Did you know that seaweeds are considered staple by a lot of Asian chefs? These food experts love to include it for dishes like sushi, dashi, garnish soups, and salads to give their dish some twist. The touch of its saltiness is what blends perfectly well with other ingredients. Its unique taste is what adds richness to the flavors of the dish.
ARE SEAWEEDS NUTRITIOUS?
More than its flavor, have you ever wondered how nutritious these seaweeds can be? Miho Hatanaka, a Japanese-born registered dietitian who is now residing in Oregon, shares one of the reasons why it is important to include seaweeds in your daily diet. According to the expert, this sea vegetable is very healthy that it is considered in Japan as one of the power foods that could help them live longer, become more beautiful, and healthier, as reported by Yahoo.
ARE ALL SEAWEEDS EDIBLE?
Not all seaweeds are edible. But there are already a lot of varieties you can choose from, which you could include to your favorite dishes, such as kombu (brown algae), sea lettuce (green algae), and nori (red algae). There is also this unusual red alga called dulse, which according to experts from the Oregan State University taste unique closely can be compared to bacon.
MORE PRODUCTS THAT ARE MADE FROM SEAWEEDS
Since seaweeds have already conquered the market due to its rich taste and health benefits, more and more products out of this ingredient have been created for consumption. One of the seaweed products, which are so loved by a lot of people, are these crunchy seaweed snacks. People have embraced these seafood snacks so much since this is a great alternative for those that are available in the market, which usually comes with a lot of preservatives, sodium, and additives such as monosodium glutamate, yeast, emulsifiers, color additives, and flavorings.
WHY ARE SEAWEEDS NUTRITIOUS?
Seaweeds have a lot of good things in it. One of those is the high protein in it. According to some researches posted by TIME, the protein content of some types of seaweed is actually high as much as those that are found in beef.
Also, seaweeds are also a good source of fiber. A five-gram of brown algae contains about 14% of the experts' suggested daily consumption for fiber.
There are also other essential vitamins and nutrients that seaweeds have. Hatanaka says, even just a small portion of seaweeds can already give you a lot such as magnesium, iron, vitamin A, vitamin K, folate, and vitamin B12.
