Seaweed Salad Calories

Seaweeds are an invariable part of Japanese food. Japanese being the greatest consumers of seaweeds, most seaweed or sea vegetable varieties are best known by Japanese and Chinese names. Seaweeds are nothing but algae, that are packed with a number of essential nutrients. Before taking a look at the seaweed salad calories, let us take a look at how seaweed salad is prepared and what are the health benefits of the salad.

Health Benefits of Seaweed Salads

Seaweed salads can be enjoyed with all types of seafood. Nutrients-rich seaweeds help slow down the process of aging. Seaweeds promote stable blood sugar levels. They strengthen the immune system and bones as they provide vitamins and minerals like calcium, iron, niacin, vitamin A, zinc, magnesium, potassium, vitamin C, E and K, iodine, thiamine, etc. They are rich in antioxidants and they protect you from diseases. They improve your appetite, energy levels, and help avoid birth defects when consumed by pregnant women.

Seaweed salads can be consumed as appetizers or healthy snacks. The underlying nutty, salty, sea flavor and fantastic taste are the characteristic properties of seaweed salads. These seaweeds are also added to soups, stews and other dishes. You can get a seaweed salad in every single sushi bar and Japanese restaurant. Health benefits of seaweeds contribute towards increasing popularity of seaweeds worldwide.

Ingredients in Seaweed Salad

Kelp, wakame, arame, nori, lava and dulse are commonly used in Japanese seaweed salads. The stems and branches of wakame, strands of agar-agar (gelatin-like sheets made from seaweed), rice wine vinegar, hot red peppers, sugar, toasted sesame seeds and soy sauce are used to prepare seaweed salad. Sometimes slivers of black mushrooms are added. Most seaweed salads are flavored with sesame oil or sesame seeds. Some salads are seasoned with red pepper flakes, vinegar, olive oil, salt and cloud ear (kikurage) mushrooms. Agar agar, when added, offers a good texture to the salad. But some manufacturers add artificial dye, sugar or corn syrup to the salad. It is quite possible that the product served in restaurants is a pre-packaged product. Such salads cannot be considered as healthy salads.

The main ingredient of a seaweed salad is usually wakame. But sometimes, the ingredients that are added to enhance the taste of the salad affect the nutritional value of the salad. So while assessing the calories in seaweed salad, you should check the ingredients in the seaweed salad recipe and thereby the seaweed salad nutrition profile. Here is the most awaited information on calories in seaweed salad.

Seaweed Salad Calories

A typical serving size, 2 ounces, of seaweed salad has approximately 70 calories, 50 milligrams of calcium, 10 grams of carbohydrates, 4 grams of fat, and 1 gram of protein. Eaten in moderation, seaweed salad can be enjoyed without breaking the calorie bank. Here is a list of different seaweed salads and the respective seaweed salad calorie count.

• Japanese seaweed salad, (Hissho Sushi), 56 gm: 70 calories.
• Calories in seaweed salad, (Ukrop's Hissho Sushi), 113 gm: 141 calories.
• Calories in seaweed salad, wakame, 201.8 gm: 216 calories.
• Calories in kale with seaweed sesame salad, 57 gm: 49 calories.
• Calories in seaweed salad, Whole Foods, 1 serving, 1/4th pound: 35 calories.

I hope you found the above information on seaweed salad calories beneficial. Seaweed is considered as healthy food as it is packed with various vitamins and minerals like iron, magnesium, iodine along with fiber and beta carotene. Moreover, it is a low-calorie, low-fat food. You may sprinkle dry seaweed over salads. Seaweed promotes detoxification of your body and thus improves your overall health. Dietitians suggest that you should include at least one seaweed, the super food, in your daily diet plan.