Have you ever been swimming and felt slimy long strands of seaweed tickle your toes? Next time that happens, don’t get the heebie jeebies; remember how good seaweed is for you and get excited! These seaweed cookies could even turn into one of your favorite gluten-free healthy recipes!
Seaweed found in sushi rolls and your local grocer is filled with amazing health benefits. There are three types of edible seaweed: brown, red and green. Most sushi rolls use red seaweed like nori, but the brown varieties such as kelp and wakame are most common.
What makes seaweed a superfood?
Seaweed is full of antioxidants that make it one of the ideal natural remedies to prevent inflammation. By eating anti-inflammatory foods, you help protect yourself against the risk of arthritis, celiac disease, asthma, depression and obesity.
Seaweed also regulates estrogen and estradiol levels (hormones responsible for the development and functioning of sexual organs). This regulation helps reduce breast cancers and improve female infertility.
Want a healthy thyroid? Seaweed is one of the sources chock-full of iodine crucial for maintaining healthy thyroid levels. An unhealthy thyroid can lead to weakness, fatigue, high cholesterol and impaired memory. Iodine is often artificially added to salt, but since we’ve become increasingly more conscious of what we consume, we have been trying to cut down on this seasoning. And because seaweed is a perfect alternative source of iodine, this superfood and this recipe are ideal for a healthy diet.
Remember…
Two tablespoons of red seaweed have over 34x the potassium found in an equal sized serving of bananas. Consumption of potassium-rich foods is linked to reducing the risk of heart stroke and early death. A serving size that huge can cause heart palpitations among those who have kidney problems. Keep that in mind when you’re tempted to overindulge on this amazing superfood.
Bull Kelp Seaweed Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 cups ground nuts (almond meal, walnuts, hazelnuts, or whole toasted sesame seeds)
- 3/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/8 cup (possibly less) granulated kelp (Nereocystis luetkeana)
- Oats (optional)
- Dried fruit (optional)
- Coconut oil (optional)
- Cookie sheet or glass casserole pan
Method
- Preheat oven to 350? (180? )
- Grease glass casserole pan using coconut oil, and set in oven to warm. Alternatively if you’re out of coconut oil, butter works just as well (but is less nutritious)
- Mix nuts and bull kelp seaweed together (kelp to taste)
- Add maple syrup and mix well (if using dried fruit, add it at this point). The mixture should hold well, and not be overly doughy
- Take glass pan out of the oven and place the mixture in the pan using wet hands. Press down the dough until it is even. (recommended to be ¼ inch thick)
- At this point, if you wish you can sprinkle oats on top of the dough.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the edges are brown.
- Let cool, and slice into bars.
Enjoy!
