Comparing Surimi to Real Seafood - On Nutrition (2024)

DEAR J.K.: Surimi is a type of processed seafood made up of less expensive varieties of fish, such as pollock, that are deboned, rinsed and minced until there’s nothing more than a bland and colorless mass. The surimi gets extruded into filaments that are woven together to resemble the texture and appearance of crabmeat muscle fibers, or other shapes.

Next comes flavoring and coloring. In addition to crab, surimi is used to form imitations of more expensive fish such as lobster, scallops or shrimp. The flavoring used is usually a concentrate made from real shellfish. This should serve as an alert to those with shellfish allergies: Surimi-based foods are not necessarily a safe alternative.

It may be difficult to tell the difference between surimi-based seafood salad and one containing the genuine article, especially if many other ingredients are present in the salad. Check the price, though, as surimi costs only a fraction of the price of genuine shellfish. And read the ingredient statement, which should be available from the clerk if you are purchasing bulk food from a deli counter.

Nonfish ingredients in surimi include sugar, carbohydrate-based binding agents, and flavorings (which may or may not include glutamate). Surimi is lower in fat than real fish, and it is not a significant source of the omega-3 fatty acids found in other types of seafood. A 3.5-ounce serving of surimi contains 10 grams of carbohydrate, while there is less than 1 gram in real crabmeat. The serving of surimi has about 12 grams of protein, compared with real crab’s 22 grams. Surimi is higher in sodium and lower in potassium than real crabmeat: Surimi contains 841 milligrams of sodium and 90 milligrams of potassium, versus crab meat’s 378 milligrams of sodium and 408 milligrams of potassium.

Surimi is not “loaded” with preservatives, and the flavoring is usually from natural substances. But as with most foods, there can be a variance in quality among the different brands. Read the ingredient statement to see what you are getting. You can find surimi-type imitation seafood in prepared salads in the deli case, but also in sealed containers in your store’s refrigerator or freezer section. Once opened, surimi should be consumed with a few days. Unopened, refrigerated packages can be kept for up to two months, and frozen surimi can be kept for up to six months. Check expiration dates for guidance.

Send questions to: “On Nutrition,” Ed Blonz, c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO, 64106. Send email inquiries to questions@blonz.com. Due to the volume of mail, personal replies cannot be provided.

DEAR DR. BLONZ: Most fresh potatoes are not sold right out of the field, but are stored first -- sometimes for many months. Do they lose their nutritional value in storage? -- S.G., via email

DEAR S.G.: Fresh tends to be best, but if stored under proper conditions, potatoes do quite well with little nutrient loss. Cool, dry and dark conditions are the key, with “cool” defined as a range of 45-50 degrees F. Exposure to warmth or light will cause the potato to come out of its dormancy, begin to sprout and take on a greenish tinge. Potato sprouts or green parts are NOT to be eaten.

If stored correctly, mature potatoes will keep well for up to two months. Aside from their carbohydrate content, an average-sized potato (with skin) is a good source of vitamin C and potassium, and also provides a couple of grams of fiber, several B vitamins, magnesium, iron, phosphorous and zinc.

DEAR DR. BLONZ: My reading of food ingredient labels often reveals “modified food starches” somewhere on the list. I prefer to make foods from scratch, but this is not always possible. Are these ingredients I need to be concerned about? -- W.H., Charleston, North Carolina

DEAR W.H.: A modified food starch is a complex carbohydrate that has been chemically modified to change some of its qualities. These would include texture, the ease with which the starch dissolves, and how readily the starch can be digested. Modified food starches are used in processed foods as thickeners, as formulation aids (to help maintain a desired consistency or texture), as an anti-caking agent (to help keep powdered foods free-flowing), or as a humectant (an additive that absorbs and maintains a food’s water content). Typical foods that contain modified starches include sauces, pie fillings and gravies.

Modified food starches are usually synthesized from a naturally occurring food starch, and they are not considered to represent a health risk. Those sensitive to gluten, however, should avoid foods containing modified food starches unless specifically labeled as “gluten-free,” as the starch may have originally come from wheat or another gluten-containing grain.

DEAR DR. BLONZ: My son and son-in-law both suffer from kidney stones. Can you tell me what foods they should not eat? -- A.T., Phoenix

DEAR A.T.: Kidney stones are among the most painful conditions that people can have, and they can develop for a number of reasons. There are different types, so an essential first step is for each of your relatives to work with his physician to determine the type of stones he has, and what might be responsible for them. Don’t wait; find out what is going on. Once you have this information, there will be more specific steps to take. The therapy will depend on the type of stone being formed. About the only common advice is to drink plenty of water.

There is more information on kidney stones at the National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse: kidney.niddk.nih.gov

Send questions to: “On Nutrition,” Ed Blonz, c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO, 64106. Send email inquiries to questions@blonz.com. Due to the volume of mail, personal replies cannot be provided.

DEAR DR. BLONZ: When cooking beans, will adding ginger to the water reduce the amount of intestinal gas from eating them? Where does the gas come from? If using this technique, how much ginger would be needed for 1 lb. of beans? And should I use fresh ginger or ground, which also affects the amounts? -- S.K., Las Vegas

DEAR S.K.: Beans contain particular carbohydrates called oligosaccharides. The body does a poor job of digesting these, because we don’t produce sufficient amounts of the particular enzyme required to do that job. As a result, these carbohydrates travel through the small intestine undigested, then arrive in the large intestine, where they serve as sustenance to the natural flora that live there. Flora can give off methane and other gases as a metabolic byproduct of their meal. Some of the intestinal gases get absorbed through the intestinal wall, but when production exceeds this ability, the excess gets passed out of the body. All this will vary from individual to individual.

I am familiar with ginger’s reputation of being able to reduce the gas from beans. There is, however, little available in the scientific literature that describes how this herbal root might accomplish the task. Some of the information says that ginger works its wonders when you add it to the soaking water, as you mention above. I could not, however, find any guide that specified amounts or types of ginger.

What is confusing is that there are other articles saying that the anti-gas effect comes when you use ginger as a seasoning with already-cooked beans. One article even made reference to “research in India,” but again, there was little to be found in the scientific literature. On top of all this, we have ginger’s reputation as a digestive aid unrelated to beans, as well as its recommended use to help with various forms of nausea, including morning sickness and post-surgical nausea.

Aside from giving ginger a try, there are other techniques that can help limit the impact of gas production. One is to eat more slowly, chewing foods thoroughly, and enjoying beans as a part of a meal that contains protein and fat -- ideally preceding the beans. This helps because it slows the rate at which the food travels through the digestive tract, in turn slowing the rate at which the gas is produced.

Another option is to take an over-the-counter product that provides some of the missing digestive enzyme. The way the beans are cooked is also a factor. For more on this, see tinyurl.com/yb65zrzz.

Send questions to: “On Nutrition,” Ed Blonz, c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO, 64106. Send email inquiries to questions@blonz.com. Due to the volume of mail, personal replies cannot be provided.