The Best Seaweed Snacks Of 2023
As much as we’re all trying to be mindful of our eating and snacking habits, snacking is never going to stop being an important part of our lives, let’s be honest. If there’s a snack that can give us all the crunchy, savory goodness we crave while also providing our bodies with nutrition instead of empty calories, we’re on board.
That’s why seaweed snacks have become so popular over the past few years. We’ve been snacking a lot lately to decide which crunchy green wafers qualify for our list of the best seaweed snacks.
So what are the best seaweed snacks? We narrowed down the list to our top 7 brands: Annie Chun’s, Wickedly Prime, Sea’s Gift, gimMe Snacks, SeaSnax, Seaweed Love, and Tao Kae Noi.
In this article, we’ll highlight the best features and biggest drawbacks of each individual seaweed snack.
The Best Seaweed Snacks
Not all seaweed snacks are created equal, in taste, value for the dollar, or nutrition.
We’ve sourced out the top 7 snacks to meet all your needs and have outlined their best (and worst) features for your easy reference.
Rank | Product | Description |
1 | Annie Chun’s Seaweed Snacks | America’s #1 selling brand of Organic roasted seaweed in 4 signature flavors |
2 | Wickedly Prime Organic Roasted Seaweed Snacks | 4 unique flavors of roasted seaweed, pack of 24 |
3 | Sea’s Gift Seaweed Snacks | Korean roasted seaweed with sea salt |
4 | gimMe Snacks Roasted Seaweed Snacks | Organic roasted seaweed in 6 different varieties |
5 | SeaSnax Seaweed Snacks | Premium roasted seaweed in a variety of popular flavors |
6 | Seaweed Love Seaweed Snacks | Roasted seaweed in a variety pack of flavors |
7 | Tao Kae Noi Seaweed Snacks | Tempura battered or crispy seaweed in multiple flavors |
1. Annie Chun’s Seaweed Snacks
Check the current price on Amazon.
Annie Chun’s is the #1 selling brand of seaweed snacks in all of America and for good reason. They’re highly addictive and the flavors, though limited to only 4, are perfect for the type of snack.
The Wasabi is a clear favorite, adding just enough heat to raise your eyebrows but not too much to stop you from reaching into the bag for more.
Key Features:
- Four flavors to choose from including Sea Salt, Sea Salt & Vinegar, Sesame, and Wasabi
- Certified organic, gluten-free, vegan, and with no preservatives, trans-fat or cholesterol
- 25 calories per serving, 50 calories per container
Biggest Drawback: Seaweed is naturally salty and with the added flavoring, some snackers find these roasted strips of seaweed a bit too salty for their tastes. Others find the flavors a bit inconsistent in potency.
2. Wickedly Prime Organic Roasted Seaweed Snacks
Check the current price on Amazon.
Wickedly Prime is an Amazon private label, which means it’s manufactured by another company, but branded to be exclusive to Amazon customers.
This means the snacks will usually be more competitively priced, reliably shipped, and of really high quality for the price.
Amazon has unparalleled purchasing power, so they can whittle down the prices and still sell a premium, organic product.
Key Features:
- Organic seaweed and seasoning make this snack even more nutritious for each savory bite
- Four interesting flavors to choose from: Korean Kalbi, Maui Onion, Sea Salt, and Wasabi
- Only 25 calories per serving, which is each 5-gram package
Biggest Drawback: Though part of the reason they are high in flavor, this brand is also a bit more oily than some others. For some snackers, this adds to the experience and enjoyment, but for others, they can be a bit too greasy.
3. Sea’s Gift
Check the current price on Amazon.
This wafer-thin papery seaweed delivers on its promise – it is a gift from the sea.
If you’re new to seaweed snacks it may take you a bite or two to acquire a taste for them, but you’ll probably be addicted to the process of eating these before you even realize your package is clean empty.
Key Features:
- Lightly roasted with sesame oil for added nutty flavor
- Low calorie and no cholesterol
- 30 calories per package and 100% of your daily recommended intake of iodine
Biggest Drawback: Many people think of the 24 pack as a valuable purchase, but if you’ve never tried seaweed before it’s important to note that it will smell and taste like food that comes from the sea and being faced with such a large quantity can be daunting. Buying in bulk should be reserved for those who know they enjoy the product.
4. gimMe Snacks Roasted Seaweed Snacks
Check the current price on Amazon.
With 6 different delicious flavors to choose from, we’re spoiled for choice.
