The Low-Lift Way To Add More Nutrients To Your Meals, According To An MD

Enjoying an elaborate meal three times a day sounds great in theory, but most days, there's not enough time or energy to spend cooking. However, just because a meal isn't time-consuming to create doesn't mean it has to lack nutrients.

Kelp is especially favored for its high—but not too high—iodine levels. The recommended dietary allowance for iodine1 is 150 micrograms per day, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). "The problem is that we don't get enough iodine in our diet," Rountree says. While iodine supplements may help some people increase their intake, they may cause others to exceed the recommended value, which can increase the risk for hyper- or hypothyroidism.

To take the guesswork out of it, Rountree says kelp is the best source of iodine. "It's organic. It's going to be processed in a way that your body can use it. And it's very difficult to overdose from kelp," he explains. 

One of the best ways to incorporate sea veggies into your diet is through a greens powder that features these superfoods, such as mbg's organic veggies+. This supplement makes it easy to enhance the nutritional value of smoothies or baked goods.

While you can also add sea veggies to the diet through seaweed salads, Rountree says many are high in sugar, so it's important to eat those in moderation.