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spirulina.. what to do with it?

My husband bought a small bag of spirulina last night. This afternoon I tried a bit .. (like 1/2 tsp) in the “mac & cheese ” recipe one this site.. and it was HORRIBLE. The “mac & cheese” was great and all 6 kids loved it before I added the spirulina. I only used 1/2 tsp for 2 good sized cauliflower heads. I really want to add it to the kids’ diets, but how do I hid the flavor of it so the kids will eat it?

Thanks!!

Comments

  • Hi msraw! I had some trouble getting used to the spirulina flavor too (the taste made me think of a really dirty fish tank) but now i love it! My trick was to add it to smoothies, preferably ones containing banana, and also adding some cocoa powder. For me that hid most of the flavor but it tasted enough to make me get used to it. Now I even eat the cauli flower pop corn (recipe on this site) with tons of spirulina on them. Good luck!

  • CarmentinaCarmentina Raw Newbie

    I too have a bag of the stuff as well as chlorella and loathe using it for its flavor. Thanks for the tip jennyhelga.

  • yes, mix with banana and it’s subtle. check the green spirulina pudding recipe on here

  • Spirulina is gross, but I just drink it with water and force myself to chug it until it’s gone. It truly is a super-food. I feel like I can pick a whole field of corn by myself after drinking a glass of spirulina every morning.

  • By the color of your skin in your avatar NoneMoreRaw, it looks like you eat all that corn you feel like you could pick. lol

    Sorry for making jokes. I’m starting to feel at home here on this forum. You guys are great.

  • springleafspringleaf Raw Newbie

    I have only just got into spirulina and bought some from “Total Raw Food” an english company, I was a little suspisious but tried the raw cauliflower popcorn (mentioned above, recipie on this site) and loved it straight away. I would guess it varries a lot in flavour when sourced from different places…

  • springleafspringleaf Raw Newbie

    Oh! sorry I ment I was suspicious about how it would taste, not whether it was 100% raw! I’ve met jess from TRF and I am sure she would only get the best!

  • I am having the same issue with my spirulina (bought it from sunfood) the jars only been out of the cupboard once… ruined an entire smoothie once by adding it, taste wise anyway…

  • I do modifications of this recipe, adding chia and making a Devilsfood Pudding! Spirulina makes is velvety and the cacao powder totally covers the uckiness – but not the greenness!

    http://www.goneraw.com/recipes/3703-Devil-s-Foo…

  • clr-1976clr-1976 Raw Newbie

    I have the powder – I find the smell of it in the pot a bit icky but do have it in smoothies in fact, The other morning I made the following;

    • 1 young coconut (meat & water)
    • 2 teaspoons Cacao
    • 1 teaspoon spirulina
    • A drizzle of agave

    And blended until smooth – It was lush. Going to make the same tomorrow for brecky again.

    I always feel better when I start the day with some spirulina in a smoothie, use it alot with banana too & put it in raw cake bases.

  • Just a little bit of ascorbic acid (Vitamin C powder) offsets the taste of spirulina for me. I don’t know if ascorbic acid is considered a raw food or not. Like NoneMoreRaw, I find spirulina is an amazing energy booster. So, whatever I put spirulina in (juice, smoothie, water) I add a little bit of vitamin C, and it’s really drinkable.

  • FruginiFrugini Raw Newbie

    I too need some way to force the spirulina down..the taste of it makes me want to vomit. But my significant other is convinced that we need to down a glass each every day <shivers> so any good way to hide the taste is welcome!

    This site keeps surprising me, answering all my questions as they come up. It's like magic!
  • have_merseyhave_mersey Raw Newbie

    I hated it at first. It tasted gross. But I started adding it to green smoothies and in tiny amounts (REALLLY TINY) to just about everything and eventually, I craved it and added more and more! I miss it. I ran out and am completely broke. :(

    I’m sure it’d mix in cacao stuff too.

    ooh I’d love to try the Hawaiian Spirulina.

  • I just found a great way to mask the taste in a breakfast smoothie: Cacao doesn’t completely cover it for me, but cacao and peppermint does.

