Ever research the nutrition profile of your lunch, just for fun? I did. My previous post was about what I ate for lunch today, with a recipe for “Almond miso kelp and zucchini noodles with wakame”.

Want to know how this meal fares nutritionally?

Kelp Noodles are a sea vegetable in the form of a raw noodle made of kelp (a sea vegetable), sodium alginate (sodium salt extracted from a brown seaweed), and water. Kelp, an algae, is a rich source of natural vitamins and minerals including essential trace minerals.
(Trace minerals are minerals that your body only needs a very small amount of, such as iron, manganese, copper, iodine, zinc, cobalt, fluoride, and selenium.)

Kelp is especially high in iodine, which must be present for proper glandular function and metabolism. Kelp contains iron, sodium, phosphorus and calcium, as well as magnesium and potassium. Kelp is a source of vitamins A, B1, B2, C, D and E, plus amino acids. Because the plant’s nutrients come in a natural form, they are easily assimilated by the body.

Wakame a good source of minerals including magnesium, iodine, calcium, and iron. It’s also high in vitamins A, C, E, and K as well as folate and riboflavin. It’s also a source of lignans which are thought to play a role in preventing certain types of cancer. A study published in Cancer Science Journal in 2005 demonstrated that wakame seaweed effectively suppressed growth of breast tumors in rats.

A study published The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry showed an extract of wakame seaweed was capable of lowering blood pressure in rats. The wakame extract appeared to reduce blood pressure in a similar way to a common group of anti-hypertensive medications known as ACE inhibitors.

• Also see seaweed.

Zucchini contains useful amounts of folate, important for cell division and the healthy DNA; potassium, which helps to combat the effects of sodium and can also help to reduce blood pressure and heart rate; and vitamin A which plays an important role in vision, bone growth, reproduction, cell division, and cell differentiation. Vitamin A helps regulate the immune system and may help lymphocytes (a type of white blood cell) fight infections more effectively. It promotes healthy surface linings of the eyes and the respiratory, urinary, and intestinal tracts and helps the skin and mucous membranes function as a barrier to bacteria and viruses.

Zucchini is also a good source of antioxidants, which are important in helping to rid the body of free radicals that cause aging and other disease, and manganese. In addition zucchini contains vitamin C as well as several B vitamins, and many other essential vitamins and minerals.

Sesame seeds are exceptionally rich in iron, magnesium, manganese, copper, and calcium and contain vitamin B1 (thiamine) and vitamin E (tocopherol). They contain lignans, including unique content of sesamin, which are phytoestrogens with antioxidant and anti-cancer properties. Among edible oils from six plants, sesame oil had the highest antioxidant content. Sesame seeds also contain phytosterols associated with reduced levels of blood cholesterol.

Sesame seeds also contain a high amount of phytic acid, the principal storage form of phosphorus and anti-nutrient and sesame seeds‘s nutrients are better absorbed if they are ground or pulverized before consumption (e.g. tahini).

Miso is an excellent source of vitamin B-12 and protein and a good source of copper and manganese (read more). It’s often recommended to vegans as a B-12 source.

I have a couple of excellent miso soup recipes in my blog from late 2009. It’s possible that the white miso that I referred to in that post is the same one I’m still using, though maybe 1/8 of the container is gone. Thankfully, miso lasts forever in the fridge because of its salt content so it’s okay to use miso that’s been in the fridge for over a year.

[Something else I noticed in that post: I mentioned one of the Forbes Wild Foods boys in it. I've mentioned them multiple types in my blog recently, seemingly every time I mention the Wychwood Barns farmer's market.  They are a charming bunch.]

Ginger: One of my favourite ingredients and flavours, Ginger contains very potent anti-inflammatory compounds called gingerols, which may also inhibit the growth of human colorectal cancer cells (reference is a study from 2003) and may kill ovarian cancer cells (source). Read what Nutritionist Joy McCarthy wrote about ginger in her blog two days ago.

Almonds and almond butter contain significant amounts of protein. A 2 tablespoon serving of almond nut butter contains 4 g of protein. One ounce of almonds contains 12 percent of your daily allowance of protein. Almond butter is a source of calcium, fiber, magnesium, folic acid, potassium, vitamin E (35% of your daily allowance),  manganese, phosphorus, calcium, iron and copper. Almonds are low in saturated fat.

Almonds are a good source of plant sterols, such as beta-sitosterol, mainly known and used for its cholesterol lowering property.

And that, my friends, is the result of a rainy afternoon of research – ’cause I knew my meal was healthy but now I know that my meal was a nutritional powerhouse and why. In a post of over 800 words.

Eat well, be well.