And yet, somehow the traditional sea salt variety is the winning flavor overall, being the #1 Best Seller in its category in Amazon, though Terriyaki pulls a close second place.
Key Features:
- Natural source of iodine and loaded with protein, fiber, Vitamins A, C, B-12 and other trace minerals
- Compatible with nearly every diet, including Keto or Low-Carb, Vegan or Vegetarian, and Gluten-Free
- This brand sustainably cultivates and harvests their seaweed from South Korea
Biggest Drawback: The flavoring on gimMe’s seaweed is not as strong as some of the other brands, so the fishy taste shines through a bit more. This is a perk for everyone who thinks the Annie Chun’s product is too salty though!
5. SeaSnax Seaweed Snacks
Check the current price on Amazon.
Aside from being tasty as can be, these particular seaweed snacks stand out from the crowd thanks to the high quality of the ingredients they use, avoiding canola and sunflower oils in favor of olive oil.
Key Features:
- The spices used for flavoring are organic, and none of the products contain soy, sesame, sunflower, or canola
- Low in fat, no cholesterol or sugar, and only 15 calories per serving, these make a healthy snack that even children love
- The seaweed is sustainably sourced through a co-op of organic seaweed farmers in South Korea
Biggest Drawback: While it’s much appreciated that the serving size is an entire package, avoiding misleading recommendations, to restrict the servings to as little as 15 calories there is a lot of packaging per small amount of seaweed snack.
6. Seaweed Love
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This brand has a familial tradition of seaweed snacks and has branded as Seaweed Love because of the care and love one grandmother taught her family to put into the making of these snacks.
The quality of ingredients is top-notch and the story warms the heart, what’s not to love?
Key Features:
- A variety pack option lets you switch up your flavor adventure between Sesame and Olive oil, which is a surprisingly new experience between varieties. Not to mention their Coconut Oil and Wasabi options.
- Roasted to perfection to create a good crunch that’s just chewy enough to prevent the snack from crumbling into a million pieces when you bite it
- Naturally gluten-free, a low-fat snacking option with plenty of flavor and only 25 calories per serving
Biggest Drawback: As with all of the seaweed products, if you’ve never tasted them before it’s a good idea to start with a single package and not a large, bulk pack like this one. The taste of any seaweed snack is fishy, so to speak. Aside from that, the only reason this product isn’t higher in our rankings is simply that there aren’t a lot of options for flavor.
7. Tao Kae Noi Seaweed Snacks
Check the current prices on Amazon.
If the biggest drawback of the previous option was not enough flavors, this brand comes to the rescue. There are so many flavors and varieties to choose from, you can enjoy an entirely new seaweed snack every day of the week.
Key Features:
- Packed with potent flavors, such as Tom Yum Goong (hot and sour shrimp), Hot Chilli Squid, or Spicy Tempura
- Battered with tempura for extra crunch and snack satiation
- Works well as a soup topper or as chips with your meal, having more chip-like consistency compared to many other seaweed snack options
Biggest Drawback: These tempura-battered seaweed snacks are more filling, crunchy, and snack-like for anyone used to munching on chips or cheese, but because of that, they lose a lot of their value as a healthy snack alternative. They’re also packaged in bags that are much too large (and rather deceiving) for the amount of snack that’s inside.
Related Questions
Is dried seaweed good for you?
Dried seaweed is very low in calories and fat, and yet is packed with fiber and a collection of vitamins and minerals, so yes, it is very good for you.
With that being said, if your seaweed snack is drenched in oil, batter, and salty seasonings, the nutritional value gets watered down.
You still get all the benefits, but you also consume some less-healthy components as well.
Can you eat too much seaweed?
The biggest risk of eating too much seaweed is the amount of iodine it contains.
In some areas of the world, iodine deficiency is still a problem, but in the US, because of the over-consumption of iodized salt, many people are actually consuming too much iodine and it’s wreaking havoc on their thyroids, which is highly dangerous.
A great way to consume as much seaweed as you’d like while lowering your risk is to swap your iodized table salt for high-quality sea salt or Kosher salt instead.
What are the benefits of seaweed for skin?
Seaweed is reported to have many benefits for your skin when it’s added to your skincare products or routine.
The vitamins and other nutrients help to keep your skin bright, supple, and youthful and they also balance out your natural oils to keep your skin acne-free.
It’s also sometimes used to treat conditions like eczema because seaweed can be very moisturizing when applied topically.
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Hey Jason. Thank you for the info. I love seaweed snacks especially when I can’t get my sushi fix.
You’re so welcome!