Crab sticks are a product that appeared on the shelves of our stores in the early 90s. Since then, a lot of recipes using them have been invented. The famous crab salad is sure to be on the holiday table, and among the admirers of this delicious seafood there are both adults and children. Despite the fact that the product does not contain crab meat, it does not lose its popularity. The article discusses the benefits and harms of crab sticks and answers the questions: can they be consumed by children, how to select and store them.
What are crab sticks made from?
The main component of seafood is surimi, which is the name given to healthy minced ocean fish in Japan. Among the ingredients of surimi are mackerel, hake, blue whiting and other fish with white meat. The procedure for its preparation consists of washing pieces of fish fillet, chopping it and mixing it into a homogeneous mass. The mixture is then placed in a centrifuge to remove excess liquid. The result is a soft mass with a pleasant taste and aroma of fish. Due to its unique beneficial properties, surimi is used in the preparation of many dishes that imitate seafood, including crab sticks.
Such minced meat is recognized as a useful ingredient, containing many minerals and vitamins and not harmful to health. But after its processing, their quantity and, as a result, their benefits are significantly reduced. In addition, there are manufacturers who add by-products to surimi, which reduces the quality of the minced meat and changes its smell, taste, color, and numerous flavoring additives cause significant harm to the body.
In order to save money, soy protein is added to seafood. As you know, soy is the result of genetic modification; its harm and benefits are ambiguous. Therefore, products with o. In addition, egg powder, vegetable oil, starch, salt and sugar are added. To obtain the necessary taste, they do not spare a lot of chemical additives, which are not beneficial, but harmful to humans.
Composition of the product
The product consists of minced fish and various additives. Some manufacturers make it entirely from soy protein. A high-quality product must contain surimi, salt, sugar and vegetable oil. You can find dyes and flavor enhancers in crab sticks. If all these ingredients are of high quality and added in small quantities, then they do not pose any health hazard.
Surimi is made from fresh seafood with white meat. The product has a high density and contains a small amount of fat, which makes crab sticks low in calories. When preparing fish fillets, they are not subjected to heat treatment. To produce high-quality surimi, fresh raw materials are used, purified from blood, enzymes and instant meat components. It is this treatment that turns the fish into a plastic white mass without any odor.
To obtain the finished product, salt, sugar, butter and egg white are added, as well as stabilizers and flavorings. The red color of the product is given by paprika, carmine or other substances. In the production of high-quality products, only food dyes are used.
The calorie content of crab sticks depends on their composition. BJU looks like this - 6 g of protein, 1 g of fat and 10 g of carbohydrates per 100 grams of product. The calorie content of crab sticks is about 85-90 calories depending on the manufacturer, but usually no more than 100 kcal. Weight 1 pc. - approximately 25 g, so the calorie content will be no more than 25 kcal.
Chemical composition and calorie content of crab sticks
The calorie content of seafood is only 88 kcal per 100 grams. Therefore, they can be usefully used by people who watch their weight.
| Compound | Quantity |
| Squirrels | 17.5 g |
| Fats | 2 g |
| Carbohydrates | 0 g |
| Alimentary fiber | 0 g |
| water | 70 g |
In addition, the semi-finished product contains useful vitamins PP, H, E.
Macronutrients:
- sulfur,
- chlorine.
Microelements:
- molybdenum,
- nickel,
- fluorine,
- chromium,
- zinc.
How many calories are in crab sticks and is it possible to lose weight by eating them?
It is clear that the calorie content of crab sticks depends on their composition. We will not talk about a low-quality or falsified product, in which vegetable protein predominates, but we will discuss the calorie content of natural crab sticks. On average, 100 grams of crab sticks contain 17.5 g of protein and 2 g of fat. The calorie content of crab sticks is about 85-90 kcal, usually no more than 100. Since the weight of one crab stick is approximately 25 grams, the calorie content of 1 crab stick will be no more than 25 kcal, usually a little less.
