Sea Vegetables-- nutrient dense food

I remember being very turned off by the idea of eating "seaweed" when I first began reading about the health benefits of this amazing nutrient dense food.  I wasn't fond of the idea of eating something that tastes like fish but isn't fish.  Then I discovered how many different varieties of sea vegetables exist and how each one has such a unique taste and texture.

As I began experimenting, the boys, ever curious about what I am eating, wanted to try them also.  To my surprise, they LOVED them!  They like eating them as snacks directly out of the container or in soups or on salads!  Our cats love them also, especially Nori.

Sea vegetables are loaded with vitamins A, B and C, and mineral dense, chocked full of iron, calcium, potassium, zinc, and iodine, to name a few.  They are great for your skin and hair!

Below is an example of some of the sea vegetables we keep in our pantry.

• Kelp:  this is the least fishy of them all... it tastes more salty than anything.  Kelp granules are a great salt substitute and one we use often in our homemade soups.
• Dulse:  this red sea vegetable is a favorite of the boys... we buy the flakes which the boys like sprinkled on salads.  This is my least favorite due to the texture (I prefer crunchy to chewy).
• Nori:  these are the flat, dark sheets used in sushi.  The kids will eat it by the sheet as snacks-- Taylor and Noah like them the best; Matthew will eat them plain like that if he's really hungry.  A local sushi restaurant gives us bags of the inch-wide strips that are left over from making sushi... which is why we share with our cats sometimes!
• Wakame:  this is my favorite... it is crunchy little pieces that can be eaten straight from the container or used in soups or salads.  Below I've listed a quick and easy recipe for "seaweed salad" -one of my favorite lunches!

Below is bowl of salad made with wakame.  It takes about 2 -3 minutes to make and is extremely yummy and filling.  I like to eat it when the boys are not around, so I actually GET some!  It's convenient and easy to take to the office also.

Recipe:

• Sprinkle half a bowl of dried Wakame into a bowl and cover with water to the top of the bowl. 
• Let soak for approx 2 minutes, then pour off the water, pressing the wakame to squeeze out excess water
• Drizzle toasted sesame oil to taste
• Sprinkle sesame seeds
• Use chopsticks to get the full effect!