Budget-Friendly Seafood Items You’ll Actually Enjoy Eating

Yes, surimi is deboned fish flesh that gets made into imitation crab. Yes, you can argue that this isn’t necessarily real seafood. But it partly is, and it tastes quite a bit like the real thing. It’s one of those “don’t knock it until you’ve tried it” type of things.

Plus, imitation crab is much cheaper than the real thing because it’s not the real thing. Still, it has a similar texture, bite, and flavor, making you feel like you’re snacking on real crab. Drizzle imitation crab with melted butter, chop it up to mix into a crab salad, or add diced imitation crab to homemade crab soup.

Although imitation crab won’t give you the same nutrition profile as real crab — according to Healthline, it’s much lower in protein, vitamin B12, and folate, and it’s higher in carbs — the price difference is incomparable. For instance, as of September 2023, real crab meat at Sam’s Club is almost $25 per pound, while a package of imitation crab is just slightly over $3 per pound.