If you decide to lose weight with the help of crab sticks, then you need to understand that this will be one of the types of protein diet, which is a mono-diet and may not have the most favorable consequences for the body. You cannot stick to such a diet for more than a few days, but even in a very short time it will allow you to lose extra pounds.
For several days of the crab diet, you can only eat crab sticks and kefir, and you should not eat more than 200 grams of both per day. You can only drink pure water or green tea without sugar. On such a diet, the body will receive approximately 300 kcal per day. This is very little, so the weight will go away quickly, but your health may worsen. If you don’t want to suffer too much from hunger, then you can allow yourself to eat a little more, since the calorie content of 1 crab stick is very low, a small snack will not affect the progress of the diet.
If you get tired of eating raw crab sticks alone, you can diversify the menu with a salad of crab sticks, which is also relatively low in calories. There are a lot of recipes for salads with crab sticks, but one of the most popular is a salad with eggs, corn and boiled rice. The calorie content of a crab stick salad prepared according to this recipe is no more than 150 kcal, and the beneficial properties of rice will help remove harmful substances and toxins from the body.
Useful properties of crab sticks
It makes sense to talk about the benefits of crab sticks for the body only when they are made from surimi, which has a lot of useful properties. Only in such a situation will they be able to reveal their beneficial properties and transfer valuable components to the body: proteins, minerals and vitamins - and bring benefits.
Important! To obtain benefits and not harm, you should purchase a product made from surimi.
If the semi-finished product is contained as an ingredient in salads, then it is necessary to analyze the properties of the remaining components.
It is better to give them to the child in minimal quantities and of the highest quality. Only in this case there will be no harm from their use. In addition, they may contain microelements that have beneficial properties for the normal functioning of the cardiovascular system.
Amount of calories in crab sticks
Today, there are a huge number of recipes that include crab sticks, because due to their content, the calorie content of the dish increases only slightly. But still, in order to find out the calorie content of a product, it is necessary to take into account all its ingredients. So, the calorie content of crab stick salad will depend on what products you add to it when preparing it.
The average calorie content of crab sticks is 88 kcal per 100 g of product. That is why they are ideal for the nutritious diet of people who are trying to lose weight.
Diets made from this product are also considered low-calorie, but this diet should be followed for no more than 4 days. It should be borne in mind that in order to really lose excess weight, it is necessary to use only a natural product, without foreign impurities in the form of dyes, soy or starch. The calorie content of crab sticks should also be low, since some types of crab sticks can have quite a large amount of calories.
Natural crab delicacy has all the beneficial substances found in seafood products. It contains various vitamins A, B and C, as well as a large amount of protein and a small amount of carbohydrates. Thanks to this, following a crab diet will allow you to quickly saturate your body, despite the fact that the calorie content of crab sticks will be minimal. But there are also negative aspects of using the product, because now most crab sticks are not of sufficient quality and their use can lead to various diseases. Therefore, when purchasing them you need to be extremely careful.
Are crab sticks good for you on a diet?
The semi-finished product contains relatively few calories and practically no fat, this property makes it convenient to eat as a light snack. However, if we take into account the small amount of useful substances, the content of dyes and preservatives and a fairly large number of artificial additives, we can conclude that the product is more likely to cause harm than benefit.
Thus, despite their low calorie content, you should not overuse them; nevertheless, their beneficial properties are small. You can occasionally include them in your diet as an addition to some dishes.
Beneficial properties and harm of surimi
Experienced nutritionists say that real crab is a combination of pure cholesterol and sodium, while the content of these substances in crab sticks is much lower. The product also contains fewer calories and saturated fat.
However, you should not overuse surimi, since the body will not receive some essential substances from it - proteins, B vitamins, copper, phosphorus and healthy fats. Real crab sticks have a number of advantages and benefits:
- low calorie content, great for those on a diet;
- contain vitamins E, A and B and polyunsaturated fatty acids;
- cleanse the body of waste, toxins in the intestines and reduce cholesterol levels in the blood.
