Seaweed contains a wealth of healthy vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants. You want to take advantage of all it has to offer, but where do you start? It seems complicated, but it’s really not. Seaweed has become more readily available and it’s easy to incorporate it into your daily diet. Here are three tips to get you started so you can reap the many benefits seaweed has to offer.
- TRY IT
Seaweed has numerous health benefits, so you have nothing to lose by adding it to your diet and everything to gain. It can help lower blood pressure, increase energy, boost immunity, improve sleep, lose weight and more. Even if you’re not much of a cook, you shouldn’t be dissuaded. The first step is trying it. Thanks to its gaining popularity, seaweed is now readily available at most supermarkets.
- BABY STEPS
You are not preparing for Chef Wars here. You don’t need to start with the most complicated recipe you can find, only to fail. In fact, just the addition of a little bit of seaweed to food you’re already cooking can offer benefits. A recent study even suggests that food manufacturers start putting seaweed into processed foods to make them healthier. Seaweed is so rich in nutrients, a very small amount will do. So maybe add it to a salad you’re already making, or toss some into your favorite soup. The meal doesn’t even need to have an Asian flare – seaweed goes great with anything! Seaweed also makes a great salt replacement. It maintains flavor but has only 3 percent of sodium compared to the 40 percent in regular salt.
- BE CREATIVE
As we mentioned above, using seaweed should not be reserved for Asian dishes. You can add seaweed to just about anything. Want to spice up your breakfast omelet? Add seaweed. Instead of dousing your popcorn with salt, sprinkle some dried seaweed on top. Begin experimenting with the different varieties of seaweed and how they can enhance your cooking. Nori is the highest in protein content and can be served a number of ways including dried and fried. Dulse, or red algae and kelps offer a different flavor and sea lettuce is known for its stronger ocean taste. Try them all – find which ones you like and don’t. And be creative in the kitchen!