Seaweed: The Green Superfood You're Not Eating -- But Should Be | The Huffington Post Seaweed: The Green Superfood You're Not Eating -- But Should Be 08/21/2013 08:11 am ET Getty By Nick English You've likely chewed on seaweed wrapped around a sushi roll, but few Westerners would consider picking up a bag of the stuff at the grocery store. It might be time for a change: Seaweed is filled with antioxidants, calcium and a broad range of vitamins, but that doesn't begin to scratch the slippery brown surface of this fascinating food. More From Greatist: How To Do The Perfect Push-Up Why It's Super A member of the algae family, edible seaweed typically comes in three varieties: brown, red and green. The most commonly eaten (and researched) are the brown varieties such as kelp and wakame, followed by red seaweed, which includes nori (yep -- that's what most sushi chefs use). While seaweed-based cuisine has a proud history in many Asian countries, Japan has made it into an art form, employing over twenty different species in their fare.

In a restaurant, you're most likely to consume seaweed in a small kelp (kombu) salad, simmered into miso soup, or wrapped around a sushi roll. At just two tablespoons per serving, it's true that seaweed isn't a realistic source of many vitamins, and its benefits can occasionally be exaggerated . Seaweed contains vitamins A and C, and is also a source of calcium, which is one of the reasons some red seaweed supplements are included as part of some treatment plans for osteoarthritis . However, serving sizes are often not large enough to get a decent boost in these nutrients . Seaweed's best-known benefit is that it is an extraordinary source of a nutrient missing in almost every other food: iodine . Consuming healthy levels of iodine is critically important to maintaining a healthy thyroid, a gland in your neck which helps produce and regulate hormones. A malfunctioning thyroid can result in a wide range of symptoms such as fatigue, muscle weakness and high cholesterol (to name a few). In severe or untreated cases, it can lead to serious medical conditions like goiters (a swelling of the thyroid gland), heart palpitations and impaired memory.

Since manufacturers started adding iodine to salt in the 1920s and the World Health Organization adopted a worldwide salt iodization program in 1993, symptoms of extreme iodine deficiency have largely disappeared . However, for a host of reasons , including iodine-blocking chemicals in our environment, the poor quality (i.e. iodine-free) salt used in processed foods, and a general trend of salt-ophobia among health conscious folks, mild iodine deficiency is once again becoming increasingly common . The trouble with mild iodine deficiency is that it can manifest very subtly. Fatigue, depression, a higher susceptibility to diseases, difficulty losing weight -- these can all result from an underactive thyroid, and if the symptoms sound a little familiar, it's not hard to test yourself . But if you're keen to avoid thyroid drama (which, by the way, is especially important if you're pregnant ), noshing on some seaweed could help: One gram of brown seaweed contains roughly five to 50 times the recommended daily intake , while red and green varieties provide slightly less (the exact iodine content depends on the water in which it's grown).

The benefits of this sea green extend far beyond basic nutrition: Research suggests seaweed can also help regulate estrogen and estradiol levels -- two hormones responsible for proper development and function of sexual organs -- potentially reducing the risk of breast cancer . In fact, some claim Japan's high seaweed consumption is responsible for the country's conspicuously low incidence of the diseases . For the same reasons, seaweed may also help to control PMS (men, rejoice!) and improve female fertility issues. And many studies have shown seaweed is an extraordinarily potent source of antioxidants and also helps prevent inflammation , which can contribute to a host of ailments that include arthritis, celiac disease, asthma, depression and obesity . Your Action Plan Before adding seaweed to all of your meals, consider that -- despite it's potential benefits -- this sea vegetable can be troublesomely healthy. Ten grams (roughly two tablespoons) of dulse, a type of red seaweed, has 34 times the amount of potassium in an equally sized serving of banana -- a high enough dosage to cause heart palpitations among people with kidney problems (though it should generally be safe for those without preexisting conditions).

