Bone-Friendly Seaweed Salad

Updated: March 31, 2023

Seaweed Salad

We love our greens here at AlgaeCal and one of the top ways to get those greens is from salads. You’ll see a few different salads on any given day here at the office with all the typical ingredients.

However, to switch things up, we decided to swap out the kale and spinach for something different – seaweed!

Some common varieties are wakame, nori, kombu, and dulse. With up to 20 times the bone-building nutrients and trace minerals compared to regular vegetables, seaweed (or sea vegetables) are a fun and nutritious alternative for the more adventurous foodie. Along with calcium and magnesium, they also tend to be high in potassium. Studies have shown potassium is essential to our health, with its long list of benefits showing it improves heart health, reduces the risk of stroke and supports your bones!

Seaweeds are also rich (and tend to vary) in iodine; a mineral studied for preventing hyper & hypothyroidism, thyroid cancer, and goiter. How you prepare seaweeds can affect the iodine content. For instance, boiling kombu in water for 15 minutes can remove up to 99% of its iodine content. (If you have a thyroid condition, please check with your doctor before trying sea vegetables as you may need to limit or avoid iodine-containing foods.)

In this recipe, we use a red seaweed called dulse – which tends to have more protein and fiber than other seaweeds. There are thousands of different species around the world with an array of nutrient contents. Dulse is technically called Palmaria Palmata. You can also try adding finely chopped dulse into soups and noodle dishes to add a touch of flavor, and a ton of nutrients. And if you’re a vegetarian, dulse can even be fried for a convincing bacon alternative!

Check out how to make your own bone-building seaweed salad below!

Seaweed Salad

How-to-Make Seaweed Salad

Seaweed Salad is a nutritious and delicious way to nourish your bones! 
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Course Salad
Cuisine Japanese
Servings 2 servings
Calories 159 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 small avocado chopped
  • 1 mini-cucumber chopped
  • 15 g dulse died, rehydrated
  • 2 tbsp white or black sesame seeds roasted
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • 2 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce or tamari*

Instructions
 

  • Soak the dulse in warm water for 5 minutes; drain well by squeezing and chop fine.
  • Transfer to a large bowl serving plate.
  • In a small bowl, mix together the liquid ingredients.
  • Toss the liquid ingredients with the dulse to combine.
  • Sprinkle with the sesame seeds and serve immediately.

Notes

* Regular soy sauce and tamari (tamari is bolder and less salty tasting than soy sauce. Plus, it’s typically gluten-free but check the label!) can be swapped out for low sodium options!
Extra Nutrition Information
  • Magnesium: 73 mg
  • Vitamin: B6 10%
  • Phosphorous: 28 mg
  • Iodine: 1169 µg

Nutrition

Calories: 159kcalCarbohydrates: 10gProtein: 4gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 124mgPotassium: 262mgFiber: 3gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 155IUVitamin C: 5.1mgCalcium: 129mgIron: 3.1mg
Keyword salad, seaweed
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Seaweed Salad

Warnings of pollutant toxicity or heavy metal consumption from sea vegetables is a valid concern. If these sea vegetables are soaking up all these beneficial minerals from the ocean it would only make sense that they’d also absorb some of the negative compounds. However, most studies have shown that heavy metal toxicity from sea vegetables is not something to worry about and is extremely rare. The only type of sea vegetable that you should consider completely avoiding is hijiki, which has been consistently shown to possess heavy metals.

The Japanese have one of the world’s longest life expectancies at 83 years old on average, which is 5 years longer than the US. Plus, they boast incredibly low rates of certain types of cancer. One major dietary difference is their intake of seaweeds.

Not only are they excellent sources of iodine, but they also boast significant amounts of bone-building minerals such as calcium, magnesium, and potassium. These veggies from the sea will continue to be a staple in my diet. What about you? What are your favorite ways to eat seaweed? We’d love to hear in the comments below!

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This article features advice based on cutting-edge research from our industry experts to give you the best possible information to support your bone-building journey.

Lara Pizzorno
MDiv, MA, LMT - Best-selling author of Healthy Bones Healthy You! and Your Bones; Editor of Longevity Medicine Review, and Senior Medical Editor for Integrative Medicine Advisors.,
Dr. Liz Lipski
PhD, CNS, FACN, IFMP, BCHN, LDN - Professor and Director of Academic Development, Nutrition programs in Clinical Nutrition at Maryland University of Integrative Health.,
Dr. Emma Gasinski
PT, DPT, RYT - Physical therapist and certified yoga teacher with a Doctorate in Physical Therapy from Rocky Mountain University of Health Professionals,
Dr. Lawrence (Larry) A. May
MD, FACP, Harvard Medical School Graduate, Physician, Author, Public Speaker - Doctor of Internal Medicine at Providence Cedars-Sinai Tarzana Medical Center and author of several articles and books, including the widely utilized and best selling medical textbook Primary Care Medicine,