The Case for Seaweed

     When people tell me their food weaknesses I’ve realized the world is made up of two people: salt people and sugar people.  If you’re like me and a salt person, your junk food consists of olives, chips, and popcorn.  I’m about to make a case for seaweed to my fellow salt fiends.  Not only will it fill your cravings for salt, but it will also help you meet USDA recommendations of 2 cups of green vegetables .  Instead of boring old broccoli or plain Jane salad, throw in a little gift from the sea.  I promise you that you won’t regret it.

It’s Actually Really Good for You

     Yes, it’s true.  Not only is it salty and robust, but it’s also good for you, too.  Seaweed is lower in calories and higher in nutrients than land-grown vegetables, particularly iron and B-12—two nutrients that most women are lacking.  Most seaweed is also high in natural iodine, making it great for the thyroid, and if you choose a seaweed like Alaria (Atlantic Seaweed) you are also getting in your calicum for the week.  With all of the nutrients available in seaweed it is a great substitute for your typical greens, but don’t let good health get in the way of what we really want to talk about: the taste.

It’s All About the Taste

     There are many different types of seaweed on the market, each of them has their own flavor and texture.  When you purchase seaweed you can get everything from crispy seaweed snacks to seaweed salads.  All of them, however, still maintain that salty edge to them which I find delightful.   There are so many types of seaweed to choose from and so many styles that it’s difficult to decide which I like best, but I’ll present some options for you that are “fan favs”:

·       Seakraut—fermented seaweed with a taste and texture like that of good Eastern European kraut

·       Seaweed salad—standard spaghetti like strands of seaweed with sesame oil, sees, and salt for flavor.

·       Roasted seaweed—my personal favorite, comes in many flavors, perfect for snacking

·       Seaweed soup—amazingly cozy hot soup for cold days.

·       Sushi rolls—seaweed is a great wrap for sushi.

As I said earlier, I’m really a salt food snacker.  I’m not paid for the endorsement I’m about to make, just arguing for this as a chip or popcorn substitute but I could eat my weight in roasted seaweed snacks.

This is just one of the brands on the market but by far not the only one or the only flavors available.  The packages are designed to give you a good snack when you’re craving salt, but won’t let you go overboard in that area.

Seaweed Can Aid I Weight Loss

We all want a magic bullet, don’t we?  Well, here is a perfect example of a food that contributes to weight loss because of its unique properties to improve thyroid and liver function and help aid the kidneys.  According to one study at Newcastle University in England it also prevents the gut from absorbing fat:

Tests showed that alginate, found in sea kelp, can suppress the digestion of fat in the gut.

The findings, published in the journal Food Chemistry, showed that a four-fold increase in one type of alginate boosted anti-fat absorption by 75%.

Everyone wants to lose weight, right?  And if you can lose weight by eating instead of avoiding it, all the better. 

This is definitely one of those superfoods they talk about, but it’s also a tasty superfood if you would rather eat salted sunflower seeds than a cookie, or chips over a donut.

Nutrition Evolution