Can Kale Save the World?

Appears courtesy of For the Love of Kale.

If you walk into a grocery store, I’m sure the first thing on your brain isn’t kale. But it should be. And why not? It could save the world. You know, like Superman. It’s big, strong, always does its job, and has a cape – if you count leaves as a cape.

In all nutrition-related seriousness, kale really is a superhero of sorts. This leafy green is part of the wild cabbage family and is classified by leaf type. The one we are most familiar with is dinosaur kale. The veggie powerhouse is found in green and purple forms, though we most often see the green form. (If you pair both colors together, you would get what I call “Barney” dinosaur kale. Get my pun? Eh? I know; that’s just plain wrong so let’s move on.)

Kale is a nutritional dream, especially for vegetarians and vegans. It is rich in iron, calcium, B vitamins, vitamin C, folate and manganese. And that’s just the beginning! It is so versatile in the kitchen and you can prepare it in a variety of ways:

· Salads: In place of romaine, try using kale as the base for one of your salads. (Note: Kale does give off a rather bitter mouth feel, so you may want to use half kale and half of a milder lettuce such as romaine).

· Sautee: Turn a frying pan onto medium heat, spread 1 tbsp. coconut oil (you can also use olive oil) onto the pan, toss in 2 cloves of garlic, and set 2 large handfuls of kale into the pan. It takes some shimmying but once it has reached a tender consistency, it will become a wonderful side dish to any meal.

· Bake: Yes, you can bake kale! They are called kale chips and they rock the healthy living world. Break off random pieces of kale from the stem and smother them in a generous, tablespoon-sized coating of coconut oil (you can also use olive oil). Set the kale on a baking sheet, sprayed with cooking spray. Sprinkle nutritional yeast onto the kale, followed by any other kitchen spices that you have on hand (I love using garlic powder and crushed red pepper!). Bake at 350° for 10 – 15 minutes.

So maybe kale can’t jump across buildings and swoop down to save the town mayor from a crazy, near-death experience. But it can swoop into your home and makes its way through your body, saving your health and heightening your taste buds one meal at a time. Happy eating.