I am so excited for this month’s Recipe Redux theme-  Sea what you’ve been missing! Besides Sushi, seaweed tends to be a foreign food for many so hopefully this months theme will inspire you to try it. Most types of seaweed are high in beneficial minerals- iron, calcuim, magnesium, potassium, iodine, and zinc. They also contain a good amount of lignans, compounds that have been shown to decrease LDL cholesterol levels.

Two things to note: Seaweed is NOT a good source of B12. Seaweed contains B12 analogues which are compounds that mimic b12, not B12 itself. If you are vegan/vegetarian or have had low B12 levels in the past, don’t rely on seaweed as a B12 source. The analogues found in seaweed can actually prevent B12 from being properly absorbed.

Seaweed is also very high in Iodine, so if you have any thyroid issues you should first consult a Registered Dietitian before adding a lot of seaweed into your diet.

Sea vegetables that you will likely find in the grocery store are hijiki, arame, wakame, and kombu. If your local grocery store doesn’t carry seaweed, check with an Asian grocery store. I usually prefer the Asian store over the regular grocery store as they have a wider selection and usually better prices.

This dish features one of my favorite sea vegetables, and a good one to start out with, Hijiki. High in calcium, iron, and fiber, hijiki is a porous, black seaweed with a lot of texture. I love it in this quinoa salad but if you are timid with  trying it, try a small amount in your favorite stir-fry or brown rice and work from there.

Hijiki and Quinoa Salad

Ingredients:
1 1/2 tsp. grated fresh ginger
2 tsp. sugar
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
2 tbsp. soy sauce
1/8 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. sesame oil
2 tbsp. sesame seeds, lightly toasted

1 bell pepper, finely diced
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 cup hijiki
1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained

Soak the Hijiki in cold water for 1 hour, drain.

Cook the hijiki: in a saucepan cover the hijiki with water to cover. Simmer over medium low heat for 15-20 minutes until hijiki is tender. Drain and rinse hijiki with cold water.

While the hijiki cooks, make the quinoa. Bring 1 1/2 cups water to a boil, add Quinoa, cover pot and reduce heat to low. Cook untouched for 12 minutes. Remove from heat, let stand for 10 minutes and then fluff with a fork. Set aside while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

Whisk together the ginger, sugar, vinegar, oil, salt and tamari. Add the toasted sesame seeds to the dressing mixture.

Combine the quinoa, hijiki, bell pepper and dressing. I prefer this salad cold, so you can eat now or stick in the refrigerator for 30 minutes-1 hour before serving. Sometimes I add lightly fried tofu cubes to the salad for a heartier dinner.

Check out more Under The Sea dishes from my fellow Recipe Reduxers. What seaweed have you tried before? For you newbies- what prevents you from trying seaweed?

Have you recently cut out animal products to better your health? Great! Yes, a plant-based diet is best in reducing heart disease, diabetes, and obesity but going meat-free can cause confusion on B12 recommendations.

B12 comes from microorganisms and is found in animal products, b12 supplements, and fortified foods. Low intake can cause anemia, damage to the nervous system, and increased homocysteine levels. High homocysteine levels increase the risk of heart disease, stroke, and other diseases. Vegans and near-vegans who do not supplement with vitamin B12 have consistently shown elevated homocysteine levels.

I bring this point up because although I whole-heartidly believe that a plant-based diet is superior for optimal health, the need for B12 cannot be ignored. Some argue that people only need a very small amount of B12 and that it is stored in the body for years. This is true only in individuals who consume a large amount of B12 over a number of years. For most new vegetarian and vegans, they have been reducing their intake of animal foods for a while and may not have adequate stores to begin with. Also, even lowered levels of B12 can increase homocysteine. The easiest way to ensure your getting enough B12 is to consume fortified foods or take a supplement.

Daily recommended amounts are  2.4 micrograms for adults.

Do not rely on any seaweed, brewer’s yeast, tempeh, or vitamin supplement that uses plants as a source of B12. Brewers and nutritional yeast only contain B12 if it is added, like the yeast from Red Star or Twinlab (Added B12 comes from the bacteria Propionibacterium shermanii and Pseudomonas denitrificans.) However, B12 is very light sensitive, so I would never recommend your only source of B12 to be from yeast. The tempeh sold in America and Europe has not been shown to contain any b12.  Also, there are claims that unwashed foods like root vegetables will have enough B12 from the soil, but as studies have shown the amount of b12 in soil varies greatly.

In conclusion, fortified foods like non-dairy milk, meat substitutes, breakfast cereals and supplements are the best sources. I highly recommend taking a B12 supplement daily, I rely on the Pangea VeganLife B12 Chewable Supplement.

As I know this is a controversial discussion, I would love to hear your comments, questions, and feedback on this post.

In  health,