Similarly, while the thyroid malfunctions without iodine, research suggests too much of the stuff can have its own side effects . The answer lies, as always, in moderation -- one two-tablespoon serving of brown seaweed every week will provide a happy medium, while nori's lower iodine content means you're free to enjoy a few rolls of sushi every week, if you wish. It's also worth remembering that if the water the seaweed comes from is contaminated (with, say, toxic metals or arsenic ), the seaweed will be as well. The US Food and Drug Administration regulates commercial seaweed, and they have pretty high safety standards, but it's important to note that the FDA does not regulate supplements . So if you're taking seaweed pills (yes, they're a thing ), it's important to choose a reputable brand. Speak with your physician before you decide on supplements -- the metals in some seaweed pills could send you to the hospital, and they can be especially to dangerous to pregnant or lactating women and their babies. With the right accompaniments, seaweed can be a flavorful component with a healthy dose of antioxidants and iodine -- just try not to eat an ocean's worth.

Do you have a favorite way to eat seaweed, or do you think we should steer clear of the stuff? Let us know below! Related on HuffPost: Eat This Now: Seaweed | TIME.com Eat This Now: Seaweed Follow @TIMEHealth In the last few years, seaweed has evolved from sushi-roll staple to everyday snack, thanks to the growing popularity of brands like SeaSnax . But is it actually good—and good for you? In our second installment of “ Eat This Now ,” we break it all down. The food: Nori, which is a red seaweed that turns black and green when dried, is one of the most prevalent types for snacks and an easy first dip into seaweed, although there are many types of seaweed, like kelp, that are also widely consumed. As with other “superfoods,” it’s hard to know how much of the hype is a marketing push versus legitimate health claims, but even dried nori has a wealth of nutrients. (MORE: Eat This Now: Morels ) The hype: “In Korean culture, seaweed is like bread,” says Jin Jun, the founder of SeaSnax . “It’s a very sacred part of our culture.

It is served to us in soup on our birthday and given to women for three weeks after childbirth . In ancient Korean folklore, the tradition came about by watching whales eat seaweed after giving birth. According to our elders, it is supposed to replenish and rejuvinate the body.” Other seaweed snack brands, like Annie Chun’s , Sea’s Gift and Trader Joe’s, also tout a variety of health perks, including low fat and calorie counts, and richness in minerals. especially the low calorie count. And, per Sea Gift’s website, “seaweeds offer a tremendous range of therapeutic possibilities.” SeaSnax The truth: Although much of the rejuvenating claims come from Korean and Japanese traditions—not scientific evidence—other research is starting to confirm that seaweed does indeed contain a wide variety of vitamins and nutrients that could prevent disease. A 2011 study published in the American Chemical Society’s Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry reviewed 100 studies on the health benefits of seaweed and reported that some of the proteins in seaweed could serve as better sources of bioactive peptides than those in milk products. These reduce blood pressure, and boost heart health.

Seaweed also has an impressive amount of nutrients like vitamins A, B-6 and C as well as iodine and fiber. And that low calorie count is definitely legitimate: ten sheets of Nori have just 22 calories . (MORE: The 31 Healthiest Foods of All Time — With Recipes ) The preparation: Seaweed can be cooked raw, with a little olive oil , salt and pepper, but snack brands have pushed out some interesting takes on dried nori stacks, like wasabi flavored strips or toasty coconut flavored “sprinkles” to top ice cream or popcorn. It’s difficult to find raw seaweed in the local grocery store, but dried products are making their way from health stores into general supermarkets. “I’ve been seeing seaweed more in more in snacks and even used as noodles,” says Theresa Albert , a nutritionist and diet consultant based in Toronto. “The snacks are actually very lightly processed, with a little seasoning added. I recommend it for my traveling clients because it is a nutrient dense food that you can count on.” To find raw seaweed to cook up in your own kitchen, Albert recommends visiting Asian markets if one is available.

Unfortunately, my own venture into New York City’s Chinatown proved unsuccessful, and I could only purchase dried seaweed—but a lot of it. SeaSnax (MORE: Soylent: Is the ‘Food of the Future’ Really a Nutrition Solution? ) The taste: Not great. As much as I wanted to like the seaweed snacks (and I tried several types), I wasn’t a big fan. To me, it was akin to taking a bite of fish food. Or what I imagine that experience would taste like. I’m a seaweed salad and sushi enthusiast, but chipotle-flavored nori strips just didn’t do it for me. Still, there’s no denying the snacks are growing in variety and popularity—and several of my co-workers really enjoyed them. “We sell to a lot of moms, yogis and coaches,” says Jun. The takeaway: Try it. Perhaps it’s a trend I’ll personally pass on, but given its impressive nutritional profile, it’s worth a go for more adventures snackers. Alexandra Sifferlin is a writer and producer for TIME Healthland. She is a graduate from the Northwestern University Medill School of Journalism.

