Seafood is one of the best things you can eat on a keto diet.
It contains plenty of omega-3 fatty acids and DHA, which is essential for brain health and proper immune function. Research shows that omega-3s can do just that Preventing Alzheimer’s disease.
So you may be wondering if imitation crab is a good keto option because it’s so affordable and easy to prepare.
Below, I’ll answer the question, “Is imitation crab keto?” I will also compare the nutritional value of imitation crab to king crab while addressing some health issues.
Is imitation crab healthy?
As the name suggests, imitation crab is not the real thing. Many imitation crab brands state that it is only 3 percent crab, while the rest is a mixture of leftover fish.
Think of it as sea sausage.
A three-ounce serving contains 13 grams of net carbsSo while it may seem like a good keto diet choice, that doesn’t tell the whole story.
These highly processed foods are full of starch, vegetable oil, sugar, sorbitol, egg whites, and artificial flavorings, so you can’t really enjoy them on keto.
Imitation Crab vs. King Crab nutritional information
| crab imitation | King crab | |
| carbohydrates | 13 grams | zero grams |
| healthy fats | 0.4 grams | 1.4 grams |
| protein | 6.5 grams | 16.4 grams |
| Calories | 81 calories | 82 calories |
| added sugars | 5.3 grams | zero grams |
| starch | 6.5 grams | zero grams |
| sodium | 715 mg | 911 mg |
| cholesterol | 17 mg | 45 mg |
This graph shows how poorly imitation crab performs from a nutritional standpoint compared to fresh, organic crab.
You can consume as much king crab as you want Low-carb dietwithout getting out of ketosis. But when you eat imitation crab, you are hindering ketosis and causing inflammation due to harmful vegetable oils and additives.
How is imitation crab produced?
So how do companies make this fake fish?
Well, this process is enough to make you want to stay far away from imitation crab.
Manufacturers start by using a paste called surimi as the base for imitation crab. This surimi is like jelly made from leftover fish.
Obviously, no one is going to buy seafood jelly because it looks disgusting, so companies add starch, vegetable oils, sugars, gluten, and artificial flavorings to make it edible.
As you can tell, these additives kick you out of ketosis and cause acute inflammation. Imitation crab also provides fewer nutrients, so you can’t expect to experience the same health benefits that fish is known for.
advice: When eating fish at a restaurant, always check if they use imitation crab because restaurants love this stuff. It is very low cost and can taste like the real thing if prepared properly.
A word of caution when eating seafood on keto
about 50 percent of the world’s fish supply is farmed. This includes both imitation crab and real fish.
These farmed fish are just as good, if not worse, than vegetable oils and added sugars.
Companies will feed farm-raised fish foods such as:
- canola meal
- other fish
- Corn Starch
- wheat
- animal by-products
- Antibiotics
It got so bad that farmed fish started developing deformities. Farmers will store up to two million fish in an area several meters wide. This makes it easier for disease to spread.
Even toxicologist Jerome Rosen found it Farmed fish is five times more toxic From the following toxic food group.
Farm-raised fish contains three times more omega-6 fatty acids than wild fish, which leads to inflammation and increases the chances of health problems in the long term.
So when shopping for fish, always make sure you have wild caught fish.
Alternatives to mimic crab on keto
Think of having fun Seafood in the ketogenic diet Without added sugars and harmful vegetable oils? Choose these imitation crab meat substitutes:
- crab king
- crayfish
- Shrimp
- Salmon
- Sardines
- tuna
- mackerel
King crab
King Crab allows you to enjoy the delicious taste of crab without the bad ingredients.
King Crab is also a good seafood option if you want to build muscle, with a serving containing 20g of protein.
The only drawback is that it has a low fat content, so you have to supplement your crab consumption with coconut oil, butter, or olive oil.
crayfish
Lobster is another tasty keto option, with no carbs, 70 calories, and 14 grams of protein per three-ounce serving.
This high protein and low calorie content is beneficial if you desire it Weight loss. The protein keeps you full, and the lack of carbs ensures that your insulin and blood glucose don’t spike.
Also, lobster is full of micronutrients and amino acids such as:
- valine
- lysine
- Environmental Protection Agency
- phosphorous
- Vitamin B12
But always buy wild lobster because the antibiotics that farmers give farmed fish destroy most of these nutrients.
Shrimp
Shrimp offers a sweet and savory flavor that is well known among fish lovers. So you’ll be happy to know that shrimp is a healthy alternative to traditional keto crab cakes.
A three-ounce serving of shrimp contains only 0.2 grams of net carbs and 20 grams of protein.
What sets shrimp apart from other seafood is how versatile they are. If you don’t know what to make for dinner and have some shrimp in the freezer, just thaw it and cook it alongside keto noodles, asparagus, or Caesar salad.
But remember, traditional shrimp cocktails are not allowed on the keto diet because it contains 17 grams of total carbohydrates per serving.
Salmon
Wild salmon It is one of the healthiest foods you can eat. A serving of wild salmon contains:
- Zero grams of carbohydrates
- 17 grams of protein
- 11 grams of healthy fats
- Ample amounts of vitamins B3, B5, B6, B12 and selenium
But what stands out about salmon is its DHA (Docosahexaenoic Acid) content. serving provides your body with 1.24 grams of DHA, which is more than most foods.
This DHA is especially important for expectant mothers as it helps the brains of babies develop. This benefits the child’s cognitive development through childhood and into adulthood.
in contrast, Medical papers They show that low levels of DHA in infants and adolescents can cause learning difficulties, memory impairment, and depression. So keep your DHA levels high by eating salmon once or twice a week.
Sardines
If I get hungry during the day, I love snacking on sardines because it’s easy to carry around, and you don’t have to eat it with anything. You’ll also nourish your body with hard-to-find nutrients like:
- selenium
- phosphorous
- Vitamin D
- niacin
- iodine
Sardines are the perfect snack from a macronutrient point of view. One serving contains:
- 100 calories
- 12 grams of protein
- Five grams of fat
- Zero carbs
But watch out for sardines that have been marinated and stored in vegetable oil because they promote chronic inflammation. Instead, stick to the brine sardines.
tuna
If you are looking to build muscle, tuna It is the best seafood substitute for imitation crab. One three-ounce serving contains 24 grams of protein, similar to chicken or beef. It’s also very cheap because it only costs a few dollars for several cans.
It serves as a base for salads, keto noodles, and sandwiches.
But tuna contains only 1 gram of fat per serving. So if you eat a lot of tuna, Supplement your protein intake with fat By consuming more coconut oil, butter and eggs.
mackerel
Mackerel, Atlantic mackerel, and Spanish mackerel are all excellent choices because they contain no carbs and 17 grams of protein per three-ounce serving.
I’m also a big fan of the taste, as mackerel is one of the only fish with a sweet and sour flavor and oily texture. This makes it ideal for preparing salads, sauces and French fries.
Final thoughts on keto-friendly imitation crab
Imitation crab sticks are not keto-friendly because they contain starch, vegetable oils, added sugars, and preservatives that interfere with ketosis. You’ll notice that it also contains a fraction of the nutritional value of real crab meat, so don’t experiment with the benefits of fish.
Instead, opt for organic alternatives such as king crab, lobster, shrimp, salmon, sardines, tuna, snow crab, and mackerel.
But remember that even though you’re consuming healthy ketogenic crab cakes, you still want to check the label to see if you’re buying wild and not farmed fish.