The product is not subject to heat treatment, so when consuming it, you can become infected with microorganisms. Thickeners, flavors and dyes can cause not only intestinal problems, but also lead to various pathologies. With moderate consumption of surimi, there is no harm to the body.
Can crab sticks be consumed by pregnant and lactating women?
The chemical components of this semi-finished product will end up in breast milk, which can adversely affect the health of the newborn. Allergic reactions, adverse events from the digestive system, or even the development of the disease will be provoked.
Therefore, women during breastfeeding are not recommended to eat them in the same quantities as they were consumed before pregnancy. It is allowed to add them only occasionally, for example, to salads, provided there are no allergies.
Important! You can use crab sticks during breastfeeding with your doctor's permission.
It is important not to forget that when consuming seafood for the first time during lactation, only a minimal amount of this product is allowed. This way the mother will be able to assess the child’s body’s reaction to new food. If the child does not have allergic reactions, the amount of the product can be increased. However, they cannot be abused: the daily presence of semi-finished products in the diet of a nursing woman is not allowed. Thus, there is no benefit from crab sticks for women during lactation.
Harm to the product
The harmful properties of crab sticks are primarily due to various food additives and flavor enhancers that manufacturing companies use in production.
Food industry experts assure that additives such as E420, E170 and E160 are not harmful in small quantities, but they can cause severe allergies, especially in people prone to such reactions.
Important! And the use of low-quality food additives or their excessive content leads to exacerbation and even the formation of chronic diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and liver.
Crab sticks for children
Crab sticks are an unnatural product that contains a large number of various additives. The semi-finished product contains a minimal amount of beneficial properties, but can cause harm in the form of an allergic reaction or even poisoning. Therefore, it is better not to give this product to children under 3–4 years of age. At such a tender age, the child’s digestive system is very sensitive to additives.
Crab sticks for gastritis and pancreatitis
Experts confidently state that crab sticks should not be present in the diet of patients with gastritis and pancreatitis. This is explained by the fact that in their production a huge number of different food colors, flavors, and preservatives are used. For persons with diseases of the digestive system, this is strictly prohibited.
For example, in people with gastritis and high acidity, the use of such products can cause severe irritation of the stomach walls, which can result in an exacerbation and worsening of the condition. Therefore, additives and preservatives make sticks a product that should not be present in the diet of people with digestive problems.
Advice! It is better to purchase low-fat varieties of fish, it will be healthy and safe.
Crab sticks for diabetes
Almost all useful elements, vitamins and minerals are destroyed during the manufacture of the semi-finished product, leaving only vegetable protein in the composition, so there is no question of benefits for diabetics. This is a low-calorie product, so it can be consumed, but only occasionally. It is important to understand that the products are harmful for patients with diabetes and are not beneficial due to the high content of preservatives, stabilizers and flavor enhancers. Such components tend to provoke allergies, exacerbation of chronic diseases and disorders of the gastrointestinal tract.
Important! For diseases of the pancreas, crab sticks are contraindicated and will not bring any benefit.
What's in it
The composition of Wichi crab sticks is very complex and varied. The main component is surimi - minced fish prepared in a special way. Ocean fish is used to produce it. First, all liquid is removed from it, then egg white, sugar and salt in a small amount and starch are added.
In addition, water, vegetable oil, salt, starch, protein and several food additives are added to the composition to create the crab taste and the required color:
- Dyes;
- Crab flavor;
- Thickeners;
- Aroma and taste enhancers.
The percentage of minced fish in Vichi crab sticks in the composition ranges from 25% to 45%. This composition means that the manufacturer of crab sticks Vichi does not use crabs or fish in the preparation. Surimi is made exclusively from fish waste.
Based on the results of the inspection, Roskontrol gives a positive assessment; Vichi production meets all necessary safety requirements.