Subscribe Popular Among Subscribers Sea Vegetables Like Kelp Are Safe and Healthy to Eat | TakePart In the Aftermath of Radiation, Is Fish From the Pacific Ocean Safe to Eat? The answer is no, and you can thank some of the most stringent regulations (our tax dollars at work!) and most rigorous scientists and farmers in the world. “Our seagreens are grown in certified waters, tested weekly, and traceable from farm to plate,” wrote Bren Smith in a recent email. In addition to cultivating kelp in pristine waters for food, he’s also helping scientific cohorts at the University of Connecticut grow it in polluted waters to rehabilitate them (the waters, not the scientists), and that kelp is destined for biofuel. One of the fastest-growing plants in the world, kelp could outproduce corn or soybeans as an alternative energy source. In fact, it seems from an environmental standpoint, there is no downside to kelp.

I’m not talking about the wild-harvesting of vast quantities of seaweeds for their phycocolloids —polysaccharides such as carageenan, algin, and agar that are used as stabilizers, emulsifiers, and bulking agents in a bazillion food, beauty, and industrial products. (Just typing the words “wild-harvesting” and “vast quantities” in one sentence makes me queasy.) Mindful cultivation leaves a much smaller footprint on the marine ecosystem. “Kelp can be farmed over a small surface area because it is grown vertically. This limits interference with aquatic life,” wrote Mike Grandy in a Georgetown International Environmental Law Review blog post. “More importantly, kelp acts as a nitrogen sink : it soaks up nitrogen in the surrounding water to fuel its growth. This effect can be especially beneficial in waters with a significant amount of terrestrial runoff, as this runoff is often saturated with nitrogen from conventional land-use fertilizers …. Kelp is also being studied for its potential as a carbon sink . Plants essentially ‘capture’ excess carbon dioxide through photosynthesis, which lowers the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

Kelp could provide a means of growing more plant matter, which could help to bind up excess carbon. This binding process reduces the amount of C02 present in the atmosphere. Perhaps more importantly, an oceanic carbon sink like kelp could ease the production of carbonic acid in the oceans themselves.” Still not quite ready to dish up a plate of kelp pasta or seaweed salad? Well, nutrition-wise, seaweeds—or sea vegetables, as they’re often called—are a concentrated source of vitamins, minerals, protein, and heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids. They also contain the trace element iodine 127, the “good iodine” (found in seafood, dairy products, and iodized salt), which the thyroid gland needs to make hormones. And even though we tend to think of iodine deficiency as a problem in the developing world (it is the leading preventable cause of mental retardation), it’s important to realize that it has risen in the United States , too, as a result of a change in commercial breadmaking (bromine has replaced iodine as an additive) and an avoidance of iodized table salt.

Counterintuitive news flash here: Unlike seafood and seaweeds, sea salt is not naturally rich in iodine. So eat your (sea) vegetables! Eden, the oldest organic-food company in North America, addresses radiation concerns about their Japan-sourced products right up front. And two outfits I know of that specialize in North Atlantic sea vegetables are Ocean Approved, in Portland, Maine (transitioning from small-scale harvesting to mariculture, their products include salad-cut kelp and kelp noodles), and Maine Coast Sea Vegetables, which harvests North American dulse, kelp (aka North Atlantic kombu), Alaria (North Atlantic wakame), laver (aka nori), sea lettuce, bladderwrack, and Irish Moss. And if you live near Bren Smith’s Thimble Island Oyster Company, in Branford, Connecticut, check out his oyster, clam, and kelp offerings for his 2014 CFA, the first Community Supported Fishery in Long Island Sound. About Us TakePart is the digital news and lifestyle magazine from Participant Media , the company behind such acclaimed documentaries as CITIZENFOUR, An Inconvenient Truth and Food, Inc. and feature films including Lincoln and Spotlight.

