If you haven’t noticed kale-centric options on your local restaurant menu lately you’re probably living either under a rock or in the middle of Idaho where regular people still eat burgers made from cows instead of grass fed organic bison, and fries are still being made from potatoes instead of being lightly baked in vegan oil that came straight from the mountains of Tibet.
With all the crazy new health fads out there, Kale has certainly taken the nutritional world by storm as of late- so what’s the big deal? Is it really that good for you? And how can you get it not to taste like yesterday’s rubber boot?
Keep reading for the breakdown.
1. What is it?
Kale is a leafy green belonging to the cruciferous family - our friends broccoli, cabbage, Brussel sprouts, and pretty much every other vegetable you hated before you cared about living past 30 and fitting into your spandex yoga pants are its siblings.
2. Pros
This new kid of the produce block is being revered for its nutritional density and sheer concentration of health benefits which include a high source of vitamins A, C, and K and only approximately 30 calories per chopped cup.
Why should you care? These antioxidant vitamins are associated with anti-cancer health benefits. Kale additionally contains compounds that help with eye health and its fiber levels help lower cholesterol.
3. Cons?
- Kale is high in vitamin K, which can interfere with some medications such as those for blood clotting.
- Kale can interfere with calcium absorption so mixing kale with a serving of dairy is not recommended.
- The superpower vegetable has also recently been listed on the Environmental Working Group’s “Dirty Dozen Plus” list as one of the top crops commonly “contaminated with pesticides exceptionally toxic to the nervous system”. This doesn’t mean abandon kale now or else ye shall perish a certain death – but it does mean be more cognizant of how you prepare your food and opt for cooking your kale rather than eating it raw from the ground.
See more on EGW here: http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/summary.php
4. Recipes
- Kale chips: chop into pieces, drizzle with olive oil, pepper, and a touch of salt then bake. (Throw on some cayenne pepper or spice of your choice for extra flare).
- Put a twist on your spinach, cheese, and kale quiche and dice up sizeable pieces of kale to bake in as well.
5. The Final Verdict
While this newfound leafy green could certainly be classified as a passing fad enjoying its 15 minutes, we may see it linger on menus and grocery aisles for much longer than that. So if you’re looking for new ideas to kick-start your family’s health don't be afraid to reach for the kale assuming you’ll be classified with the rest of the Williamsburg crowd if you do. And if you don’t? There are plenty of non-toxic healthy vegetables out there waiting to be thrown into your dinner crockpot that have been sufficiently nourishing the body since before you could say ‘hipster’.
With all the crazy new health fads out there, Kale has certainly taken the nutritional world by storm as of late- so what’s the big deal? Is it really that good for you? And how can you get it not to taste like yesterday’s rubber boot?
Keep reading for the breakdown.
1. What is it?
Kale is a leafy green belonging to the cruciferous family - our friends broccoli, cabbage, Brussel sprouts, and pretty much every other vegetable you hated before you cared about living past 30 and fitting into your spandex yoga pants are its siblings.
2. Pros
This new kid of the produce block is being revered for its nutritional density and sheer concentration of health benefits which include a high source of vitamins A, C, and K and only approximately 30 calories per chopped cup.
Why should you care? These antioxidant vitamins are associated with anti-cancer health benefits. Kale additionally contains compounds that help with eye health and its fiber levels help lower cholesterol.
3. Cons?
- Kale is high in vitamin K, which can interfere with some medications such as those for blood clotting.
- Kale can interfere with calcium absorption so mixing kale with a serving of dairy is not recommended.
- The superpower vegetable has also recently been listed on the Environmental Working Group’s “Dirty Dozen Plus” list as one of the top crops commonly “contaminated with pesticides exceptionally toxic to the nervous system”. This doesn’t mean abandon kale now or else ye shall perish a certain death – but it does mean be more cognizant of how you prepare your food and opt for cooking your kale rather than eating it raw from the ground.
See more on EGW here: http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/summary.php
4. Recipes
- Kale chips: chop into pieces, drizzle with olive oil, pepper, and a touch of salt then bake. (Throw on some cayenne pepper or spice of your choice for extra flare).
- Put a twist on your spinach, cheese, and kale quiche and dice up sizeable pieces of kale to bake in as well.
5. The Final Verdict
While this newfound leafy green could certainly be classified as a passing fad enjoying its 15 minutes, we may see it linger on menus and grocery aisles for much longer than that. So if you’re looking for new ideas to kick-start your family’s health don't be afraid to reach for the kale assuming you’ll be classified with the rest of the Williamsburg crowd if you do. And if you don’t? There are plenty of non-toxic healthy vegetables out there waiting to be thrown into your dinner crockpot that have been sufficiently nourishing the body since before you could say ‘hipster’.