Important! If the composition lists surimi in the first place, it means that fish makes up the majority of it. If soy protein is indicated, this indicates a minimum content.
Vichi crab meat is no less popular. There is an established opinion that it represents production waste: these are the pieces that are obtained when cutting the rope. However, manufacturers claim that in addition to the main composition, crab meat contains broth, making it softer, more tender and juicier. According to buyers, these two products are close to each other in taste and smell, however, the meat is distinguished by its lower cost and convenient form for preparing some dishes .
In addition, the manufacturer produces specimens with natural additives: crab meat. The composition does contain meat, but the quantitative content remains small. First of all, it is reflected not in the taste properties, but in the aroma: this product has a slight smell of shrimp.
- The minced meat contains beneficial minerals;
- The processing process does not involve treatment with high temperatures, due to which all vitamins and macroelements remain;
- It contains a small amount of fat and a large amount of protein.
Despite the fact that fish raw materials are used for production, there is no need to talk about great benefits. However, with a fairly low calorie content, they quickly satisfy hunger and satiate well.
Depending on the addition of various components, vichi crab sticks have a calorie content from 69 to 139 kilocalories per 100 grams. Those with lower calorie content are more suitable for daily consumption, as they contain the highest surimi content.
- Proteins – 6-7 g;
- Fats – 1-1.5 g;
- Carbohydrates – 10-13 g.
Vichi crab sticks have a calorie content per unit of product from 10 to 18 kilocalories.
Use of crab sticks in cooking
Imitation crab meat is used in the preparation of many different dishes; they have the ability to fit quite harmoniously into culinary masterpieces. Among them are salads, snacks, and it happens that they are even used in hot dishes. Most of all, sticks are used in combination with canned corn; this is a classic on the holiday table.
Harm of crab sticks and contraindications
The semi-finished product contains additives such as E-450, E-420 and E-160, which tend to provoke allergic reactions. People prone to allergies should be careful when consuming them so as not to harm their health. It is recommended to consume no more than 100 grams at a time.
Since the semi-finished product is not subjected to heat treatment, there is a risk of contamination by microorganisms. It is better to purchase the product in vacuum packaging, it will protect the product from the penetration of dirt and germs.
The composition may contain soy protein, which can provoke an exacerbation of chronic kidney and liver diseases. It is better for people with such diseases not to include these products in their diet.
Crab sticks: benefits or harm to the human body
Crab sticks are a food product made from minced fish called surimi. It does not contain crab meat, and manufacturers, in order to achieve similarity with it, specially add flavor enhancers and dyes to the product. The sticks are consumed as a snack and added to various salads. They contain useful substances that are necessary for the human body, but in some cases their use can be harmful to health.
In Japan, sticks were originally made from chopped fish meat, but modern manufacturers began to add artificial additives to them to improve the appearance and taste of the product. This reduced the percentage of natural fish included in the sticks from 45% to 25%.
Crab sticks of the popular Vichi brand consist of the following ingredients:
- 1. Surimi. Minced fish made from inexpensive white fish such as pollock, blue whiting or hake.
- 2. Starch. Wheat, potato and tapioca starch are added to the product so that the sticks can retain their shape.
- 3. Egg white. This component is included in the composition in order to increase the protein content.
- 4. Vegetable oils – rapeseed and sunflower.
- 5. Artificial additives. To give the product an attractive appearance, smell and taste, stabilizers (sorbitol, polyphosphates), dyes (titanium dioxide, paprika oil resins, carmines), thickener carrageenan, flavor identical to natural crab and natural mirin are added to the product. According to the manufacturer, Vichi sticks do not contain preservatives or the hazardous additive E621 (monosodium glutamate).
- 6. Rapeseed oil and water.
- 7. Salt and sugar.
The product contains the following beneficial substances:
Ratio of BJU per 100 grams of product:
- proteins – 90 mg;
- fats – 0.5 g;
- carbohydrates – 15 g.