Should You Be Eating Seaweed? - Organic Authority Should You Be Eating Seaweed? Should You Be Eating Seaweed? June 14, 2011 Share on Facebook Tweet on Twitter Seaweeds are a paradox—their ocean worlds are being devastated, but still they thrive. They’re highly nutritious, but they also absorb toxins—like the nuclear waste of the Fukushima meltdown—which can make them unsafe to eat. Scientists have identified seaweeds as a possible biofuel, helping to reduce our dependence on crude oil, but their procurement methods have conservationists seeking to protect coastlines from the ravages of industrial harvesting. So the question remains: Should you be eating seaweed? For thousands of years, oceanic communities—mostly in Asia—have harvested and eaten a variety of seaweeds. They’re an excellent source of iodine, vital for thyroid function, but too much iodine (more than 1000 micrograms per day) can actually cause thyroid disorders (Japan has one of the highest rates of hypothyroidism). And because seaweed grows in mineral-rich ocean water, it also contains high levels of minerals and trace minerals, which play a variety of roles in keeping the body healthy.

Seaweeds are also an excellent source of vitamins, including A, B, C and E. Promising new research has linked a fiber found in kelp to effective weight loss by reducing the amount of fat the body absorbs from food by as much as 75 percent. But despite the nutritious benefits of seaweed, heavy metals can bioaccumulate in the sea plants, getting more potent over time and warranting warnings like on some hijiki, a Japanese seaweed that can contain high levels of arsenic. Fortunately, you can find excellent quality seaweed available. Seek out certified organic (which is a big task for a wild grown food). When you find the certification, you know you’re getting a safe product. (Try Maine Coast or Eden Foods.) Organic certified seaweeds can’t contain heavy metals and other contaminants. And once you have quality seaweed, what to do with it? Good news, it’s extremely versatile. Nori is a sushi necessity, but try snacking on those paper-thin sea veggies plain or crumbling onto a salad. Use it instead of bread (yes, you read right!), and just wrap your veggies and yummies right into the nori (hummus or guac are awesome).

Dulse is also great as a snack or on salads, too. Kelp is a terrific salt replacer and adds flavor to just about anything. Add a strip of kombu to your water when cooking beans and they’ll come out softer without getting mushy. Keep in touch with Jill on Twitter @jillettinger 904 Ask TreeHugger: Is Eating Seaweed Dangerous? : TreeHugger March 6, 2007 Ask TreeHugger: Is Eating Seaweed Dangerous? Question: I was wondering if you could tell me how safe eating seaweed is these days, pollution wise. I hear lots about fish, but nothing about seaweed. Our family consumes 6-12 ounces a week. We buy organic, but it's wild caught. I eat seaweed in salads, sandwiches, and sushi. Mostly we just snack on dulse. -which I believe comes from the Atlantic. And we use Kombu, kelp, when cooking soups and beans. I believe the Kombu is local. We're in Santa Cruz, Ca. Thanks so much for your time!

Response: Edible seaweed is a marine algae that can come in many forms, including the type that you mention, kombu, as well as the commonly eaten wakame and nori seaweeds. Although long part of the Asian diet, edible seaweed has increasingly become a part of Western diets due to its well-documented nutritional and often discussed medicinal qualities. In comparison to information on seaweed's benefits, there is little information about the possible negative effects of eating seaweed. A couple of years ago, several governments, including the Canadian and British governments, issued warnings advising people to not eat one type of seaweed – hijiki – because of concern over its high levels of inorganic arsenic, a toxic element that has been linked to cancer. Since little was (and still is) known about the specific risks of arsenic in hijiki, hijiki was not banned. The warnings, which were intended to give the consumers a choice, stated that eating hijiki every now and then was probably not dangerous. Importantly, the warnings applied only to hijiki and not to other more commonly eaten seaweeds, including arame, nori, kombu, and wakame, which were found to be free of arsenic.

