Kale, we know it’s curly, green and leafy but do we really know much else about it? Recently there has been a lot of hype circulating this vegetable for weight loss and healthy living but not many of us know much more. Is it as amazing as it has been advertised to be? We take a little look into the nutrients and benefits of our green vegetable friend to see what we can find. There is also a recipe at the end of this blog for our vey own delicious tried and tested kale chips 😉
Tell me more about this Kale…
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Kale is a leafy green vegetable
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It grows well in winter similarly to cabbage.
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Full of medicinal properties.
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It is very high in potassium, fibre, antioxidants, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, vitamin K, vitamin C, vitamin B6, vitamin A and iron.
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It is great in soups, smoothies, and salads, as a side dish or as chips.
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It is related to cabbage and brussels sprouts.
So what can Kale do for your body?
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It has been known to assist against diabetes.
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It can promote cardiovascular health.
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It may reduce your risk of stroke.
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It could help to prevent kidney stones.
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It can preserve bone density.
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It may protect against muscle loss.
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It can help lower your risk of cancer.
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It can aid with Digestion.
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It has been connected in anemia prevention.
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It can help skin and hair health.
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It may help with weight management.
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It can protect the eyes from macular degeneration and cataracts.
(Please click the links of our sources below if you would like a more in depth look into the benefits of kale.)
We got it now kale is great, really nutritious and a cup of chopped raw kale contains only 8 calories. It has more vitamin C than spinach and the iron and calcium in kale are more easily absorbed making it a winner in the leafy vegetable category. All the healthy greens cabbage, spinach and kale are nutrient dense super foods helping you reach your RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance) of minerals and vitamins with the least amount of calories.
I have tried many types of kale chips some have been absolutely delicious and some have provided me with a nasty gag reflex. Often the kale chips you buy in packets similar to potato chips are the worst tasting, if this is how you have tried kale chips please don’t judge poor delicious kale on this basis. The best kale chips are home made and this recipe will help you make the most tasty and addictive kale chips you could possible try. Now lets get our kale on with the most delectable kale chips.
Kale
Olive oil (optional)
Salt and vinegar spice
Nutritional yeast
Pre-Heat your oven to 100 degrees. Rinse the Kale, remove the steams (they are very chewy and fibrous if you leave them in) and tear into pieces around 7x4cm. Towel dry the Kale. Place a single layer of the Kale on a baking tray evenly apart. Lightly drizzle the olive oil and the salt and vinegar spice over the Kale chips. Place in oven and cook until desired crispiness (for me it’s about 40minutes). Place in a bowl and season with nutritional yeast to taste. Its that simple 🙂
Enjoy your own homemade Kale Chips!
As always wishing you all an abundance of health, herbs and happiness.
For more information see our Sources:
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/10-proven-benefits-of-kale#section11
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/270435.php
http://www.takepart.com/flashcards/what-is-kale/index.html
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