Kale is an amazing food and nutritionally it has a lot to offer. You can eat a large bowl of kale as 1 packed cup is only 34 calories. Kale has a natural taste and is great in salads, soups, stews and more. Kale grows in its peak season from mid-winter through first weeks of spring. Be sure to either chop, or lightly heat the kale as both of these will release its health promoting compounds. If cooking you want it soft but still crisp. When you cook it lightly you slightly increase its antioxidant score. Overcooking will zap its nutritional value. When I use it in a soup I add it at the end when the soup is off and still hot I throw it into either the pot or into the individual bowls I am serving.
Attributes:
Low Calorie, Nutrient Dense, calcium, folate, potassium, fiber, iron, vitamin a, vitamin c, and k. Kale is higher in nutritional value per serving then most all other food. Kale is also rich in sulforaphane, which keeps blood vessels healthy. Also been shown to have anti-cancer and immunity boosting properties. Kale also has the eye health antioxidants zeaxanthin and lutein. Studies and research has shown a correlation in increased lutein consumption and decreased macular degeneration and atherosclerosis. There are many reasons to incorporate kale into your healthy life. If you haven’t tried it yet pick some up and eat up.
My favorite type of kale is:
Green Lacinato Kale or aka dino kale which I get at whole foods, or the farmers market or CSA. This is what it looks like.
There are also many other brands including popular baby kale variations which are organic and delicious. These typically run about $3-4 depending on size of container. If you opt for the large size it runs $6 but makes 10 nice size salads so price goes down substantially when you go bigger so long as you have the extra money for the larger sizes as it will add up quicker. Leaving you feeling like you didn’t get anything but a big bill. It’s ok it is pure whole food that we need to keep us our best. Give up something else in your life to eat better. It is not more expensive if you scout out your area to find the freshest organic produce without the hefty cost. Typically most all towns have farmers markets meeting either 1 or 2 times per week at a specific time and location. If you have Trader Joes they always have deals or you can go to Whole foods and for $2.50 you can get a large bunch of delicious kale you can wash and cut yourself. This way you get double the amount for less then half. This is called smarter shopping for healthier food instead of getting stuck buying it where it costs the most. Costco and Sam’s have now been carrying organic produce, as well as other health food places. The grocery store isn’t best as it is much higher, not as fresh and they do not have their store branded organic or bulk organic available. I can buy the finest meals for two at whole foods with breakfast, snacks, lunches and dinners for $80 for 7 days and that is for a carnivore. If you want a nice organic wine with your food you are looking at $110 for 7 days. If you are on a budget and want to keep costs way down you can go vegetarian and have tofu and bean burritos with cheese, gluten free mac and cheese Annies $3 just add broccoli for a family delicious meal quick and affordable.
