Is seaweed a puffed food

Seaweed is not a puffed food. Seaweed is a food made from seaweed through baking, seasoning, and other processes. Its main components are algal protein, dietary fiber, and minerals, while puffed foods are usually made from grains or potatoes through high-temperature and high-pressure puffing processes. The process of making seaweed is to wash the seaweed, spread it flat and dry it, and then go through cutting, seasoning, baking and other steps. Its texture is thin and crispy but has not been treated with puffing technology. Traditional puffed foods such as potato chips and shrimp strips require extrusion or deep frying techniques to expand the volume of the raw materials, forming a loose and porous structure, while the crispness of seaweed is due to the natural physical changes after water evaporation.

Some seasoned seaweed may have added oil or sugar to enhance its taste. These products have a texture similar to puffed foods, but the core processing technology is still fundamentally different from puffing technology. There is a type of puffed seaweed snack on the market that adds extra starch ingredients and uses puffing technology, which belongs to the category of puffed foods. However, traditional original seaweed is not included in this category.

It is recommended to choose low salt and low sugar original flavor products for daily consumption of seaweed, and avoid excessive intake of additives. Seaweed is rich in iodine, and individuals with thyroid dysfunction need to control their intake. Seaweed can be used as a side dish or snack, paired with rice or soup to enhance its nutritional value, but it should not be used as a substitute for regular meals.