The calorie content of the product per 100 g is 88 calories. The energy value of one stick is 18 calories. The popular salad, which is made from crab sticks and corn, contains 143 kcal per 100 g. Mayonnaise and eggs add calories to this dish.
Crab sticks contain minced fish, which does not undergo heat treatment, so it contains substances that benefit human health. But the production also uses artificial additives that are harmful to the human body.
Surimi meat is the most beneficial because this component is natural. The benefits of minced fish are due to its composition:
- vitamins help maintain the tone of blood vessels, the nervous system and the human heart;
- calcium helps strengthen bones;
- easily digestible protein quickly saturates the body, which is important for people on a diet.
Since this product is low in calories, it can be eaten when losing weight, but in small quantities as a snack. Regular consumption of sticks will not lead to excess weight gain, but it is recommended to eat no more than 200 grams of this product per day. Abuse will lead to the development of an allergic reaction and digestive disorders. Allergy sufferers are allowed to consume no more than 100 grams per day.
Since the product is not subject to heat treatment, it is preferable to buy the product in vacuum packaging, which can protect the sticks from dirt and microorganisms.
Before purchasing a product, you should carefully study its composition. If it contains artificial additives such as E450, E171, E420, then you should avoid purchasing it, since these components are the strongest allergens.
The use of crab sticks is contraindicated for people suffering from pancreatitis or gastritis, since the flavors and dyes present in the product provoke irritation of the mucous membrane of the digestive organs and increase the inflammatory process.
You should not include crab sticks in your diet if:
- individual intolerance to product components;
- liver and kidney diseases;
- pregnancy and breastfeeding.
You should not feed crab sticks to small children under 3 years of age. This product will do more harm to their health than good, since it is not completely natural, and the digestive system of babies is extremely sensitive to various industrial chemical components. It is not advisable to include this product in the diet of preschool and school-age children.
How to select and store crab sticks
In order to get beneficial properties from crab sticks and not harm, it is extremely important to choose the right product.
- Package. It is better to prefer seafood in a vacuum; it tends to protect the contents from the penetration of bacteria and microorganisms.
- Composition and expiration date. A healthy product must contain at least 40% minced fish. Surimi should be in first place in the lineup.
- Food additives, stabilizers and flavor enhancers. The amount of such ingredients should be kept to a minimum. You should not purchase products containing E-450 pyrophosphates, E-420 sorbitols, E-171 dyes and E-160 carotenes. Such components provoke allergic reactions.
In addition, they must:
- have a neat appearance
- be evenly colored, without smudges or stains,
- be elastic and not fall apart when touched.
Recommendations for selection
When choosing a product, pay attention to the percentage of “surimi” - the more, the better. Read the ingredients carefully – there should be a minimum of food additives and colorings.
Buy sticks with a short shelf life - this means that a small amount of harmful preservatives was used in production. The packaging with sticks must be hermetically sealed, without external damage;
Pay attention to the appearance of the product - high-quality crab sticks:
- look delicious
- neat and elastic in appearance;
- juicy to taste;
- have a uniform color.
A product that has been frozen should not be purchased, since stores often store it at the wrong (too low) temperature. Frozen crab sticks lose all their nutritional and taste qualities.
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Reviews
Vera Pavlovna Sorokina, 67 years old, Progress village I like to make a salad with crab sticks for the holidays. If it’s not on the table, then the mood is not right. It’s quick to make, the ingredients are simple and very tasty! I didn't notice any harm. Ignatenko Vera Borisovna, 60 years old, Krasnodar A friend told me that there is a diet based on crab sticks. I really want to try it. I constantly struggle with excess weight and have no success. I'm just afraid it won't harm my health. Petrova Lidiya Vladimirovna, 45 years old, Volgograd Daughter uses crab sticks for weight loss. He eats little, and most of his diet consists of this semi-finished product. He says that they tend to quickly remove the feeling of hunger. I quarrel with her, but it’s no use. There are only additives, there is nothing good in the composition!
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