Love it or hate it, seaweed has a ton of nutritional benefits for humans. Whether you’re eating it soft and wrapped tightly around sushi or enjoying crispy, salted seaweed from a snack bag, you’re getting all sorts of healthy stuff. But is seaweed vegan?
Yes, seaweed is vegan. It’s a marine plant – a type of macroalgae, to be exact – that comes from the sea. However, how it’s processed after harvesting can affect the vegan status of the seaweed product you’re eating.
Below we’ll look at how seaweed is used in the food industry as well as how it’s harvested and processed so you can make the most informed decision about whether or not to include it in your diet.
Why Do Humans Eat Seaweed?
Humans have harvested seaweed for food for millennia, traditions that first started in China and Japan.
It’s a highly nutritious food for humans, providing a source of:
- Iron
- Magnesium
- Vitamins A, E, C, and K (as well as some B vitamins)
- Calcium
- Iodine
Iodine might not sound like an important nutrient, but it’s essential for humans in maintaining our thyroid glands, which in turn control our metabolism.
These nutrients are essential for various bodily functions, including:
- Bone health
- Blood clotting
- Immune system function
- Antioxidant defense
- Energy production
In addition, seaweed is an excellent source of dietary fiber, especially soluble fiber, which contributes to weight management by making us feel full faster.
It also has antioxidants that help protect us from free radical damage and omega-3 fatty acids for heart health.
What Should I Know About How Seaweed Grows?
There are three types of commercial seaweed. Their botanical names are Phaeophyceae, Rhodophyceae, and Chlorophyceae.
Phaeophyceae is brown and tends to be very large. Rhodophyceae is typically red (though it can be purple or brownish) and tends to be anywhere from a few centimeters to a meter long. Chlorophyceae is similar in size, but it is green.
Seaweed is unlike other sea algae, which tend to be microscopic and can bloom and contaminate rivers and streams.
Commercial seaweed can be wild or cultivated (farmed), but edible seaweed tends to come from saltwater environments like the ocean or sea.
The most commonly consumed seaweeds include nori, wakame, kelp, and dulse. Some people do eat freshwater algae, such as spirulina and chlorella, but these are not technically seaweeds since they are microalgae.
Is There Ever a Chance That Seaweed Is Not Vegan?
Seaweed itself is always vegan, but unless you’re pulling it out of the sea yourself (which we don’t recommend!), you’ll still want to look at what else is on the packaging.
One thing to consider is whether it’s processed in a facility that handles fish and shellfish. Strict vegans may find this problematic if they are concerned about cross-contamination.
The other aspect to consider is the ingredients used in packaged seaweed products.
For instance, many seaweed snacks are flavored with seasonings that could contain animal-derived ingredients.
If you’re grabbing a pack of seaweed snacks off the shelf, it’s always a good idea to check the ingredients list. Look for fish sauce and fish flakes in particular.
Seaweed is also used in a lot of non-vegan cooking since it’s so nutrient-dense. For example, salads that contain seaweed may have non-vegan dressings.
Then there’s sushi.
Most sushi is not vegan because it contains raw fish. But fish products are not a mandatory part of sushi; only vinegared rice is.
So feel free to indulge in vegan sushi with tofu, cucumber, avocado, or the tuna stand-in called “jackfruit.” You can even have vegan eel made with eggplant. Don’t let anyone tell you it’s not sushi just because it doesn’t have fish!
Should I Be Concerned About Harmful Seaweed Harvesting and Processing?
People are vegan for different reasons. Some may be happy to eat cruelty-free, while others are passionate about an Earth-first approach to their diets.
Harvesting seaweed has an environmental impact, whether it’s farmed or gathered “wild.”
Gathering seaweed from the ocean can lead to habitat destruction, but some seaweed farms can cause the same destruction to the coasts or produce water pollution.
To make an environmentally friendly choice, look for labels that indicate eco-friendly farming or harvesting.
It can be difficult to balance the ethical equation when you want to ensure that complex ecosystems are respected while also acknowledging seaweed harvesting is at the heart of some small communities’ economic systems.
For those interested in the social implications of their food choices, you may want to keep your eyes peeling for Fair Trade Certified food makers.
Summary
Seaweed itself is 100% vegan. But just like most other foods, if you didn’t harvest it yourself, things happen in between that might affect the food’s vegan status.
To be safe, take a look at the rest of the ingredients in your seaweed dishes before you enjoy your super-healthy sea treat.