Based on these and other concerns, several scientific studies have been performed to measure the amount of arsenic and other heavy metals present in seaweed. Results from these studies show that metal contamination of seaweed depends on three major factors, including where the seaweed was harvested, the type of seaweed, and the specific metal. For example, in a small Canadian study (Van Netten et al., Science of the Total Environment, 2000), seaweed grown in waters near British Columbia, Canada generally had lower amounts of heavy metals, especially of mercury, than seaweeds grown in Japan and Norway, possibly due to lower amounts of these metals in British Columbia waters. All seaweed samples – even those grown in Japan and Norway – however, had metal levels that are generally thought of as safe to eat. What this means for you and your family is that you can continue to enjoy your seaweed salads, soups, and sushi (although given the governmental warnings I would probably stay away from hijiki). Given seaweed’s many nutritional benefits and relatively low pollutant levels, seaweed is probably not only a safe food but also one that is good for your health. Previous Ask Treehugger columns can be found here .

Helen Suh MacIntosh is a professor in environmental health at Harvard University and studies how pollution behaves in the environment and how it affects people's health. Please keep in mind that her answers are just her interpretation of available information and should not be taken as the only viewpoint or solution to a problem. Use this column at your own risk. Having said this, please feel free to post any of your environmental health questions to helen@treehugger.com . Eating Seaweed - YouTube Eating Seaweed Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. The interactive transcript could not be loaded. Loading... Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Published on Jun 24, 2014 Thanks for Watching our amazing family vlogs. We vlog everyday so please Subscribe to get an update daily! We share our happiness with each and every one of you! If you enjoy our videos please leave a comment and a thumbs up! Previous(#) - ***** If you are reading this...

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Certifique-se Inscrever-se para nós (Razões para subscrever 1: Cute Kids 2: sobreviveu a um câncer 3: Compromisso com a vlogging para sempre, apenas para citar alguns) e deixar-me muito feedback / comentários para que possamos ficar melhor e melhor a cada dia WE vlog. Why you should eat more seaweed | Best Health Magazine Canada Best Health Magazine Canada You are here : Home / Best Eats / Nutrition / Why you should eat more seaweed Why you should eat more seaweed Seaweed is an extremely nutritious vegetable that's often overlooked as a meal option. Find out how to sneak it into your diet more often By Best Health Source: Web exclusive, January 2012 Yes, that’s what we said: eat more seaweed. For many’probably most North Americans’sea vegetables or seaweed just isn’t on the menu. Perhaps the only time many of us eat the healthy stuff is when we have sushi , where it’s in miso soup, wrapped around maki and tossed with a sweet vinaigrette in bright green wakame salad.

But, take a look around the world, and for millions of folks’especially coastal peoples’sea vegetables are and always have been a major part of the diet. The nutrition in seaweed As dark, leafy veggies go, seaweed is about as nutrient-dense as it gets. Eat about a gram of seaweed and your daily iodine needs are taken care of. Iodine is one of those micronutrients that’s hard to come by in foods, and that’s why it’s added to ‘iodized’ table salt: to help bolster the population’s thyroid and brain health. But more and more folks are eschewing good old table salt for all those designer salts, and that’s just more reason to reach for some seaweed. Seaweed packs super-high amounts of calcium’higher than broccoli’and in terms of protein, it’s almost as rich as legumes. There’s also a good amount of vitamins B-12 and A and it’s a great source of fibre. But not just any old fibre. Seaweed is mostly soluble fibre, the kind that turns into a gel, slowing down the digestive process, thus inhibiting the absorption of sugars and cholesterol.

Now you might be thinking, ‘This all sounds great, but I haven’t got the foggiest idea what to do with it!’ Fair enough. Unless you were raised in Japan or in a small, coastal, fishing village here in Canada, how would you? Well, we’ve got 10 ways to use seaweed and get it into your daily diet’incognito if necessary! First, go shopping. Explore the Asian markets and familiarize yourself with the different types of sea veggies on the shelves. Next, buy a selection of seaweed, bring them home and start tasting. They should taste briny, almost fishy and each will be a bit different in taste and texture, from chewy to papery. Some will be dried and require re-hydration and some will be fresh and found in the fridge or freezer. No Asian markets near you? No worries! Most grocery stores and health food shops carry nori’for homemade sushi’at the very least. How to cook and eat seaweed 1. Slip a sheet of nori into a wrap before you roll. Cut nori to size and layer inside sandwiches and burgers. 2. Tear or cut nori into salads , soups or stir-fries.

