Is Seaweed Salad Keto? (2 Easy Low-Carb Recipes Included)
Nutrient-dense seaweed has an outstanding reputation in Japan and Korea. And luckily for us, it’s getting well-deserved popularity all across the globe, including the US. They are often referred to with a buzzword “superfood,” but to be fair, it’s more than justified.
All sorts of seaweeds are packed with minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants. Obviously, vegans can eat it safely, but how about those following the ketogenic diet?
Is my favorite seaweed salad keto-friendly too? (Well, not to keep you waiting – the short answer is yes, but please read on to know the details and maybe snatched two new keto vegan recipes into your collection).
Are you interested in a particular question about the keto-friendliness of seaweed salads? Then use the table of contents below to jump to the most relevant section. And you can always go back by clicking on the arrow in the right bottom corner of the page. Also, please note that some of the links in this article may be affiliate links. For more details, check the Disclosure section at the bottom of the page.
Which types of seaweed are good for a salad?
There are so many kinds of seaweed, and I am pretty sure some of the people might find practically all of those edible and work well for the salad.
Amongst the most popular edible types of seaweeds are Wakame and Kombu, (a member of the kelp family, a key ingredient for making dashi soup). Also, Nori, Hijiki (a brown seaweed that is often cooked in stir-fries or served with fish). And that’s just to name a few.
The best choices for seaweed salad would be wakame, hijiki, and mild-tasting Arame.
Are there carbs in seaweed?
Let’s only focus on the seaweed that might do well in your keto-friendly salad for the sake of this article.
So, if we are talking about Wakame, also known as sea mustard, the total number of carbs varies from brand to brand. Still, overall, this product is close to zero carbs.
Check, for instance, Organic Wakame Flakes. According to package nutritional value, the product has zero carbs per serving.
The same is fair for the next salad hero – Hijiki.
Check variation out – 0 carbs per serving (1 teaspoon). And it even has 1g of fiber. Incredible.
The last candidate for your keto seaweed salad is Arame. I found option on Amazon. It lists 7g of carbs (including 1g of fiber) per serving (10g of Arame). And although it’s slightly higher in carbs, then other kinds of seaweed 10g of Arame will give you 3 servings of salad. So it’s still very low and totally keto-safe.
Is nori seaweed keto-friendly?
Absolutely, yes. When talking about seaweed, I can’t leave out the nori. I am simply obsessed with the taste. And while you probably won’t be making your typical seaweed salad with it, you can still crumble it and put it on top of a traditional recipe.
So, nori, just like any other seaweed, is a low-calorie superfood packed with vitamins ( A, B2, B9, C, to name a few), minerals (iron, copper, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, etc.). And has practically zero carbs.
For instance, in Roasted organic nori, there are only 1g of carbs and 1g of fiber per sheet. So we are at net carbs zero again.
Is seaweed salad keto?
Depending on the seaweed and other ingredients in the recipe, you may end up with a super-healthy and definitely keto-friendly salad.
Best keto seaweed salad recipes
I’ve prepared two keto seaweed salad options for you. Those are somewhat similar. But hey, we are talking about classics here. However, they are still different in flavors and nutritional value. It’s a real miracle what a bit of seasoning might accomplish.
Wakame seaweed keto salad
Vegan keto seaweed salad totalling in 3.2g net carbs
Notes
One serving of this salad only has 3.9g of carbs, and 0.7g is fiber. So your grand total is only 3.2g of net carbs, and that’s a small price to pay for the mixture of flavors you’ll experience while snacking on this salad.
Ingredients
- 1 ounce of dried wakame seaweed
- 4 tbsp soy sauce
- 3 tbsp of rice vinegar
- 1 tsp of organic stevia
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds
- 1 tsp ginger finely grated
- 1/8 tsp wasabi powder
- 1/2 tsp of minced garlic
- 2 tbsp of finely sliced scallions
- 1 tbsp of shredded carrot
Instructions
- 1. Soak your seaweed in lukewarm water for about 5 minutes.
- 2. Then rinse it with cold water using a colander and put it aside to rest and drain.
- 3. Next, combine the soy sauce, rice vinegar, garlic, sesame oil, ginger, sweetener, and wasabi powder in a small bowl.
- 4. Mix it thoroughly till all the ingredients are meshed to consistency.
- 5. Transfer the seaweed to a large salad bowl and pour in the sauce.
- 6. Finally, add shredded carrot, scallions, and sesame seeds. Mix it up and enjoy!
Nutrition Facts
Wakame seaweed keto salad | Recipe card
Serves: 4 persons
|
Amount Per Serving: 1 cup
|
||
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 68 | |
| % Daily Value* | ||
| Total Fat 4.6g | 6.2% | |
| Saturated Fat 0.7g | 0% | |
| Trans Fat 0mg | ||
| Cholesterol 0mg | 0 | |
| Sodium 970mg | 40.4% | |
| Total Carbohydrate 3.9g | 1% | |
| Dietary Fiber 0.7g | 0% | |
| Sugars 0.9g | ||
| Protein 1.8g | ||
| Vitamin A 0mg | Vitamin C 0mg | |
| Calcium 39mg | Iron 1mg | |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Vegan Keto Diet Recipes and Tips
Easy keto-friendly seaweed salad
Healthy keto vegan salad packed with nutrients
Notes
Depending on the ingredients you’ll end up using, you may lower the net carbs in this salad. For instance, you might ditch Agave nectar and go for more keto-friendly sweeteners.
My top three are Erythritol, Stevia, and Monk Fruit, since those don’t affect ketones and insulin levels and also don’t have a huge list of side-effects.
So you’ll end up with almost zero carbs. But it’s nice to treat yourself sometimes for the sake of variety. So if you are going with the recipe as it is, you’ll get 7.7g of carbs per serving, including 5.1g of fiber, which leaves you with just 2.6g of net carbs. (In this recipe I’ve calculated macros for Hijiki seaweed).
Ingredients
- 30 grams (1 ounce) dry mixed seaweed (you can use any variation that goes well in the salad – for instance, wakame, arame, or hijiki
- 15ml of rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 10g of agave nectar (you can use other, more keto-friendly sweetener, like liquid monk fruit)
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1/2 teaspoon ginger juice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (to taste)
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
- 1 finely chopped scallion
Instructions
- 1. Put the dry seaweed in a large bowl and soak it in cold water for 5-10 minutes, depending on the texture you prefer.
- 2. Combine the rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, agave, salt, and ginger juice and whisk it together to make the dressing.
- 3. Drain the seaweed once it’s soaked and transfer it into a dry large serving bowl.
- 4. Add the dressing, sesame seeds, and scallions.
- 5. Mix everything up once again and serve your salad.
Nutrition Facts
Easy keto-friendly seaweed salad | Recipe card
Serves: 4 persons
|
Amount Per Serving: 1 cup
|
||
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 77 | |
| % Daily Value* | ||
| Total Fat 4.5g | 6.2% | |
| Saturated Fat 0.6g | 0% | |
| Trans Fat 0mg | ||
| Cholesterol 0mg | 0 | |
| Sodium 596mg | 24.8% | |
| Total Carbohydrate 7.7g | 2.3% | |
| Dietary Fiber 5.1g | 20% | |
| Sugars 2g | ||
| Protein 1.5g | ||
| Vitamin A 0mg | Vitamin C 0mg | |
| Calcium 101mg | Iron 6mg | |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Vegan Keto Diet Recipes and Tips
Thanks for the photos: Freepik.com
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