Kale: The Overlooked Superfood

If you are a lover of food or healthy living blogs, I'm sure you've seen kale mentioned a time or two.

Kale is one of those superfoods that doesn't get enough credit where credit is due. I'm sure I saw kale in the grocery store, but I never gave it a second glance and didn't really acknowledge its existence until a year or so ago. It was right around the time when I'd come to the realization that my eating habits needed to change if I wanted to lose weight, get fit and live a healthier life. That was also the time that I discovered the wonder that is green smoothies. The first time I tried kale was in a green smoothie and I have one word for how it turned out "BLECH!" I hated it! Kale left my smoothie thick and chunky and I was barely able to slurp it down.

After that experience, kale was gone from my diet once again. However, this summer I kept seeing recipes for kale. Kale chips and marinated salads really caught my eye, so I decided to give it a second chance. I am so glad I did because I can now call kale a veggie that I love. Not only have I found some tasty recipes that I use over and over again, but kale is also full of nutritional goodness that I just can't deny my bod. First of all, kale is very high in antioxidants and what gal doesn't love that?!

2 cups of kale contains 260% of the daily requirement for vitamin A, 170% of vitamin C, 10% of calcium, 8% iron , 3 grams of protein , over 1000% vitamin K,  and 40%  manganese , 40% of vitamin B6 among other. As a green leafy vegetable it is a prime cancer fighting food, rich in anti-oxidants and detoxifying enzymes, carotenoids  and high in fiber . The  sulfurous phytochemicals stimulate the body to make cancer fighting enzymes. One cup contains more than 5 grams of fiber.The carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin in kale help prevent eye degeneration and help protect against cataracts .It is also high in calcium. [source]

Now that is some kick butt, awesome stats!!!!

So naturally, when my friend Judy gave me a recipe for marinated kale, I was all over it! I headed straight to the grocery store to pick up a bunch of kale so I could try it out. SCORE! I loved it! It's definitely another easy and awesome recipe that I'll be adding to my vault. :-)

Marinated Kale
Recipe slightly adapted from Maximized Living

This recipe is a great way to enjoy raw kale. If you love the taste of hummus, you'll probably love this recipe because the dressing has many similarities.

1 small bunch kale
1.5 tbsp tahini
1.5 tbsp water
1.5 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 - 2 cloves of garlic, minced

Cut your kale into bite-sized pieces. I do not use the kale stems because they tend to be bitter.

In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients.

Pour onto the kale and mix well. Don't be afraid to get your hands in there and massage the dressing in really well. Refrigerate for at least one hour.

This marinated kale makes a great snack or side dish to a healthy dinner.

I have two other kale recipes that I love. Check 'em out:

Baked Kale Chips
Weekend Glow Kale Salad (by Angela)

Have you ever tried kale before? What's your fave way to eat it?

Enjoy your day!

Andrea

Baked Kale Chips

Happy Sunday! It's looking like an absolutely gorgeous day in Southwestern Ontario and I'm so happy that I have absolutely no commitents today. For now, it's just Dora & I chillin' at home and then Derek should be back for a barbecue later this afternoon.

Isn't she a"DORA"able? She's already getting in the spirit of Canada Day!!

The only problem I have with days like today is that I want to graze and munch constantly. I typically don't keep chips and sweets in the house, but my darling hubby has a very bad habit of bringing unhealthy snacks into the homestead and then he leaves them there, untouched, to taunt and tease me all day long.

Instead of sitting and obsessing all day about the chips in the pantry that are calling my name, I have been trying to load my house full of healthy and satisfying snacks.

Remember that kale I was talking about last week? Well, I had great intentions to make a salad with it, but that just never happened, so of course my next choice was to whip up a batch of kale chips. Have you ever had kale chips before? Have you ever had kale before for that matter!? 

Dark leafy greens are SOOO good for our bods!

I like to add kale in my diet once in a while when I get all 'spinached out'. I like variety and eating the same veggies day in and day out just doesn't work for me. Kale is definitely one of those 'super foods' that we all should add to our diets. Kale is a chart topper when it comes to the most nutritious vegetables you can eat. It is very high in antioxidants and is loaded with calcium, B vitamins, fiber and anti-cancer phytochemicals. Now who doesn't want all that in their diet?! 

It's especially easy to add this to your diet when you can transform this leafy green into tasty chips. I was skeptical the first time that I made kale chips, but now I can eat a whole batch in one sitting. They are super tasty and definitely satisfy my craving for a salty snack.

Baked Kale Chips

These chips are super easy to make and they are full of healthy goodness. They will amaze even your biggest skeptics because they are as delish as chips!!

1 bunch of kale

1 - 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil

sea salt to taste

Preheat your oven to 350. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.

Remove the kale leaves from the stems (the stems are edible, but I find them too bitter) and cut the leaves into bite-size pieces.

Place kale leaves into a large mixing bowl.

Drizzle with olive oil followed by a sprinkling of sea salt.

Lay the leaves out onto your cookie sheet.

Bake for 10 - 15 minutes until they are crisp and starting to brown around the edges. I give mine a stir about 5 minutes into the baking time.

Note: Keep an eye on your chips. They can go from browning to burnt really quickly and burnt kale chips are not good!!

Serve your kale chips as a side to your favourite dinner (grilled cheese for me please :-) or on their own as a tasty snack.

Enjoy!!!

Now how easy is that?! I think you should run out to the local grocery store or farmer's market right now and pick yourself up a bunch of kale. These chips would make a great afternoon snack for you & your family ;-) and they won't go to your waistline like a normal bag of chips will! We are coming up to bathing suit season after all!

Have you ever eaten kale before? If you have a fave recipe, link me up to it! I feel compelled to add more of this nutritious veggie to my diet!!

What are you up to on this gorgeous sunny day?

Enjoy the rest of your weekend,

Andrea