Nutritionist’s Notebook
Figuring out the facts about this devilishly delicious meat alternative
NUTRITIONIST'S NOTE BOOK
Seitan
Words: Veronika Powell MSc, Viva!Health
Seitan originates from Asia, where it was developed as a protein-rich food, and has been eaten in China, Japan, Vietnam and other East and Southeast Asian countries since the 6th century. It has been a popular food with vegetarian and vegan Buddhist monks for much of this time.
In the West, seitan has soared in popularity, almost unlike any other vegan food over the past couple of decades. It’s versatile, high in protein, has a pleasant chewy texture and can replace meat in just about any dish. Seitan is sometimes simply called wheat gluten because it’s essentially just that — a big lump of wheat protein called gluten. That’s obviously not good news for people who are intolerant or allergic to gluten (who should avoid seitan at all costs!), but for the rest of us, it’s a delicious and filling meat-alternative.