Spirulina is a type of blue-green algae that’s commonly used as a dietary supplement. Thanks to its high nutritional value and other amazing benefits, Spirulina is also considered to be a proud member of the superfoods family. As such, it should be a welcomed guest in any well-balanced plate but many people avoid using this superfood simply because they don’t know how to do it.
That’s why we’ll discuss some of the most important health benefits of Spirulina and how you can make it an integral part of your diet.
Why use Spirulina?
Just because someone told you that you should implement Spirulina in your diet doesn’t necessarily mean that you will and that’s okay. But by learning a bit more about this amazing algae, you’ll see that you will only benefit from doing so. There are plenty of health benefits of Spirulina not many people know about. Spirulina is quite high in protein and low in calories, which makes it a perfect choice for vegans and vegetarians. It’s also proven to be quite useful for people trying to lose weight as it offers plenty of nutrients but very few calories. On top of that, Spirulina contains 18 amino acids, of which 8 are the essential amino acids. And finally, Spirulina is a great source of vitamin B-6, A and K.
How to add it to your diet?
Since in its natural form Spirulina resembles seaweed, it’s rarely consumed this way. Instead, it most commonly comes in the form of powder or pre-blended in various nutrition mixes. This means that you can easily implement it in various dishes. Here are just some of them:
Guacamole
Guacamole is a great side-dish that – aside from being extremely refreshing – can be quite healthy too. The base of any good guacamole – avocado – is already extremely healthy and good for you. However, if you spice up your bowl of guacamole with some Spirulina, you’ll significantly enrich your dish. Ideally, add 2 tablespoons of Spirulina per avocado to reach the best flavour balance. This way you’ll create a side-dish that is jam-packed with vitamins, minerals, healthy fats and amazing flavours.
Smoothie
Smoothies have become quite popular in recent years. Perhaps one of the most popular food trends, smoothies allow you to have any delicious meal on the go. The fact that they’re so easy to make yet quite nutritional and healthy makes them all the more popular. Of course, you can easily enhance any of your favourite smoothie recipes with a touch of Spirulina. Here’s just an idea for a smoothie:
- 1 cup liquid – you can use anything from water, fruit juice, milk or any milk alternative
- 1 cup leafy greens – use any you like
- 1 cup frozen fruit – go for barriers as they are also packed with vitamins and antioxidants
- 2 teaspoons of Spirulina
Combine everything in a blender and blend until smooth in texture. This is a great way to add some superpowers to your already healthy smoothie.
Salad dressing
Spirulina can also work great as a salad dressing. No matter the type of salad you’re making, you can always add just a simple teaspoon of Spirulina to your dressing and elevate your dish to a whole new level. If you’re using premade dressings, worry not! Just mix in a tablespoon of Spirulina into it before dressing your salad, and there you go. Finally, you can also sprinkle some Spirulina over your already made and dressed salad and enjoy it that way.
As you can see, this amazing superfood really deserves all the attention it gets. Not only is it super healthy and rich with all the good things, but it’s also super tasty. So, if you’re looking to enrich your already healthy meal or add a healthy ingredient to your regular diet, Spirulina is the best way to go.
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