Kale: The Queen of the Greens
October 1, 2013
Pick up any recent health and fitness blog or magazine and you will probably see a recipe that centers on kale. Dark green, leafy, sometimes bitter-tasting: kale is commonly praised in chip form, thrown in a smoothie or eaten raw in a salad. But it’s still not on most folks’ list of dining delights. Why should we eat it? How can we make it taste great? Let me fill you in …
The Super Food
Low in calories, containing zero fat and full of fiber, kale is high in iron, Vitamin C (more than an orange), Vitamin K (throw it in some chicken soup when sick for vitamin-packed boost) and antioxidants like carotenoids and flavonoids that help ward off cancer. A serving of kale can give you much needed Vitamin A to help with oral health care, lower your cholesterol and it helps detox your body from other unhealthy toxins. Adding a few kale leaves to a salad or protein shake can help fill you up and also cleanse you. It’s a win-win, genuine super food that can improve your skin tone and joint health. Who doesn’t want more of that?
For even more benefits, try pairing kale with other good-for-you foods. Since kale is high in omega-3 it works brilliantly with other fats like olive oil or avocado by making the carotenoids more easily absorbed into your body. Lemon juice works to release the iron in the kale for better distribution too.
Adding Kale to your Diet
Not sure quite where to start when it comes to adding some kale to your menu? Try one of these delicious recipes:
Avocado-Kale Super Salad
Ingredients:
- Bunch of kale
- 1 avocado
- ¼ medium red onion
- ½ a lemon
- Olive oil
- Salt & pepper to taste
Directions:
- Tear up a batch of washed kale leaves and add to a bowl.
- Dice 1 peeled avocado and slice 1/4 of a medium-size red onion. Add to bowl.
- Drizzle olive oil over top, add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice form half a lemon and season with salt and pepper.
- Mix and serve.
Kale Sides
Fry or sauté kale with olive or coconut oil to add a dose of healthy greens to your daily diet. Mince some garlic and toss into the skillet with the kale and let it wilt. Top it with a sprinkling of parmesan cheese for additional flavor. Change it up to meet the type of dish by tossing on some sesame seeds or soy sauce to go with an Asian meal, use nutritional yeast for as a vegan cheese alternative.
Once you start adding kale to your meals you will be surprised to find out how easy it is to just keep adding it to other sides, juices, smoothies and more.
