Do you eat plenty of vegetables? You probably do if you are health conscious, but how about SEA vegetables, do you even know what sea vegetables are? Japanese and Asian cultures revere sea vegetables and dulse as part of their everyday diets, a habit most people would benefit from adopting.
Seaweed and sea vegetables are among the best health foods that exist. While many members of the health community know this, they fail to properly advertise and promote the health benefits of these amazing foods. Let's talk a bit more about sea vegetables and how you can benefit from them.
Different Types of Sea Vegetables & Dulse
There are many different types of sea vegetables including dulse. Dulse is a type of seaweed, one that is popular in many countries including Northern Europe, not just in Asia and Japan. In Ireland, many people use dulse to make sandwiches.
Dulse is red seaweed that has a somewhat spicy and salty flavor. It often comes dehydrated so you need to soak it in a broth or in water. Often people add dulse to soups or to salads. You can also add it to your favorite stir fry. It is packed with many vitamins and nutrients which is one reason for its popularity.
Some people bake dulse into various grains or breads. One reason dulse is so popular is because it is packed full of vitamins and so versatile, meaning you can use it in so many different ways. It contains a ton of protein, so it is an excellent food for raw food fans, because it is a non-animal product. Among it's strong points include its plentiful B6, 12, potassium, fluoride and iron content. Dulse also contains vitamins C, E, A and plenty of fiber and calcium.
This is just a small sampling of the many vitamins Dulse contains.
What are some other popular sea vegetables? Here is a small sampling:
- Kanten – Also known as “Agar Agar” this sea vegetable is clear and often tasteless; it looks much like gelatin but contains no animal product, so it is a good choice for a raw food diet. It is often used for pudding to thicken it or for pies. All you have to do is dissolve it in warm water or other liquid.
- Arame – This is a sweet sea vegetable, which is nice because many sea vegetables are more salty than sweet. It contains plenty of calcium and potassium as well as fiber.
- Kombu – This sea vegetable has lots of calcium, iodine, magnesium and even iron. You need only a small square piece of this sea vegetable to add to your favorite dish.
- Nori – Nori is often the seaweed you see wrapped delicately around sushi. The amount you see wrapped around sushi is about the right amount to use, times the amount of sushi you plan to eat.
- Wakame – This is a softer form of sea vegetable that contains lots of fiber and like bananas, also contains potassium. It does have a sweet flavor so you can add oranges, cranberries and walnuts to the salad for extra flair and flavor.
Benefits
The benefits of eating sea vegetables as part of a healthy diet should be quite obvious. In case you haven't realized their full potential yet, here is a summary of what these amazing ‘vegetables’ of the sea have to offer:
- They are packed full of B vitamins
- They contain chlorophyll which helps restore energy and vitality
- The offer plenty of fiber
- They often contain vitamins C, E and A
- Some contain calcium, magnesium and potassium
- Some offer adequate protein to supplement the diet
- A little often provides a lot of satiety
- There are many to try so you never feel bored with them
- They often spice up traditional dishes for a new and interesting experience
- They are often inexpensive
- They won't go stale because they are dried
- You can take them anywhere!
Remember, you can try a spicy version or you can try one that is sweet and mild to start with. If you are not sure close your eyes and pick. Undoubtedly you will feel rewarded. Sea vegetables are definitely here to stay, and will certainly add a bit of life to any raw food diet!
By TTS Cofounder Botanical Chef Omid Jaffari
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