Packed with nutrients, seaweed is gaining popularity as a versatile ingredient to add to your diet. So, why exactly is everyone talking about seaweed, and should you start including it in your meals? Spoiler alert: Yes, you definitely should.
What’s the difference between edible and non-edible seaweed, if any?
There is no poisonous seaweed. However, some types might cause a bit of stomach upset if large quantities are eaten fresh. Luckily, these seaweeds only grow below the low tide mark, so as long as you are cutting the seaweed without diving, then you won’t see them. Another simple rule of thumb is that if fresh seaweed tastes acerbic, then it’s best to avoid it. There are some great books on seaweed recognition and also photos online and on social media groups that are very helpful to ensure you get what you are looking for.
What are the different ways you can eat seaweed? Can you tell us about your favourite preparations or recipes?
Seaweed can be eaten fresh from the beach, dried or cooked, and we always recommend that people experiment with seaweed they have foraged by eating it raw, steamed and fried – the taste difference is phenomenal and often a raw taste may be too strong but this mellows once cooked, or vice versa.
We love using sea spaghetti instead of pasta or taking sea lettuce and roasting it in a high oven for a few minutes with a tiny amount of oil to make instant seaweed crisps.
What are the health benefits of eating seaweed?
There has been a lot of research undertaken on the health benefits of incorporating seaweed into your diet. If you consume a selection of seaweeds, then they will provide your body with everything it needs: the vitamins, minerals and trace elements reflect what your body uses, and therefore, a seaweed diet ensures that you will not be suffering from any deficiencies. The iodine content in some seaweeds is also extremely useful as it is very difficult to obtain the amount of iodine we need from other land-based food products.
Is there any danger of perhaps eating too much seaweed – what are the kind of proportions you recommend eating?
Most people associate seaweed with high levels of iodine, and people can have an intolerance to excess iodine, although the probability is very small. Because our gut flora adapts to the type of food we eat, we always recommend that people start eating small amounts of seaweed and then slowly build it up over time to ensure your digestive enzymes can adapt. Starting with 5 grams of dried seaweed daily would be a sensible amount. In Japan and Korea, large quantities of seaweed are eaten daily, so we can adapt quickly.
By Andrea Pinto / Courtesy of The Handbook
