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Honest Sea Teriyaki Seaweed Snack | Chewsday Review

It’s time to dive into today's Chewsday Review. Are Honest Sea Teriyaki Seaweed Snacks sea-riously as honest as it claims to be or do we need to sea kelp for more snack ideas? Let’s find out…

Ingredients

Organic Seaweed (43%), Organic Sunflower Oil, Organic Cane Sugar, Organic Teriyaki Seasoning (15%) (Organic Tamari Soy Powder, Organic Rice Concentrate, Organic Garlic, Organic Onion), Sea Salt.
Honest Sea Teriyaki Seaweed Snacks have a low seaweed content, with less than half (43%) of the seaweed snacks being made of seaweed. Most of the snack is made up of oil, sugar and teriyaki seasoning.
Allergens: Soy
May contain fish and crustacea.

Positives

Seaweed is a good source of iodine. However, we can’t say how much of a benefit Honest Sea Seaweed snacks will have as the iodine content is not stated on the pack. Additionally, it’s hard to say whether the health benefits of seaweed are outweighed by the added sugar and salt in these seaweed snacks.
Honest Sea Teriyaki Seaweed Snacks come in small convenient packs, making them an easy, grab and go snack. Although, the added packaging contributes to soft plastic waste, so this isn’t a true positive.

Negatives

Plain seaweed naturally contains some salt, however Honest Sea Teriyaki Snacks also have added salt and teriyaki seasoning. This brings the overall salt content to more than 3 times that of plain nori sheets.
At 1420mg per 100g, the sodium content of Honest Sea Teriyaki Snacks looks sky high at first glance, but it’s important to take the super small serving size into account as these snacks are so thin and light. One 5g snack pack provides 71mg of sodium, which is equivalent to 18% of a younger child’s and 12% of an older child’s daily sodium recommendations. So although these seaweed snacks have a high sodium content per 100g, it’s not a big issue when the 5g serving size is taken into account.
Seaweed is naturally low in saturated fat, but the oil used to coat the seaweed to give it a light and crunchy texture bumps up the saturated fat and total fat content of this snack. When looking at one 5g serving size, total fat (2g per serve) and saturated fat (0.2g per serve) are within recommendations.
Unlike plain nori sheets, these seaweed snacks have added sugar as part of the teriyaki flavouring.
At $2 a pack these are an expensive snack, considering one pack is only 5g. Plain nori sheets like Obento Japanese Yaki Nori For Sushi are cheaper at more than half the price per 100g.

Marketing

“Tasty snack that packs a punch with nutrients and minerals.” As mentioned above, seaweed itself is a good source of iodine. However, we can’t say how much of a benefit Honest Sea Seaweed snacks will have as the iodine content is not stated.
“Organic superfood snack.” This snack may be organic, however this only tells us how the ingredients were grown, not about the actual nutritional content of the food. Superfood doesn’t mean better. Eating a variety of foods provides our bodies with the range of nutrients it needs to keep us healthy.
“Vegan and gluten free.” Yes true, there is no gluten or animal containing products in the ingredients list. However, note that it may contain fish and crustacea from the natural ocean environment.
“Organic roasted seaweed snacks that are crunchy, papery thin and delicious!” Very true, these seaweed sheets are crunchy but very, very thin.

Alternatives

The tiny serving size of Honest Sea Teriyaki Seaweed Snacks mean that the amount of salt, sugar and saturated fat per 5g snack pack is reasonable, but I wouldn’t choose these regularly due to the price and low seaweed content. I’d be more inclined to offer seaweed in other ways my family enjoys it, and opt for savoury snacks like roasted fava beans or chickpeas or Sunbites Snack Crackers.
If you are looking to reduce soft plastic waste and save money, another option is to make your own seaweed snacks. Roasted seaweed snacks can easily be made by lightly brushing oil and sprinkling your choice of flavouring onto plain nori sheets, then pan frying on medium heat for 3-5 seconds on each side.
If your family enjoys adding seaweed to meals like sushi bowls, plain nori sheets are a cheaper alternative with no added sugar or salt, and are made of 100% seaweed.
Looking for more on choosing savoury snacks ? Our Baby, Toddler and Family Mealtimes memberships include a comprehensive product selection guide for savoury snacks, as well as over 15 other categories. to choose.