Seitan is also known by a number of other names, including wheat gluten, gluten meat and wheat meat. Seitan is a common meat alternative for vegetarians and many products –including mock chicken and beef meats – are prepared using seitan. Seitan has a more meaty texture than tofu.
Preparation
Although seitan is made from wheat, it’s not a bread or bread-like product because seitan is prepared from wheat gluten, a protein composite. To obtain wheat gluten, you start with wheat flour, which you mix with water until you get dough. Then, as you’re kneading the dough, you place it under running water. This washes away the starch in the dough, leaving you with plain wheat gluten, a protein.
Nutritional Content
Three ounces of seitan contain about 130 calories and 1.5 grams of fat. As a comparison, a serving of 3 ounces of tofu contain just 51 calories but a higher amount of fat, at 3.1 grams per serving. Seitan contains a small amount of carbohydrates, at 8 grams per 3-ounce serving.
Protein vs. Carbs
The ultimate proof that wheat gluten is a protein is in the nutritional content of seitan. A 3-ounce serving of gluten contains 20 grams of protein and only 8 grams of carbohydrates, none of which come from sugars. This is much higher than in other vegetable proteins. For example, a 3-ounce serving of tofu contains just 5.58 grams of protein. Meat proteins, on the other hand, are closer to seitan. A 3-ounce serving of chicken breast contains 20.2 grams of protein.
Vegetarian Meats
Seitan does not crumble like textured vegetable protein, or TVP, and other meat substitutes. They are also firmer and have a more “stringy” consistency than tofu. As a result, seitan is one of the preferred choices when making mock chicken, pork and beef products. Since seitan contains a high amount of protein, it’s a good choice for vegans, who are not getting any protein from eggs or dairy products.
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