vegan seaweed snacks and salad options abound on the modern food market. From the many listed options we detailed, there is a clear winner for each category. Our top pick for a crunchy and salty seaweed snack on the go is gimMe Organic Roasted Seaweed Sheets. Although there are several other organic options that are a very close second choice. For an even healthier seaweed snack option or for wrapping a cucumber nigiri our top pick for a nori sheet is gimMe Sushi Nori, Roasted Seaweed with KIMNORI Sushi Nori Premium Roasted Seaweed Rolls Wraps coming in as runner-up. And finally for our top seaweed salad pick we think that SeaVegi Seaweed Salad is basic and can be added upon or eaten as-is.
Full of essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants we can agree that seaweed is a wonderful and healthy vegan diet addition. We hope this break down of seaweed nutrition and facts helped you find the snack right for you.
Related Questions
Is Seaweed a vegetable?
Green seaweed is considered a vegetable as it is in the Chlorophyta family of sea foods.
Is Seaweed keto friendly?
Seaweed is an excellent source of nutrition and very low in carbohydrates making it a keto friendly food.
Does seaweed have Iron?
Different seaweeds have different levels of iron in them. Kelp, primarily used in broths, has a scant amount of iron content. Wakame, primarily used for salad, has 2 milligrams of iron in 100 grams of wakame seaweed. Most seaweeds have high amounts of iron. Making seaweed an excellent source of natural iron for those adhering to a vegan diet.