When you can't make it to the beach...

You can still enjoy some marine moments at home. We have a veritable bounty of oceanic goodness right now at Rainbow! Sea vegetables are highly nutritious and great for detoxing and environmental protection. The vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants in sea vegetables have been shown to improve the condition of skin, hair, nails, teeth, and gums while supporting respiratory, cardiac, thyroid, and metabolic function. Their detoxifying and regenerative properties are widely hailed. Species that are extra high in iodine, like our purple dulse, even offer natural protection against the effects of radiation. With all this nutrition packed into such a tasty and versatile group, why not add some to your diet? At Rainbow, we have everything from blue green algae powder to kelp fronds to Nori sheets for you to use in everything from soups to smoothies to snacks.

Here are two deliciously nutritious - and incredibly easy - suggestions to get sea vegetables on the menu in your life.

Sweet - Kelp Energy Bars

These are easy, delicious, and packed full of nutrients and energy to go. Make a batch on Sunday, and snack on these all week.

• 1/2 oz kelp fronds (Ours are from Oregon!)

• 2 cups sesame seeds, almonds, or hazelnuts (Or, use a tasty mix!)

• 1/2 cup maple syrup

FIRST Powder your kelp fronds in a blender. Even though you are converting them to a powder, it is best to start with whole fronds.

THEN Add nuts and/or seeds to the kelp powder in your blender and grind to a coarse mix.

POUR your coarse mix into a bowl. Add the maple syrup, and stir.

SPREAD the mixture onto an oiled cookie sheet. Press the mixture into a 1/4 inch thick mass.

BAKE at 325 for 20 minutes. Cut into squares while still slightly warm. Let them cool completely and ENJOY!

ALSO TRY using birch syrup, brown rice syrup, light molasses, or honey. Add some of your favorite seasonings like cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, or cardamom. You can even mix in some raw shredded coconut. Use what you like!

Adorable striped box not included.

Salty - Green Popcorn

You can make this and keep in a sealed container for up to 3 days before your popcorn starts getting a little tough.

• Popcorn (We recommend popping on the stove top in olive or safflower oil. If you are using olive oil, just be careful not to burn it.)

• Nutritional Yeast (maxi flake works best)

• Any of our fine sea veggie powders - sea veggie mix, spirulina, kelp, chlorella, etc.

• Salt

• Black Pepper

FIRST Make popcorn :)

THEN sprinkle with your green powder of choice, nutritional yeast, salt, and black pepper. So simple. So delicious.

ALSO TRY garlic, cayenne, cumin, curry powder...you name it. It will be tasty! Tired of popcorn? How about roasted chickpeas for a super munchable, high fiber crunch? Toss them with oil and roast at 450 for 30-40 minutes, then season as you would popcorn. YUM.

Happy (and healthy) snacking!