Talkin' bout seaweed...

The average American's diet is not exactly rich in seaweeds.  In fact, most people cannot fathom how they could possibly add in sea vegetables into their diets.  These iodine powerhouses are also loaded with sea minerals that our modern diets are lacking.  Depleted soil conditions have translated to depleted humans, as we eat foods that simply do not have the minerals they did 100 years ago.  For this reason, you may have heard me talk about adding in superfoods, which are superior in mineral content to mainstream foods.  While most people think of goji berries and maca when they hear "superfoods," sea vegetables are superstars on that list as well. 

Apart from seaweed salads, which are surprisingly simple to make, and perhaps just as surprisingly delicious, you can add seaweeds to just about any plant-based dish.  They work well in soups, grain dishes, and salads.  Try my Lemon Millet Salad, which incorporates arame, which can be found in any supermarket, in the Asian section.

 If you cook beans from scratch, you should be adding a piece of seaweed to the cooking water, as it not only flavors the beans, but makes them easier to digest.  My Chickpea Potato Leek Soup is a great place to start!

By far, my favorite way to incorporate seaweeds is to use seaweed flakes.  You can sprinkle them into your soups, rice dishes, etc., without any prep whatsoever.  I make my Healthiest Pesto Ever constantly, as I can get in not only my Brazil Nuts (rich in Selenium), but also cleansing cilantro, parsley, and iodine-rich dulse flakes.

As you practice the add-in strategy with real foods like greens, vegetables, fruits, and pure water, it gets easier and easier to be brave.  Before you know it, seaweed will be in your pantry, right next to the salt and pepper :)