If your family objects, make the pieces tiny’they’ll never even notice! 3. Make maki rolls and little individual hand rolls with any filling you like, inside a nori cone. 4. Drain and mash a can of salmon with cooled, cooked brown rice, mayonnaise, green onion and celery, and roll up inside a sheet of nori. 5. Cheat a little and treat the whole family to delicious’though admittedly not as nutritious’seaweed chips. This salty, crispy, delicious snack can be found in Asian markets. 6. Finely chop or snip dried seaweed into mashed potatoes, pasta dishes, stews and casseroles. 7. Pulverize dried seaweed in a food processor and sprinkle over almost anything! Spirulina is in fact seaweed and it’s delicious in a smoothie . Try keeping the seaweed powder on the dining table, just as you would the salt and pepper. If it’s right there, folks are more likely to eat it! 8. Stop by the local sushi joint and pick up some wakame salad to serve with dinner or better yet, learn to make your own. 9.

Fresh, leafy seaweed can be chopped and quietly added to kale or collards. 10. And of course, because of seaweed’s natural, slight fishiness, it’s perfect in fish chowders, fish casseroles and seafood pastas. Don’t miss out! Sign up for our free weekly newsletters and get nutritious recipes, healthy weight-loss tips, easy ways to stay in shape and all the health news you need, delivered straight to your inbox. Related content: Seaweed: A Great Addition to Your Diet This Year | Fox News Seaweed: A Great Addition to Your Diet This Year Facebook 0 Twitter 0 livefyre Email Print (iStock) Seaweed is a funny thing, isn’t it? I mean, it’s a salt-water-dwelling marine algae. Who would have ever thought that people would eat it? But interestingly, it’s been a staple in many cultures’ diets for a long time. In fact, Chinese and Japanese cultures have been eating seaweed (and using it for medicinal purposes) since 300 B.C. And with good reason: seaweed is a great source of vitamin A, C, E, K, and B-vitamins.

It’s also rich in many minerals including iodine, selenium, calcium, and iron. Not to mention, recent studies reveal that the fiber in seaweed may help prevent fat absorption due to the polysaccharide, alginate. And if that isn’t news enough to eat it, other studies have suggested that ingestion of seaweed may reduce the risk of breast cancer due to its anti-estrogenic effects, as well as improve menstrual symptoms. But with all of those health benefits, you do need to be careful about how much seaweed salad you eat because it can be high in sodium and sugar. I recently had a patient who was downing seaweed salad a few times per week, but couldn’t figure out why she wasn’t losing weight and why she felt so swollen. That’s because 1 cup of seaweed salad has about 130 calories, 25 grams of carbohydrate, 4 grams of sugar, 3 grams of fiber and the real kicker – 900-1200 mg sodium. That’s almost half of a whole day’s worth of sodium in just one cup of seaweed salad.

Sodium is an electrolyte that attaches itself to water – the more sodium you eat, the more water you retain which prevents weight loss and increases swelling. Word to the wise – too much of anything is probably not a good thing. Here are some healthy ways to eat seaweed and reap its many benefits: Stir-fry Hijiki seaweed looks like black linguine and tastes great as an addition to vegetable stir-fry or tofu dishes. Plus, it will give you a calcium and phosphorous boost and it’s good for bone health. Sushi Nori seaweed is what you’ll typically find at Japanese restaurants in their rolls, soup, and rice balls. It contains high levels of fiber, protein and cancer-fighting lignans. Seaweed salad Because seaweed comes from the sea, it is naturally high in sodium (as mentioned above). For a more heart-friendly seaweed salad, prepare it yourself using low-sodium soy sauce instead of regular and eliminate the salt and sugar. (Ingredients include: wakame seaweed, sesame oil, low-sodium soy sauce, sesame seeds, and rice vinegar) Side dishes Like traditional vegetables, seaweed is very low in saturated fat and cholesterol and is high in fiber.

