roasted seaweed snack

I have talked before about nori seaweed (it's really one of my favorite blogs: a sheet of nori a day for energy), but lately while at a soccer game we brought some roasted seaweed snack and while my son was playing some of the other kids came around to see what we were eating so I gave them a piece and they all LOVED it! and gobbled up the whole pack within seconds... then a dad came by to see what all the commotion was about and he tried it and liked it too! Okay there was one kid who was very stubborn but all the others took over and loved it.

The hard part is getting them to stop! Today when my kids came home from school I asked them what they wanted and Franny yelled "seaweed!".. so that's what they got and within seconds the package was empty on the counter! Seaweed is a great snack for kids to enjoy and so good for them! And if there is a new baby in the house, give it to them as a snack instead of cheerios, you will be so surprised! (but don't use the salted kind, toast it yourself with nothing) Babies and young kids love it most, probably because they don't know what it is and don't have the 'eeeww it's seaweed?' reaction.

You can make your own roasted seaweed by just toasting a sheet on your stove top flame until it turns bright green and then it's done OR you can purchase these ready made, they are roasted with a bit of olive oil and a touch of sea salt. I have tried two brands and I really like the Sea Snax brand (which I found while in LA but it is also sold at our local co-op so it shouldn't be hard to find or you can buy it online here) or the Trader Joes brand which is great too (and only 99 cents a package)! Try them they are delicious and tell us how it works for you. Your kids will be getting a bang of Calcium, a sheet of nori has as much Calcium as 4 cups of milk.... take that MILK!


According to Sea Snax:
Sea vegetables are virtually fat-free, low in calories and one of the richest sources of minerals in the vegetable kingdom as they have ready access to the abundant minerals found in the ocean.  Nourishment is acquired across the sea vegetable’s entire surface through the gentle wave action of underwater currents. For centuries, new mothers in Korea have replenished themselves with seaweed soup to assist them in their postpartum recovery and rejuvenation. According to ancient Korean folklore, this postpartum tradition was learned from observing female whales that would seek out and eat strands of seaweed after giving birth.

This is simply the best snack food you can offer your kids!

click here to visit my previous story on Nori

a sheet of nori a day for energy!

this is something that I learned long ago at macrobiotic camp and both my sister and I have tried it and feel that it really does give us more energy for the day ahead! plus, as I have talked about before, your kids will love it too! I have not met a child who doesn't like the taste of toasted nori...it's really funny how that works! I find that small kids who don't question the look of it are very happy to try it...and they always find it delicious (even for babies in very small amounts).

you can purchase nori sheets just about anywhere (but here is a link to the kushi store where you are ensured that it is good and organic). we toast them right on the stove top by turning the flame down to the smallest possible flame (or it works well if you have been cooking and your grill is still hot) just take a single sheet and toast until it turns bright green and you are ready! you can also do this in an iron skillet if need be...the toasted nori will become light and delicate and very yummy! (you can see the difference between raw and toasted in the photo) eat a sheet a day and I think you will feel a difference.

while we are talking about nori, I would also like to mention that it's nice to have the nori around because if you are like us and make big batches of brown rice and you have leftovers the next day it's a great way to make brown rice sushi! just steam your rice to heat it up and fill your sushi with your families favorites (and throw a little piece of umeboshi plum inside for extra yumminess!)..all you need is a sushi mat, brown rice, nori and some vegetables! instant snack or dinner! and kids like to get in on the creating...it's good fun (and just a bit messy)

good luck and let me know if you find yourself with more energy!