    I’ll post the recipe I just created.

  • i hate the taste of spirulina! check out my profile .. I often hide spirulina in my cacao smoothie I have posted.

  • angie207angie207 Raw Master

    Buy empty supplement capsules & fill them with the spirulina – easier to “swallow” – but cacao & peppermint sounds like a good spirulina-covering combo if I ever heard of one!

  • miss soufflemiss souffle Raw Newbie

    i kinda like it, in smoothies anyway!

  • FeeFee Raw Master

    Am I the only one who thinks it tastes like smokey bacon crisps?

  • RawKidChefRawKidChef Raw Newbie

    I am a kid, and I take a lot of blue green algae (a type of spirulina I guess?) but I take it in capsule form so I don't taste it really, that may be a better option for your kids because you can get empty vegicaps from health stores. I would make a dark smoothie made from frozen blueberries and maybe some spices, and add the spirulina then, that way teh natural dark color of the berry will make the green look like it' not there...add some orange juice too to the smoothie if you want.

  • RawKidChefRawKidChef Raw Newbie

    Tuliza, that recipe sounds really good! I need to make that.

  • Make Spirulina bars. You won’t believe how wonderful it tastes. It’s like eating candy.

    SPIRULINA BARS Mix 1 cup of Organic, Extra Virgin Coconut Oil with a 1/2 cup of Organic Raw Local Honey and a 1/4 cup of spirulina with a pinch of Celtic Sea Salt. Blend together and spread evenly on a plate. Place in the refrigerator until solid. Cut into bite size pieces and serve (Yummy). The bars melt at room temperature so you will need to keep them refrigerated. You may add nuts or seeds if you like. I like sesame seeds in my bars. It is almost like eating a chocolate bar.

  • miss soufflemiss souffle Raw Newbie

    smokey bacon!! LOL

  • Garlic. Garlic. Garlic. Garlic masks the mushroomy taste of spirulina like nothing else. A little bit goes a long way, so try half of a medium sized clove. The garlic does not overpower the rest of the smoothie. I have been doing this since I tried spirulina two years ago, and nothing has worked better.

    As for berries, blackberries help with masking it as well, although blueberries might be a bit too sweet to withstand spriulinas penetrating aftertaste.

    Im sure other berries help. I have used acai. Acerola might work better. Blackberries have worked best so far, as fruits for masking.

    Spearmint and/or peppermint, fresh and extracts, dont work so well. Spirulina just comes through the initial bite of these herbs.

    A good idea is to experiment with spices and herbs. These have amazing beneficial properties, besides being raw (if consciously purchased that way). Spices can make surprising waves of flavor in a drink. Cardamom, dill, and cinnamom are very nice.

    For spirulina, I prompt everybody to try garlic. I only first added it to include more garlic in my day, and was shocked to find how well it blended and masked.

    Hooray for spirulina, and hooray for garlic!

  • penfoldpenfold Raw Newbie

    I mix a heaping teaspoonful into orange juice - 4 to 6 oranges - and it ends up tasting a little malty. Pretty good.

  • vegan2rawvegan2raw Raw Newbie

    try recreating Odwalla brand green juice we do and its great just blend a banana with oj some other fruits and spirulina it hides well with banana,

    also we used to have issues getting our kids to take it (they are two and three) then we switched to Jameth Sheridans product which is Health Force Nutritionals now they love it and ask to add it to stuff he was in an interview with Kevin Gianni during Rawkathon talking about how he grows it and how most organic labels have to follow such strict standards they cant let nature run its course b/c in order to be ceritifed they have to Feed it something which usually results in a lower quality poopy smelling gross tasting stuff. Get a sample bottle of his and you will see the difference and feel the difference as well.

    IMO its worth the extra moolah if it gets them to eat it without an issue.

    Good luck and namaste

  • browniesbrownies Raw Newbie

    I tend to use it in VERY small amounts in my smoothies and savory soups. Its also not bad in "tuna" or "salmon" pates.

  • throw it out. eat more fruit.

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