Oh, Say Can You Sea ... Weed

"Sea vegetables" is just a pretty way of saying seaweed. For some reason, thinking to eat these semi-salty prizes straight from the ocean, gives people the squirmies.

But, sea vegetables are actually so very, very good for you that we should all try to get a little more of them in our diet. Sheryl Crow, who incorporated sea vegetables after her nutritionist suggested them in her fight against breast cancer, likes them.

And if you've ever eaten sushi, you've most likely had nori in a roll or two, so maybe you're more familiar than you think with these health-boosting weeds. They are high in iodine, iron and calcium and their benefits (depending on the type of seaweed) can help regulate your thyroid, lower blood pressure and nourish your skin, according to Care2.com.

One of my favorite ways to enjoy kelp, which the article states is good for its cleansing capabilities, is to dry roast a few pieces in a pan without oil. Once they get crispy, crush or tear the bits on top of a sunny side up egg. Saute a little spinach with it. Toast two pieces of bread, and voila, you've got a nice egg, spinach and kelp sandwich.

Or, you can try this Soba Noodles with Kelp recipe.

Other good seaweeds to try include:

• Agar agar (a thickening agent high in zinc and vitamin K)

• Hijiki (dark and stringy, hijiki is a good starter seaweed to test your palate with)

• Dulse (buy shakers of flakes of this salty variation at Whole Foods to add on top of soup, salad, omelets, really anything you want.)

• Arame (sweet and more mild, try this recipe for arame salad with tofu sour cream dressing)

• Wakame (the dark green seaweed is often used in miso soup)

• Nori (the deep toasted green gives sushi its emerald-hued allure)

• Kombu (a good source of fiber, iron, iodine, potassium. Use a strip of kombu when you cook up a pot of beans)

Photo courtesy Andrew Currie@flickr.