Kale is a leafy green, cruciferous vegetable similar to collards, but with added benefits not shared with other greens.
What are the Benefits?
· Kale provides iron, magnesium, fiber and is high in A and C vitamins. The calcium in kale is more readily absorbed than the calcium in other foods, including dairy.
· Kale can provide you with some special cholesterol-lowering benefits.
· Kale's risk-lowering benefits for cancer have recently been extended to at least five different types of cancer. These types include cancer of the bladder, breast, colon, ovary, and prostate.
· Kale is now recognized as providing comprehensive support for the body's detoxification system (more on that soon).
· Kale's is full of powerful antioxidants and has anti-inflammatory benefits.
· Kale helps regulate women’s estrogen levels and can help prevent conditions associated with hormone imbalance such as the symptoms of menopause. The benefits of kale even extend to pregnancy and breastfeeding. Kale offers folic acid to protect your baby’s growth and to stimulate milk supply.
Research shows that eating dark greens may help maintain good health by reducing your risk of heart disease, some cancers, and several other illnesses. They're also rich in beta-carotene, folate, and vitamins C, E, and K, which help protect against free radicals (unstable oxygen molecules that can damage cells). Eating dark greens regularly may also lower blood pressure and cholesterol, promote normal eyesight, and improve gastrointestinal function. -from whfoods.com
How Much Is Enough?
The most recent dietary guidelines published by the US Department of Health and Human Services recommend consuming at least 3 cups of dark-green vegetables per week, but if you're like most Americans, you don't get enough.
You'll want to include kale as one of the cruciferous vegetables you eat on a regular basis if you want to receive the fantastic health benefits provided. At a minimum, include cruciferous vegetables as part of your diet 2-3 times per week, and make the serving size at least 1-1/2 cups. Even better from a health standpoint, enjoy kale and other vegetables from the cruciferous vegetable group 4-5 times per week, and increase your serving size to 2 cups. -from whfoods.com
How to Cook?
Kale is one of the healthiest vegetables around and one way to be sure to enjoy the maximum nutrition and flavor from kale is to cook it properly. Steam kale for 5 minutes will boost the cholesterol lowering benefits. You can also cook kale by water sautéing for stir-fries, soups, or even baking. A benefit of kale is that it is a versatile ingredient to cook with. Like spinach, it will shrink during cooking and doesn’t take very long to cook. Kale recipes tastes great combined with rice, used in oriental dishes or added to pastas.
How to Store?
After buying kale, keep it unwashed in a plastic bag in the crisper section of your refrigerator. Wrap a wet paper towel around the leaves to lengthen the freshness. The taste of kale gets stronger the longer you store it, so try to use it within a week or so.
MY FAVORITE KALE RECIPES:
1) Baked Kale Chips
Ingredients
· 1 bunch kale
· 1 tablespoon olive oil
· 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
Directions
1. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F . Line a non insulated cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. Remove leaves from the thick stems and tear into bite size pieces. Wash and thoroughly dry kale with a salad spinner. Drizzle kale with olive oil and sprinkle with seasoning salt.
3. Bake until the edges brown but are not burnt, 10 to 15 minutes. Enjoy!
2) Minestrone Surprise Soup – from whfoods.com
 Prep and Cook Time: prep time: 20 minutes; cooking time 45 minutes Ingredients: · 5 cups chicken or vegetable broth · 1 medium onion, chopped fine · 6 medium sized cloves garlic, chopped · 1 stalk celery, diced (to yield about 1/2 cup) · 2 medium sized carrots, peeled and diced into ½-inch pieces (to yield about 1 cup) · 1-1/2 cups finely chopped kale · 1/4 cup diced portabella mushrooms 1 15 oz can diced tomatoes · 1 TBS dried Italian herbs · 1 15 oz can navy beans, drained · salt and black pepper to taste |
Directions:
- Prepare ingredients by chopping and measuring.
- Heat 1 TBS broth in medium soup pot. Sauté onion in broth over medium heat for 5 minutes stirring frequently. Add garlic and continue to sauté for another minute.
- Add broth and rest of ingredients except beans and salt and pepper. Bring to a boil on high heat, reduce heat to low and continue cooking, uncovered for 45 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
- Add beans, cook for another couple minutes, season with salt and pepper, and serve.
This soup is also great to freeze for the winter months!!!!
I do hope you will give Kale a try. Kale chips never last past dinner time in our house!
Until next time, Be Well!!!
Jen
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