Seaweed: healthy or not? With 8 seaweed recipes!
-
It is one of the countless foods that we have started to eat explosively in the Netherlands: seaweed. Originally it entered our country with sushi and other Japanese dishes, but now you can also see salads, snacks and other dishes with seaweed popping up everywhere. It is therefore also called the vegetable of the future.
-
Seaweed is easy to grow, is packed with nutrients and it is tasty! But is seaweed healthy or are there any catches in the grass? And how do you prepare it in the most delicious way? In this article, we'll give you some general information about the vegetables of the future and we'll give you 8 tasty seaweed recipes for inspiration.
Is seaweed healthy?
-
The rapid advance of seaweed is partly due to its delicious salty taste. A more important reason, however, is that more and more people are touting it as the next superfood. The question is of course: is that right?
-
11 minMain dishpeanut oil, tofu stir-fry cubes finely seasoned, stir fry sauce sweet and sour, thick noodles, carrot julienne, beetroot julienne, yellow bell pepper, watercress,rainbow salad with tofu
-
45 minMain dishRed cabbage, mild olive oil, quinoa plus, forest outing, lemon, sesame oil, soy sauce less salt, Bio Today tahini white in pot, tap water,grilled red cabbage with quinoa salad
-
30 minDessertBrie, Roquefort, port salut, gruyere, Camembert, walnut, garlic, thyme, honey, grape, baguette, Red onion, red grape, raisins, Red wine, Red wine vinegar, Brown sugar,generous cheese plate with onion marmalade
-
30 minDessertFull Milk, whipped cream, macaroon, custard powder, vanilla sugar, sugar, protein, amaretto, almond liqueur, basic recipe cooking pears,macaroon pastry with casserole
-
In short: yes, seaweed is incredibly healthy! It is of course important that you eat it in moderation, but that applies to any food. Below we have listed the many advantages and some disadvantages for you.
Lots of nutrients
-
We can at least start with good news: seaweed contains an incredible amount of nutrients. Scientists have found no less than 39 different nutrients in the small water plants! For example, seaweed contains a lot of protein, which makes it an excellent meat substitute in, for example, seaweed burgers or kelp pasta.
-
Then there are a number of important minerals, such as magnesium, calcium, iodine and sodium. There is also a lot of iron in seaweed, and chlorophyll, a substance that helps your body to absorb iron and magnesium better. The 39 substances in seaweed together make up about 36% of the average human body weight - and yet the food contains hardly any calories!
-
5 minDrink without alcoholbananas, cool fresh apple-pear raspberry juice, Soy drink vanilla,soy fruit shake
-
20 minMain dishsauerkraut, sticking potato, liquid baking product, half-to-half minced, Spice meatballs, pineapple, olive oil, liquid baking product,gratin sauerkraut dish with minced meat
-
40 minMain dishlemongrass, fresh ginger, Red peppers, onions, tomato cubes, fresh cod fillet, coriander, oil, ground turmeric (koenjit), coconut milk, salt,fish in creamy coconut sauce
-
15 minSide dishsweet potato, soft goat cheese, egg, spring / forest onion,stuffed sweet potato with egg
Good for digestion
-
One of the beneficial effects of seaweed relates to food and nutrient processing. It contains the substance alginate, which causes digestion to slow down somewhat.
-
As a result, essential substances can be better absorbed by the intestinal wall, so that your intestines generally remain a lot healthier when you eat seaweed regularly.
A healthy thyroid gland
-
As mentioned, seaweed also contains a lot of iodine, a substance that has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the thyroid gland. This organ is essential for the functioning of your body: it ensures the production of countless hormones which in turn are responsible for all kinds of other bodily processes.
-
20 minMain dishTasty vine tomato, (olive oil, fresh basil, onion, garlic, Parmigiano Reggiano, zucchini spaghetti, pumpkin spaghetti, mini buffalo mozzarella,lukewarm pumpkin and zucchini spaghetti
-
15 minSide dishtraditional olive oil, curry powder, wheat flour, coconut milk, sambal oelek, chicken broth tablet, water, fresh mango,curry sauce with mango
-
30 minMain dishtraditional olive oil, lean ground beef, frozen Mexican wok vegetables, salsa sauce mild, taco shell, grated young cheese, creme fraiche,Mexican vegetable in tacos
-
95 minMain dishmaize chicken, lemon, coarse sea salt, pepper, extra virgin olive oil, garlic, thyme, zucchini, tomatoes (small to), black olives without pit,provençal chicken with zucchini and tomatoes
Less risk of cardiovascular disease
-
Seaweeds also have a good influence on the health of your heart and blood vessels. The fibers lower blood pressure, and seaweed also lowers cholesterol levels. This way you significantly reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease if you eat seaweed regularly.
