So yes, evidently algae may be very good for us but doesn’t it taste rank? Health and food writer Eva Ramirez assures as that it is both delicious and nutritious. "I love sea vegetables - for soups, salads and even smoothies! Spirulina is protein-rich and great for active days and chlorella is perfect if you're in need of a detox. Dulse is delicious in soups, stews and salads. It's rich in iodine, iron, magnesium and calcium and contains almost all of the nutrients found in the ocean as well as the same minerals found in human blood. It expands when it comes into contact with water so you won't need as much as you think. Sea spaghetti is a great one for noodle salads. Atlantic Kitchen is a great brand for people who don't know where to start. It's crispy, salty and yummy!”Personal health benefits aside, choosing algae above other foods has far greater advantages too. As worries over the environmental repercussions of eating meat have come to the fore, more and more people are now opting for plant-based meat alternatives instead. The vegetarian market in America is a $2.8 billion-a-year industry, thanks to vast sales of wheat, rice soy, nuts, spices, beans, vegetables and dairy products.Tapping into this increased interest in non-meat and environmentally-friendly items, a number of businesses have been experimenting with algae-based oils to use instead of olive oil. In the past year there has been a boom in algae-based pizza crust, algae brownie mix and even coffee creamer. Certain types of algae have less saturated fats than olive or canola oil and a high proportion of infant formulas use algae oil as the main source of their healthy fats."Algae is pretty amazing. It’s unbelievably sustainable, actually it’s more like renewable, since they make algal oil using microbes. It doesn’t tax our land,” says food development expert Barb Stuckey, Chief Innovation Officer at Mattson, a Silicon Valley-based food company which has created algae-based milks and baked goods.Sustainable, affordable, arguably tasty, good for your insides, outsides and the earth too, we're sold. Next time you're near a health food store (NB: not your local pond), pick up some algae and give it a go.