For the Love of Kale!

I am quite obsessed with kale.  When I combine my finance background with my love for nutrition, the reasoning goes something like this – you simply cannot get more nutritional bang for your buck when it comes to kale!!!!   For a mere $1.49, I can get a bunch of kale so big that I have to wrestle it into the bag.  I must look like I’m losing the battle sometimes because I have had people in the grocery store ask me what it is that I am buying!

There are a lot of reasons why kale is considered one of the healthiest vegetables on the planet.

The Nutritional Details:   One cup of kale contains 36 calories, 5 grams of fiber, and 15% of the daily requirement of calcium and vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), 40% of magnesium, 180% of vitamin A, 200% of vitamin C, and 1,020% of vitamin K. It is also a good source of minerals copper, potassium, iron, manganese, and phosphorus.   (SOURCE)

What does all of that mean???

• Kale is a rich source of antioxidant vitamins A, C, and K, fiber and carotenoids.     Research has shown that kale contains 45 different flavonoids with a variety of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
• It is a very potent source of vitamin K, which can reduce the overall risk of developing cancer, according to a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
• Kale is one of the best sources of beta-carotene, one of the antioxidants believed by many nutrition experts to be a major player in the battle against cancer, heart disease, and certain age-related chronic diseases.
• Kale possesses other important carotenoids: lutein and zeaxathin. These help keep UV rays from damaging the eyes and causing cataracts.
• According to recent research results, kale is an incredible source of well-absorbed calcium, which is one of the many factors that may help prevent osteoporosis.
• The manganese in kale helps your body’s own antioxidant defense system, protecting you from damaging free radicals.
• Its folate and B6 team up to keep homocysteine levels down, which may help prevent heart disease, dementia, and osteoporosis bone fractures.
• Beyond antioxidants, the fiber content of cruciferous kale binds bile acids and helps lower blood cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of heart disease, especially when kale is cooked instead of raw.

Something else I found particularly interesting is that kale contains indole-3- carbinol, a nutrient that seems to play a role in how estrogen is metabolized in the body and may play a protective role against breast cancer.  According to the naturopathic physician quoted in this article, “We sometimes use it as a supplement in patients with breast cancer, anyone who has a reason to be concerned about developing breast cancer and for those with estrogen-dominant illnesses like fibroids, fibrocystic breast disease or endometriosis, to try to help modulate negative estrogenic effects in the body.  Eating kale is a natural way to do that.”

With all that being said, I learned a couple of years ago when my mom was experiencing some heart problems that the high amount of vitamin K can cause problems for some people.  Anyone taking anticoagulants (blood thinners, such as Warfarin, Coumadin, etc) or other medications should avoid kale because the high level of vitamin K may interfere with the drugs.  Please consult your doctor before adding or increasing the amount of kale and other greens to your diet.

But for those who are looking to add more of this SUPERFOOD to their diet, I highly suggest starting with kale chips!!!

Start by removing the tough stem from the center of each stalk.  This part can taste bitter.  Tear the remaining leaves into bite-sized pieces.

Wash and dry kale (I use a salad spinner)

With clean hands, massage kale leaves with extra virgin olive oil to get them completely coated.  For reference, I used about 2 teaspoons of oil for a whole head of kale.

Spread on a SINGLE layer on a baking sheet (or two sheets if necessary).  Sprinkle with coarse ground kosher salt.  For this batch, I used about 1/2 teaspoon.

Bake at 375 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes.  Start checking the kale chips around 12 minutes as you will want them to be super crispy, but not burnt.  Mine are usually perfect around 14 minutes.  I just taste as I go, which depletes about half the pan!

With the kids helping me, we can usually eat an entire batch in one sitting.  And by sitting, I mean standing over the pan shoving them in our mouths!!!

Look Mom—no hands!!!

There are a TON of variations all over the internet.  But this classic version is quick, easy, and SO good!  I hope you’ll give them a try!