-
The above benefits show that seaweed is very healthy and that it has all kinds of benefits if you eat seaweed regularly. A small warning: keep an eye on the portion size, especially if you are very sensitive to certain minerals.
Lots of potassium
-
Seaweed contains enormous amounts of potassium, which can cause heart problems for people with kidney problems if they eat too much of it. Also with seaweed supplements, overdoses can be unhealthy. Don't let that put you off, though: if you continue to enjoy it in moderation, seaweed can bring significant health benefits! And if you don't have kidney problems, the amount of potassium in seaweed isn't a problem.
Be careful with dried seaweed
-
In many Dutch supermarkets is mainly dried seaweed, such as the well-known nori that are often used for sushi. Are they as healthy as the fresh varieties? In general, yes, as they still contain the same abundance of nutrients.
-
However, there is a small comment to be made: some brands add all kinds of less healthy substances to seaweed and seaweed snacks, such as sugar or salt. You better ignore such products. So make sure you always check the ingredients list before you put something in your shopping cart!
Buy seaweed
-
Nowadays more and more types of seaweed are available in the supermarket. This concerns dried types, such as nori sheets, but also fresh wakame, for example. However, there are many more types of seaweed. Many of these are not (yet) on the shelves of large supermarkets.
-
You can often find more seaweed types in health food stores, toko's and organic supermarkets. Some fishmongers also have seaweed in their range. Finally, dried seaweed varieties in particular are often also available online.
-
Nori is the most famous type of seaweed in the Netherlands. The Dutch know it mainly from the skins that surround sushi. It is therefore available in most supermarkets on the world kitchen shelf, among the sushi ingredients. Nori has a relatively sweet taste and is delicious in all kinds of dishes, more than just sushi!
-
Kombu is a type of seaweed that is mainly eaten in Northeast Asia, for example in Japan and Korea, but also in China. It has a meaty flavor, which makes it very popular as a meat substitute. When roasted it even tastes like bacon! Kombu is not yet available in many supermarkets, but you can probably find it at local shops or in organic supermarkets.
-
Wakame is a type of seaweed that is mainly used in Japanese cuisine. It is known for its sweet taste, which reminds many people of the sea. It is very popular in salad, but is also often used in soup. Wakame is for sale in supermarkets with a large assortment, but it is easier to find in a toko or organic supermarket.
-
25 minSmall dishflour, frozen puff pastry, egg, milk, walnut, mature cheese, paprika, dried Provençal herbs,puff pastry-sticks
-
20 minSide dishEggs, lettuce, parsley, olive oil (extra virgin), tarragon vinegar, salt and freshly ground pepper,lettuce with egg dressing
-
15 minSmall dishbaking flour, peanut oil, flat leaf parsley,ar'nabit mi'li
-
15 minAppetizerScottish salmon fillet, butter or margarine, fresh dill, creme fraiche, dry white wine, arugula lettuce melange, pan tostado,baked salmon with white-wine sauce
-
Arame is found in the sea around Japan as well as in South America. You can find it in Asian shops or organic supermarkets. Aroma is often sold pre-cooked, but it is best to soak it before use and then simmer, steam, stir-fry or wok. It is a versatile type of seaweed that is delicious in all kinds of dishes, but also tastes good as a snack. It has a sweet taste that is slightly nutty.
Seaweed recipes
-
Well, you concluded that seaweed is healthy, you bought it, and it's dinner time. What now? To inspire you, we have listed eight types of seaweed recipes and seaweed products below, so that you can also enjoy the benefits of the vegetables of the future!
-
At the Albert Heijn you can buy the seaweed tagliatelle from Seamore. This paste is made from 100% seaweed, with all the associated benefits. You eat a lot less of it than regular pasta, because the many fibers fill up very quickly. It is therefore also a relatively low-calorie product.
