Craving a BBQ but Not the Meat? Here's the Alternative You Must Know

The vegan community worldwide has been celebrating this meat substitute for years: seitan.

Seitan is made from the gluten found in wheat flour.

The Hebrew community from Dimona frequently uses it for various traditional dishes, and today it is sold in different forms in health food stores and major supermarket chains.

So, what's special about seitan, and how can you consume it? Here are some facts you might not have known:

1. Many people assume seitan is a protein; however, since it is made from wheat, it must be consumed with legumes like beans, chickpeas, or lentils to function like a protein in our bodies.

2. Seitan is also not a grain, as other grains contain the amino acid lysine, which seitan does not.

3. Thanks to its texture, which closely resembles regular meat, the vegan food industry has found numerous ways to incorporate it into its cuisine, from shawarma made of seitan to kebabs and burgers that would not shame a traditional BBQ.

4. You can fry, cook, stir-fry, or even bake seitan.

5. For those wondering about the calorie count in 100 grams — it contains only 120 kcal, or in other words, like lean chicken breast. Seitan is also low in sodium, another tasty reason to consume it.

6. In 100 grams of regular meat, there is almost no calcium, but in the same amount of seitan, you'll find between 500-800 mg of calcium, surpassing even many cheeses that boast high calcium levels.