Reviewing seitan, a meat substitute made from wheat

A vegetarian or vegan, will definitely avoid eating meat. Therefore, there are many alternative ingredients for meat substitutes, one of which is seitan. Is it seitan and are there any benefits if consumed? Check out the following reviews.

What is seitan?

Seitan is a meat substitute popular with vegetarians. The word "seitan" comes from Japanese which means it is made from protein, to be precise from gluten in wheat.

This food is originally made from a dough of wheat flour that is washed with water until all of the starch is gone, leaving a dough that is chewy and sticky, but does not dissolve in water. Then, the dough is frozen so that it must be cut into pieces before cooking.

The texture is quite dense, making this food very similar to meat compared to other vegetable proteins. The taste is bland but tends to absorb seasonings or spices well. You can serve it grilled, fried or steamed.

What are the health benefits of seitan?

Rich in protein

Seitan is made from gluten, which is the main protein found in wheat. This protein is a good choice for vegetarians and vegans. One serving of seitan usually contains 15 to 21 grams of protein, the equivalent of protein from chicken or beef. This protein is useful for the body to repair damaged tissue or cells and help the hormone production process.

Not inferior to other sources of animal protein. Ax, one serving (85 grams) of seitan contains the following nutrients:

Protein: 15 grams
Iron: 0.9 milligrams
Calcium: 40 milligrams
Sodium: 250 milligrams
Fiber: 1 gram

In addition, seitan has very low carbohydrates, which is about 8 grams due to the process that makes starch disappear. Nearly all whole grain grains are fat free, so seitan also contains a small amount of fat, which is only about 0.5 grams.

Easy to work with

Seitan has a bland taste so it's easier to mix with all the food and spices you mix in. The texture is also dense and chewy so it doesn't crumble easily when processed.

You can slice it into chunks, making it perfect for sauteing. Or it can be made into a soup, covered in bread flour and then fried, or skewered and grilled like satay.

In addition, you should not hesitate to add seitan to other foods because of their low calorie, sugar and fat content

Safe for people with soy allergies

Many popular meat substitutes, such as tofu or tempeh, are made from soybeans. However, these foods certainly cannot be consumed by people who have a soy allergy.

Therefore, seitan is a safe meat substitute for people with soy allergies.

Suitable for weight loss

Seitan is high in protein and low in calories so it is consumed a lot when dieting. The protein in seitan lowers the levels of ghrelin, which is responsible for stimulating hunger so that you will be full longer. Then, low calories make the body have to burn fat in the body for energy.

Be careful, eating too much seitan is not good either

For people who have an allergy to gluten or celiac disease, it is not advisable to consume seitan. The reason is, seitan will cause diarrhea, nausea or vomiting, flatulence, stomach pain and fatigue. Seitan which is included in processed foods often contains quite high sodium.

Even though it is high in protein, it does not mean that seitan has complete protein. Seitan does not contain enough of the amino acid lysine needed by the body so other foods are needed to supplement it, such as nuts. In addition, a study shows that consuming a lot of gluten can have an adverse effect on the intestines.

When the intestines are functioning normally, the filtering ability of food is tightly regulated so that even small particles of food can pass through the bloodstream.

However, consuming too much gluten can cause digestive disorders, so that the intestines are no longer able to absorb nutrients and instead develop inflammation. This can happen even if you have no intolerance or an allergy to gluten.