Superfood! Yummier than potato chips. More vitamin C than an orange. A plant source for Omega 3 (alpha linoleic acid). More vitamin A than anything green on the planet. More calcium in 100g than an equivalent amount of milk.
And it’s plain delicious…
I wouldn’t call it an alternative to potato chips, as it is much more addictive, crunchier, and healthier. I just love the distinct crunch of such a paper-light, paper-thin nutrient-packed goody. And the flavor is also quite…interesting, I guess. It has a slight popcorn aroma, but with a barely noticeable “wasabi” effect. It has a slightly bashful bitter tone to it, as it is not sweet, not vegetable-like, not starchy, not tangy, and well, I guess it’s not like anything else I’ve ever tried. In fact, it’s the best chips you (or the kids) can ever have, and actually getting your child hooked on something so uber-healthy is kudos material. And unlike potato chips, it’s great for your heart and packs way more nutrients than pounds.
Wait till you get to the nutrition part…
Ok, so how nutritious is kale, anyway? It has one of the impressive CV’s out there in the veggie market, as according to NuVal scoring, ” With a NuVal Score of 100, kale is one of the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet. It contains 45 different flavonoids, which provide antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits. In addition, kale provides comprehensive support for the body’s detoxification system and may lower the risk of developing cancer. ” It’s also great for women, as it aids in the way estrogen is metabolized in the body, which makes it protective against breast cancer or other issues such as endometriosis and fibroystic breast disease. It’s also great for alleviating the symptoms of pms!
So how is it best eaten (from a nutritional perspective)?
Have it in combination with a fatty friend (like olive oil or avocado) in order to render the fat soluble vitamin A more bio-available, and with something citrusy such as lemon juice or oranges in order to enhance the absorption of the high amount of iron it contains.
Too much of a good thing?
Kale is always great for you, it’s just that it’s best not to overdo it if you’re on any blood-thinners (because of the high content of vitamin K), or if you have a history of kidney stones (because of the high amount of oxalates in kale).
Ingredients (serves 3-4 at around 50 kcal/serving, but when you’re hooked you’ll eat it all by yourself!):
2 large bunches of kale (either the curly kale or the flat-leaf kale)
1 tbsp olive oil
salt, to taste
Preparation:
1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Wash the kale, remove the stems (they can be quite bitter), and separate the leaves from any hard veins (they can be bitter too).
2. Make sure you dry them well. Very well.
3. Drizzle the olive oil over the kale leaves, and rub them all equally with it. Line up the kale leaves onto a baking tray, and sprinkle some salt over them.
4. Let the kale bake in the oven for around 3-4 minutes maximum. Leaves should still be green-ish and only lightly browned when you remove them. Just make sure they’re crunchy.
Enjoy! 🙂
Roula
Beyond Zucchini 
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