SEAWEED!!!

olivia3263

So I started eating seaweed for it's iodine content to help with healthy thyroid function. I've been putting a little kelp into my lunchtime salads, which is wonderful.

But today, I bought some Wakame. It comes dried and you have to reconstitute it in water for about 5 minutes. I was setting up my lunch salads for the week so I used half the package - each package has 10 servings (5 calories a serving!) - figured that was enough for each of my 5 lunch salads for the week. It grew in size so much, that I had some left over, so I threw it all in my stir-fry for dinner (which was: onions, green beans, mushrooms, eggplant, green pepper, grape tomatoes, a little brown rice topped with panfried salmon cooked in coconut oil - yummmm). Anyway, the Wakame was SUCH a nice addition - it added a lot of low calorie bulk to the dish, and had a consistency which made it seem like there were noodles in my stir-fry. It was sooo yummy and it has such nutritional value: calcium, iron, iodine, vitamin A, C, D and K - I mean - this stuff is just awesome. I highly recommend you buy some (I find mine in the japanese food section of Whole Foods) and add it to everything!

Seajolly

I love seaweed as well! It's soo good for you.

JDNOX

I have never had it.. what does it taste like

LMDelphia

Seaweed (i love the salad) is wonderful for you, but you mentioned thyroid function. Are you on thyroid medicine? Because supplemental iodine is TERRIBLE for it (as is soy as it blocks medicine's absorption). Naturally occurring iodine is fine, like seaweed since you probably don't eat it ever day, but be careful about this. Many things that are great for you are bad for thyroid function while on medication.

jodie0520

I'm curious about the taste as well. I usually add spinach to salads and stuff, but seaweed sounds like another excellent healthy option to add some nutrients to my meals. Is there another leafy veggie to which the taste compares?

olivia3263

I have never had it.. what does it taste like

It's kind of salty (kelp is, the wakame actually had a hint of sweetness) - it's taste is subtle, which makes it perfect for adding to soups, stir-fries or salads because it has such high nutritional content but doesn't overpower a dish with opposing flavors. If you ever get a chance to try seaweed salad - in a japanese restaurant or a place that makes sushi - you should really try it. It's a very special and healthy treat. They always have some at the sushi counter at whole foods. I think one salad has 80 calories.

If you've ever had miso soup in a restaurant, the green thing floating in the soup is in fact seaweed (I recognized the flavor as soon as I had the wakame tonight) - I used to think it was a scallion or something - but no it's wakame. That would give you an idea, I guess.

olivia3263

Seaweed (i love the salad) is wonderful for you, but you mentioned thyroid function. Are you on thyroid medicine? Because supplemental iodine is TERRIBLE for it (as is soy as it blocks medicine's absorption). Naturally occurring iodine is fine, like seaweed since you probably don't eat it ever day, but be careful about this. Many things that are great for you are bad for thyroid function while on medication.

Yes, I've read that too. I'm not on medication, nor do I have a thyroid condition. But I did have an iodine deficiency because I ate raw broccoli and cauliflower like everyday (goitrogenic stuff). I don't use iodinized salt or anything - just discovered the seaweed. Natural all the way!!