Low-fat, high-fiber diets can prevent diabetes and heart-disease and promote weight loss. If you are getting bored of your typical veggies, spice up your life with atypical ones, like seaweed. Sprinkle dried seaweed on top of your favorite vegetables or salad dishes, roast it in the oven on its own and top with some sesame seeds, or stir-fry with mushrooms and bake it on top of your favorite fish. The possibilities are endless! *Large intakes of seaweed can affect those taking Coumadin or on thyroid medication so please contact your physician before starting to eat seaweed. Tanya Zuckerbrot MS, RD , is a nationally known registered dietitian based in New York and the creator of a proprietary high-fiber nutrition program for weight loss, wellness and for treating various medical conditions. Tanya authored the bestselling weight loss book The F-Factor Diet , and she is the first dietitian with a national line of high-fiber foods , which are sold under the F-Factor name. Become a fan of Tanya on Facebook , follow her on Twitter and LinkedIn , and visit her website Ffactor.com .

How to eat seaweed - Sustainable Food Trust - Sustainable Food Trust How to eat seaweed in What to Eat If you wander down the aisles of any major supermarket, you could be forgiven for getting the impression that we are a nation obsessed with foods that claim to have special healing, weight loss or energy boosting properties. Goji berries, aloe vera, guarana, quinoa are now household names, and are transported at great expense from the ends of the earth to make us slimmer, stronger, healthier and more virile. However, there is a food group – much closer to home – that is packed with nutrients, abundantly available and best of all, free. The food is seaweed, found right the way along our shoreline and available to be harvested with the most minimal amount of effort. You might well already be familiar with the Nori, used in Sushi rolls, but there are many other types that are equally delicious and by virtue of growing in the sea, naturally absorb many of the minerals from seawater. You’ll find Potassium, Iron, Calcium, Iodine and Magnesium all present plus high concentrations of Vitamin C and B, lots of amino acids and a high fibre content.

And to top it all off a very low calorie content. Of all the varieties of seaweed found on UK shores, only a handful are really worth bothering with. These include Laver, Sea lettuce, Dulse, the Gutweeds and to a lesser extent, Kelp. We’ve experimented with quite a few in our time but have come to the conclusion that the softer more delicate varieties like the ulvas taste the best. These bright green seaweeds are easy to find and don’t need too much preparation before they can be cooked. While the bright green seaweeds are the best for eating there is also something to be said for the achievement of making Laverbread, which involves a marathon 5 hour cooking session, which is not just delicious but research shows can be used to treat flu. When it comes to collecting seaweed, you should first make sure you are allowed to do so. If in doubt, ask the landowner for permission. Look for a rocky, rather than sandy beach, as this will save time later when washing what you collect. Try to avoid pulling up the holdfast, the part of the seaweed that is attached to rock. Instead use a knife to trim away what you need.

At this point a word of warning, no matter how hard you try there will always be sand mixed in with what you collect. This will need to be washed out before you eat it, otherwise you’ll get that dreaded crunch between your teeth. Rinse the seaweed in rockpools as much as possible, or pick seaweed that is already in water as it is likely to be less sandy. As well as sand you’ll also find lots of other goodies mixed in with seaweed. Some like sandhoppers are welcome bits of flavour and protein, others like bits of shell and stones are not. Before you cook with the seaweed take the time to rinse it again, fill a large bucket or sink with water and swirl the seaweed around to dislodge anything in-between the fronds. Use several refills of fresh water to ensure the highest chance of success. Now decide what to do with it. Bright green seaweeds can be dried and deep fried for a couple of seconds to make a real crispy seaweed, then sprinkle equal amounts of salt and sugar over the top for seasoning. Those big kelp fronds can be used to season soups and stocks, simply add when cooking and remove before serving.

Laver can be cooked down to a paste and teamed with bacon and oatmeal for the quintessential Welsh dish Laverbread. You can also dry the more delicate seaweeds and add to salads or use as garnish, they have a characteristic taste of the sea. One of our favourite recipes when we were on the road filming the Three Hungry Boys was the seaweed rosti. This hearty dish is quick and simple to make with very few ingredients and definitely fills a hole. See recipe below. Ingredients – A 50:50 mix of grated potato and seaweed. We recommend either sea lettuce or gut weed, avoid the stringy tough seaweed. – Enough flour (about a table spoon per potato) to bind the mixture – 1 egg per 2 large potatoes – Salt and pepper – Try a chopped red chilli or some paprika for extra flavour and colour. Instructions 1, Peel and grate the uncooked potato. Set aside. 2, Using an equal amount of seaweed (to potato), boil in salted water in the largest pan you have for 1 minute. This softens the seaweed but also allows any sand or sand hoppers to separate and fall to the bottom.

