So seaweed is the new kale they say. This salty sea veggie that has been known throughout time to be a fountain of youth is becoming all the rage with foodies and health nuts alike. You might think it’s a bit weird to be eating seaweed – it’s slimy and looks like an angry sea creature at times – but if you’ve ever had sushi, you have already tasted it without even knowing it.
It is the secret to vegan deserts in the form of agar-agar, used as a thickener, and has been used as a fertilizer in coastal towns due to its high mineral content.
Seaweed is a type of algae (despite being sold and marketed as a sea veggie) and is an ancient super food that was long believed to be a secret to health and longevity by our ancestors.
Cultures around the world use it in many different ways. People in Japan have been using seaweed since the beginning of time, you probably know if in the form on nori, which is used to make sushi (it’s the green thing your sushi is rolled in) and is that green stuff floating in your miso soup. The ancient Hawaiians grew kelp gardens, using 60-70 species of seaweed for food, medicine and for use in ceremonies. In China, it was prepared for special guests or kings (my how times have changed).
Different types of sea veggies offer different nutritional benefits for your body, here are some of the major ones.
Minerals
Sea veggies are packed with tons of calcium, copper, iodine, iron, magnesium and manganese. Minerals are important and incredibly essential for a variety of bodily functions, such as building strong bones and teeth, blood, nerve function, muscle and for metabolic processes. Get it in you!
Iron
Iron has some very important functions in the body, one of which is helping your body make enough oxygen carrying red blood cells. Not only are certain types packed with a bioavailable form of iron, but it also comes with it’s bestie vitamin C which helps to increase its absorption, making this delectable slippery food the ultimate dream team.
Iodine
Needed for every tissue in your body and to balance and for the thyroid gland to produce thyroid hormones. Get your intake by adding brown algae such as kombu/kelp and wakame to your diet.
Recipe: Wakame coconut soup (vegan and gluten-free)
Ingredients:
1 yellow onion
4 medium carrots
4 bok choy
1 cup chopped crimini mushrooms
3 sprigs of green onion
¼ cup wakame
1 tbsp butter
1tbs apple cider vinegar
½ cup dry white wine
400mL vegetable broth
2 cans organic coconut milk
Shirataki (white yam noodles)
2 tsp turmeric
2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp ground cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
Chopped cilantro (optional)
Directions:
• Place wakame in small bowl, cover with cold water, and soak 15 minutes, or until soft. Drain, squeeze out liquid, and set aside.
• Heat butter in saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, spices, wine carrots, bok choy and mushrooms and sauté 3 to 5 minutes, until tender. Add apple cider vinegar and broth. Bring to a boil, add coconut milk and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer covered for 10-15 minutes.
• Add Shirataki, wakame and cilantro. Cook 5 minutes more. At this point you can taste and see if you need to add more spices.
