Seaweed continues to be promoted as a health-boosting “super food,” yet it can be intimidating to prepare and hard to find. Seaweed typically comes in red, green, and brown varieties, with brown being the most commonly used for kelp and wakame. It is rich in vitamin A, vitamin C, and calcium, antioxidants, and iodine. Medical professionals often recommend it for bone conditions, a healthy thyroid, and to reduce inflammation.
Seafood and Vegetarian Sushi
Sushi is perhaps the most popular way to consume seaweed. To save money and satisfy your taste buds, consider experimenting with homemade sushi in your own kitchen. Simply create rolls with sheets of dried Nori, sticky rice, and any ingredients that you choose. Slice your custom-designed sushi into 1-inch pieces and enjoy tasty seaweed full of flavor.
Kombu Dashi Soup
Kombu dashi stock is an excellent base for soups and other recipes that require cooking in liquid. This is one of the easiest and most affordable ways to start incorporating seaweed into your diet. Simply combine dried kombu dashi strips with water, allow to soak, simmer, and remove before eating. This soup base will stay fresh for several days refrigerated in an airtight container. You can also use this base to cook dried beans, as it softens the beans and makes them easier to digest. Check out MindBodyGreen’s recipes for Dulse Rice and Miso soup for more creative ideas.
Seaweed Salad
It’s just as easy to make a seaweed salad than a lettuce or spinach salad at home. You can chop up different kinds of seaweed – such as Nori, Dulse, Kombu, Arame, and Wakame – and mix with other vegetables. Cucumbers, onions, and tomatoes taste great with seaweed. Try making a homemade salad dressing to drizzle over your veggie mix with rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, soy sauce, and ginger paste.
Seaweed Chips
If you love the crunchy satisfaction of potato chips, try seaweed chips as a healthy alternative with more fiber and less calories. You can bake or fry seaweed into chips at home, or you can often buy them at Asian markets. Trader Joe’s, for example, offers a Roasted Seaweed Snack that you can also buy online from Amazon.
Powder and Capsule Supplements
If you don’t live near an Asian market or you simply dislike the taste of seaweed, consider exploring seaweed powder and capsule supplements. Our 300-gram freeze-dried Seaweed Powder is delicious when sprinkled over pastas, omelets, chowders, vegetables, and smoothies. Make the powder do “double duty” for you by mixing a small amount with water to create a paste and apply it to your face to nourish and soften the skin. We also offer all-natural, sustainably-harvested seaweed in capsule form. All of our seaweed is harvested along the central Pacific coast of Baja California, with all the thyroid and fiber benefits in an easy-to-swallow pill.
Of course, these are just a few of the many ways that health-conscious consumers eat seaweed on a regular basis. You can also blend seaweed into smoothies, add it to spices as a seasoning, mix it into dips, and snack on it in pure form. No matter how you consume it, seaweed is a great addition to any diet. It supplies the body with essential nutrients, helps balance the body’s functioning, and provides a much-needed boost of energy.