3, Remove the seaweed using a slotted spoon and drain excess water, use kitchen tool to absorb the last of the moisture. 4, Place potato, seaweed, flour, seasoning and extras (egg, chilli, paprika) into a bowl and thoroughly mix. Add extra flour if too wet until a firm patty can be formed. 5, Make patties as thin as possible (1cm is ideal) and fry in oil until golden brown on each side. 6, Serve while still hot with either sour cream or mayonnaise, this also works really well with smoked mackerel (line caught of course). Photographs: Mike Taylor and Trevor Brinkman Sign up to our Newsletter Stay up to date with the latest SFT views and news Share this article How to Eat Seaweed: 10 Ways to Boost Your Energy with Sea Veggies How to Eat Seaweed: 10 Ways to Boost Your Energy with Sea Veggies Photo Credit Growing up I always ate a lot of cookies and junk food. That was my de facto standard. But one day my dad showed up with boxes full of seaweed cookies and seaweed bars.

He figured that we could all stand to eat a little healthier, and he planned on selling them at his shop. At first we all wrinkled our noses: “seaweed?! yuck!” But over time I grew to like these seaweed cookies. They had a different type of flavor, and since my dad was having a harder time than he anticipated selling them, I ended up eating a lot of them. The Benefits of Eating Seaweed How to eat seaweed is not something I learned at a young age… unless you count those cookies. I didn’t understand the benefit of eating seaweed back then, but now I’m a huge fan and here’s why: A lot of the food grown on the land is lacking in minerals because of aggressive farming practices and lack of remineralization. Seaweed is packed with minerals from the ocean! If you’re worried about the toxic chemical accumulation the higher up you go in the food chain, especially in fish… well seaweed is as low in the oceanic food chain as it gets. Seaweed is great for balancing out the thyroid gland, which is responsible for producing hormones that keep us healthy and balanced.

Seaweed is pure energy, and if you need a boost it is really easy to add to your daily routine. All in all, seaweed is one of the greatest foods that we often neglect to eat. It is a regular ingredient in Asian cuisine, and can add a great taste to many raw dishes! How to Eat Seaweed & How to Add Seaweed to Your Diet I often get asked how people can eat more seaweed, and this article will show you all the different ways you can do it! 1. Add spirulina or blue/green algae to your green smoothies or fruit smoothies. I’ve also added it to my green juices, it makes for a fun mix. 2. Make raw maki or sushi veggie rolls, using nori seaweed sheets as the wrapper. 3. Slice up a nori sheet to top your salads or add to wraps for extra crunch. 4. Use Irish Moss in raw pies and desserts to solidify the fillings, and get some extra seaweed into your diet through your sweet tooth. 5. Soak kelp buds and add these to your salads and wraps. I do this one several times per week, and it adds a different flair to my salads! 6.

Add kelp noodles (these are raw!) to your raw soups, raw salads, or make a raw noodle dish with them. 7. Use soaked kelp buds or your favorite type of seaweed to your salad dressings by blending with quality oils and vinegars. You get a great Asian tasting dressing, and you sneak more seaweed in! 8. Dehydrate nori crackers by blending regular cracker batter and spreading it on a nori sheet. Then dehydrate and watch the salty nori turn into a delicious cracker you can’t put down. 9. Make a seaweed salad with any type of soaked seaweed, sliced cucumbers, and a sprinkle of sesame seeds for an Asian feel. 10. Bring nori sheets on camping or cross country trips, they make for a great dry snack or can be combined with fresh veggies for a super simple wrap. Did you notice? None of these suggestions require you to eat seaweed cookies. But each one will help you remineralize your body, balance your thyroid, and feel incredible. So go ahead, give seaweed a try. I promise you it gets easier to include in your day to day!

The question is not “How to Eat Seaweed” but rather, why not eat more seaweed? Get a 5 week jumpstart on eating real foods to get more energy, IT'S FREE! Click “Like” To Join Us! Recommended Books Adverts

Question: If you are eating nori, what are you eating?
Answer: Seaweed