-
For example, you can serve seaweed pasta with a cream sauce and a piece of salmon. But you can also mix it with zucchini and your favorite tomato sauce. On the Seamore website you will find many more recipes and inspiration!
-
Wakame is a slightly sweet-salty seaweed that makes excellent salads. In some supermarkets you can even find wakame salads ready-made. However, you can also make it yourself by flavoring wakame with sesame oil, soy sauce and sesame seeds. You can eat wakame salad as a side dish, but wakame is also great for adding flavor to meal salads.
-
You can buy ready-made seaweed chips, but you can also easily make them yourself. All you need is nori, some olive oil, and an oven. Grease nori sheets on one side with olive oil and place them greasy sides together. Cut into pieces. Then brush the (not greased) outside with some water, so that they become soft.
-
You now only have to put the nori in an oven at 180 degrees for 2-3 minutes. Have you kept them a little longer and are they no longer crunchy? Then they are delicious again with just a minute in the oven!
-
Making your own vegetarian stock can be quite a challenge. Without meat, you have to find other seasonings to flavor everything properly. Seaweed is a final option for that! With a few sheets of nori or other salty seaweed in your soup, the stock will quickly absorb a lot of flavor.
-
Love pesto, and in need of some variety? Try making seaweed pesto yourself. Mix 40 grams of kombu with 50 grams of pine nuts, 30 grams of basil, 30 grams of arugula, olive oil and lemon juice to taste. Season with salt and pepper and keep in the refrigerator for max. 5 days.
-
Tired of all the â € ˜standardâ € ™ veggie burgers? You can also find various ready-to-eat seaweed burgers in the shop! The Dutch Weed Burger, for example, but also the Zeeland Seaweed Burger with seaweed from the Oosterschelde.
-
25 minMain dishbalsamic vinegar, garlic, steak, Spaghetti, traditional olive oil, fresh green olive tapenade, arugula, Parmigiano Reggiano,spaghetti with steak and arugula
-
15 minAppetizerfennel bulb, arugula, red pointed pepper, black agnus carpaccio (a 100 grams), capers,black angus carpaccio with fennel
-
35 minMain dishsweet potatoes, salad onion, garlic, cooking dairy, grated cheese for vegetable gratin, almond shavings, peanut oil, breaded schnitzels, Broccoli,crispy schnitzel with sweet potato gratin and broccoli
-
30 minMain disholive oil, onion, tomato, risotto rice, laurel leaf, thyme, saffron, turmeric, fish stock of 1 tablet, mixed seafood, mixed whitefish fillet, mussel, lemon,fish paella from the oven
-
You can serve the seaweed burger in all kinds of ways, for example with grilled vegetables or lemon mayonnaise. And of course a seaweed salad is always delicious!
-
Seaweed and mushrooms are an unexpectedly good combination. You can therefore use seaweed to give a 'boring' side dish such as fried mushrooms a little more flavor. Take 30 grams of arame and let it soak for ten minutes.
-
15 minMain dishgreen tagliatelle, garlic, Red pepper, olive oil, tomato cubes, cocktail shrimp, mixed salad, vinaigrette,spicy tagliatelle with shrimps
-
50 minMain dishsomething crumbly potatoes, sauerkraut natural, tomato paste, sambal oelek, bacon, semi-skimmed milk, unsalted butter, Gelderse smoked sausage,Sauerkraut with smoked sausage
-
20 minBreakfastrucola lettuce, bunch onion, roasted red peppers in pot, traditional olive oil, medium sized egg, fresh cream, grated mature cheese, butter,creamy cheese omelet with arugula
-
25 minMain dishceleriac, floury potatoes, olive oil, beef finches, onion, Apple juice, gravy natural, dairy spread,beeffinch with sweet apple gravy
-
Fry an onion and briefly fry a bowl of mushrooms. Then add the seaweed with a little soaking water and let it simmer for ten minutes. Finally, season with some soy sauce and sesame to taste if desired.
-
Finally of course the seaweed recipe under the seaweed recipes: sushi. You can go for the â € sushistandardâ € ™ sushi, which you roll into nori sheets and cut into slices. But nori can also be used in all kinds of other creative seaweed recipes.
-
Consider, for example, a sushi salad, in which you use all the ingredients of sushi for a salad. Or a sushi bowl or poké bowl, in which the seaweed is an important seasoning. Or even sushi soup, with coconut milk, wasabi and nori as signature ingredients!