Seitan is a protein-rich, plant-based food made from vital wheat gluten and several other ingredients.
In addition to its high protein content, seitan offers several additional nutritional benefits.
However, it may not be a suitable dietary choice for everyone.
This article examines the nutritional properties of seitan, along with its potential benefits and downsides.
Table of contents
What Nutrients Does Seitan Contain?
Here are the nutritional values of a typical seitan product per 3.5-ounce (100-gram) serving (1):
- Calories: 141 kcal
- Carbohydrates: 5.88 g
- Fiber: 1.2 g
- Sugar: 2.35 g
- Fat: 2.35 g
- Saturated fat: 0 g
- Protein: 24.7 g
- Sodium: 447 mg
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Seitan Is High In Protein
As we can see in the nutritional values above, seitan has a significant protein content, providing nearly 25 grams per serving.
Unlike many plant-based protein sources, seitan is rich in protein while also being relatively low in calories and carbohydrates.
Key point: Seitan offers a high provision of protein, with only small amounts of carbohydrates and fat. It is low in calories.
What Ingredients Does Seitan Contain?
As mentioned, the primary ingredient used to make seitan is vital wheat gluten. Vital wheat gluten is a protein derived from wheat that gives food enhanced elasticity, creating a chewier texture.
Also, making seitain involves several additional ingredients, such as some form of flour.
Although the exact ingredients may vary between brands, some common ingredient profiles are listed below, based on three popular brands (1, 2, 3):
Brand 1 Ingredients (Westsoy)
- Filtered water
- Vital wheat gluten
- Soy sauce
- Garbanzo bean flour
- Defatted soy flour
- Garlic
Brand 2 Ingredients (Upton’s Naturals)
- Water
- Vital wheat gluten
- Soy sauce
- Whole wheat flour
- Sea salt
- Garlic
- Onion
Brand 3 Ingredients (Wegmans)
- Filtered water
- Vital wheat gluten
- Soy sauce
- Defatted soy flour
- Garbanzo bean flour
- Garlic
As shown, seitan products typically contain similar ingredients, featuring a combination of water, vital wheat gluten, soy sauce, and added seasonings, such as garlic.
Key point: The main ingredients in seitan are water, vital wheat gluten, soy sauce, and a small amount of flour.
Is It High In Vitamins and Minerals?
The USDA’s nutrition database doesn’t list the complete vitamin and mineral profile for seitan products. However, they do provide this data for vital wheat gluten, which is the main ingredient in seitan.
Per 100 grams of vital wheat gluten, it provides the following nutrients (4, 5):
- Selenium: 72% of the daily value (% DV)
- Iron: 29% of the daily value
- Phosphorus: 21% DV
- Copper: 20% DV
- Calcium: 11% DV
- Zinc: 8% DV
- Magnesium: 6% DV
- Potassium: 2% DV
Note: Remember that these nutrient values are for vital wheat gluten. The exact amounts found in seitan depend on how much vital wheat gluten is used in the recipe.
Key Point: Seitan boasts high levels of selenium and is also a good source of copper, iron, and phosphorus.
Does Seitan Have Any Other Benefits?
There is limited research available on seitan and its health effects.
However, there are some context-dependent additional benefits that it may provide over other protein sources.
1) Seitan Is High In Plant-Based Protein
Seitan is a good protein source for individuals following a vegetarian or vegan diet.
Most food products high in plant-based protein are soy-based, so seitan offers something a bit different.
2) It’s Low In Calories With a High Protein Density
Foods like steak, cheese, lentils, and beans are all excellent sources of protein. That said, they tend to be moderately high in calories relative to their protein content.
With 25 grams of protein for only 141 calories per 100 grams, seitan is a low-calorie protein option. In this regard, it is similar to lean protein options such as chicken breast and protein powders.
Seitan also offers higher levels of protein than most other plant-based products, including tofu and tempeh.
3) Seitan Has a Range of Uses
While seitan isn’t the most flavorful food, it absorbs the flavors of dishes its used in.
This makes it a great option for foods like curries, pasta dishes, stir-fries, and stews. It can also be used as a chicken substitute in recipes calling for chicken.
In other words, seitan offers excellent versatility, enabling it to be incorporated into a wide variety of recipes.
Key point: The main benefits of seitan are its protein density and versatility.
Does Seitan Have Any Nutritional Downsides?
Depending on the individual and their overall diet, seitan may have some drawbacks.
1) Contains Gluten
The process of making vital wheat gluten involves removing all the starch from wheat flour to isolate the protein. Since the main ingredient of seitan is vital wheat gluten, it has a substantial gluten content.
Consuming gluten proteins is what triggers gastrointestinal symptoms such as bloating, gas, and abdominal pain in individuals with celiac disease (6, 7).
As such, seitan is not suitable for anyone with celiac disease or non-celiac gluten sensitivity. In this regard, neither are any foods with vital wheat gluten among their ingredients (8, 9).
Anyone who suspects they may have issues with consuming gluten should consult with their healthcare provider.
2) High Sodium Content
Seitan is high in salt due to the soy sauce or salt, or both, used in its recipe.
With approximately 447 mg of sodium per 100 grams, this contributes 19% of the daily value for salt intake, which stands at 2300 mg (5).
Excessive sodium intake can lead to elevated blood pressure, particularly if potassium intake is low (10, 11).
Individuals trying to cut down on their sodium intake may wish to limit their seitan intake.
3) Low in the Amino Acid Lysine
While seitan is high in protein, it is lacking in an amino acid called lysine.
This means that lysine is what’s known as the ‘limiting amino acid.’ In the absence of sufficient lysine for protein synthesis, the body won’t be able to efficiently use all the protein from seitan.
However, there are some misunderstandings around this point that we should clear up.
Firstly, just because seitan has a low lysine content, this does not mean that there won’t be enough lysine in the overall diet for optimal protein synthesis.
Providing the diet also contains sufficient lysine from other foods, the lack of this amino acid in seitan isn’t an issue to worry about.
For reference, foods high in lysine include beans, eggs, lentils, meat, milk, and seafood (12).
Key point: Seitan contains high levels of gluten and sodium, so it may not be the right dietary fit for some people. It is also low in lysine, so other dietary sources of lysine should be included in the diet.
Is Seitan a Healthy Choice?
Whether is a beneficial dietary option or not depends on what people are looking for nutritionally.
For individuals following a plant-based vegetarian or vegan diet, seitan is one of the most protein-dense foods to consider.
Omnivores have a wider choice of lean proteins, but seitan is still a great option for a low-calorie protein without much additional carbohydrates or fat. That said, it lacks several essential nutrients that are in fish and meat, most notably vitamin B12.
Overall, seitan offers a reasonably good nutritional profile, and it is worth trying. However, as with all protein sources, it’s just one of many options available to us.
