What is Kale?
Kale is a leafy green vegetable that comes from the cabbage family, similar to vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower and collards. Loaded with essential vitamins and minerals, Kale is a super food with proven health benefits.
As with any vegetable, there are several varieties of kale, ranging in colour from dark green with blue tinge to deep red leaves. The leaves can be curly or flat and the flavour does differ between varieties. But whatever the colour, make sure you pick out dark, crispy leaves to eat!
Kale is super easy to grow in your own garden or even on your patio and balcony. Click here information on growing kale.
Kale has also been popping up in gardens as an ornamental plant. The leaves which can come in white, red, pink, lavender, blue or violet look beautiful in a garden beside your favourite flowers and plants. (And bonus it’s still edible - so once the first frost comes, you may consider just eating it!)
Kale is a leafy green vegetable that comes from the cabbage family, similar to vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower and collards. Loaded with essential vitamins and minerals, Kale is a super food with proven health benefits.
As with any vegetable, there are several varieties of kale, ranging in colour from dark green with blue tinge to deep red leaves. The leaves can be curly or flat and the flavour does differ between varieties. But whatever the colour, make sure you pick out dark, crispy leaves to eat!
Kale is super easy to grow in your own garden or even on your patio and balcony. Click here information on growing kale.
Kale has also been popping up in gardens as an ornamental plant. The leaves which can come in white, red, pink, lavender, blue or violet look beautiful in a garden beside your favourite flowers and plants. (And bonus it’s still edible - so once the first frost comes, you may consider just eating it!)
Types of Kale:
Curly Kale
The most recognizable of the bunch, it is usually bright or dark green or purple in colour and has tight ruffled leaves and fibrous stalks. It has a noticeable pungent flavor with peppery and bitter qualities.
Lacianto Kale
Also known as Dinosaur Kale, it has dark blue-green leaves with a slightly wrinkled and firm texture. The leaves and narrow and retains its firm texture even after it has been cooked. It is a sweeter variety with an earthy, sweet taste.
Red Russian Kale
This variety has flat, fringed leaves that often have a reddish-purple tinge to the stems. Russian Kale is one of the sweetest species of kale but the stems, tough and hard to swallow, must be removed before eating to prevent an upset stomach. (It’s too much fiber…enough said.)
Redbor Kale
This variety has is dark red in color that can look a deep purple, slightly resembles a tightly curled rainbow chard near the tops of its leaves. Often used as an ornamental plant, it makes a great addition to a meal, or even as edible plate decor.
Kale for Life
Kale is a superfood. Why? Here are some reasons:
Firstly, we’ll start with the important facts. 1 cup of raw kale has 33 calories, 6 grams of carbs (2 of which are fiber) and 3 grams of protein.
It is absurd how many vitamins, minerals and essential nutrients are in this vegetable. It has very high concentrations of beta carotene, vitamin K and vitamin C while also being rich in calcium. (Fun fact - 1 cup of raw kale has more Vitamin C than an orange!) A single cup of raw kale (about 67 grams or 2.4 ounces) contains:
· Vitamin A: 206% of the RDA (from beta-carotene)
· Vitamin K: 684% of the RDA
· Vitamin C: 134% of the RDA
· Vitamin B6: 9% of the RDA
· Manganese: 26% of the RDA
· Calcium: 9% of the RDA
· Copper: 10% of the RDA
· Potassium: 9% of the RDA
· Magnesium: 6% of the RDA
It also contains 3% or more of the RDA for Vitamin B1 (Thiamin), Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin), Vitamin B3 (Niacin), Iron and Phosphorus.
Many powerful antioxidants are also found in kale including quercetin and kaempferol, which help your body rid itself of oxidative damage that can contribute to early ageing and many diseases including cancer. It contains compounds including sulforaphane and an indole-3-carbinol that have been shown to fight cancer in test tubes and animal studies. (Aka it hasn’t been proven yet in humans so I can’t actually make a claim that kale fights cancer.)
Kale is high in minerals, some of which many people are deficient in. It is a source of calcium, magnesium and potassium. Fun Fact – per calorie, kale has more iron than beef!
Kale for Weight Loss
With its low calorie count and high levels of vitamins and minerals, kale is the most nutrient dense food in the world. As such, unlike other leafy greens, kale leaves you feeling full and satisfied, without worrying about points. Its high water content gives kale a low energy density as well as it contains protein and fiber, all of which have been shown to aid weight loss.
Kale In History:
Kale has been eaten since the Roman times and is a staple in many cultures across Europe. Until around the 15th century, kale was one of the most popular green vegetables. Referred to as ‘Sabellian Kale’, the ancient forms of the vegetable were available in curly-leaved varieties as well as flat-leaved varieties from Greece.
In the 19th century, ‘Russian Kale’ was brought to Canada, then the United States (Hey! We finally got something first ;)) by Russian traders.
During WWII, citizens of the UK were encouraged to cultivate the vegetable as it was easy to grow and provided important nutrients that were missing in people’s diets due to rationing.
Cooking with Kale:
Now that we know everything that you need to know about kale….how the heck do you eat it?
Firstly, whether you intend to cook it or eat it raw, you must remove the leaves from the tougher stalks. I usually do this all at once then wash and chop it and store it in a large container. Doing this make life easy when you’re in a hurry or just being lazy. Kale also freezes well and tastes sweeter and more flavourful after being exposed to frost.
Ways to eat Kale:
Raw - This is how I prefer to do it. You get the most out of it (volume and nutrients) and it gives more flavour to a salad. It is also a great garnish!
Baked - The biggest kale trend by far is to make chips. I’m not actually a huge fan of kale chips (probably because the one time I made them I ate so many it sent me to the bathroom for days) but if you have self-control, this makes a great snack or side! Just lay your pieces of kale out on a baking sheet and drizzle with oil and your favourite seasoning. You bake it until it starts to brown and reduces to about half the size.
Boiled / Sautéed - Like spinach, kale is great cooked. Seriously just use it as a substitute for spinach in any recipe. It will give your dish a fuller, earthier taste.
My new favourite kale dish is a kale caesar sald. Pair it with breaded chicken or fish!
Well I hope you’re now fully prepared to jump on the kale train.
I’d love to see your pictures and recipes. Please share :)!
Resources:
http://authoritynutrition.com/10-proven-benefits-of-kale/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kale
http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/kale-nutrition-and-cooking
http://www.onegreenplanet.org/vegan-food/popular-types-of-kale-and-their-health-benefits/
Curly Kale
The most recognizable of the bunch, it is usually bright or dark green or purple in colour and has tight ruffled leaves and fibrous stalks. It has a noticeable pungent flavor with peppery and bitter qualities.
Lacianto Kale
Also known as Dinosaur Kale, it has dark blue-green leaves with a slightly wrinkled and firm texture. The leaves and narrow and retains its firm texture even after it has been cooked. It is a sweeter variety with an earthy, sweet taste.
Red Russian Kale
This variety has flat, fringed leaves that often have a reddish-purple tinge to the stems. Russian Kale is one of the sweetest species of kale but the stems, tough and hard to swallow, must be removed before eating to prevent an upset stomach. (It’s too much fiber…enough said.)
Redbor Kale
This variety has is dark red in color that can look a deep purple, slightly resembles a tightly curled rainbow chard near the tops of its leaves. Often used as an ornamental plant, it makes a great addition to a meal, or even as edible plate decor.
Kale for Life
Kale is a superfood. Why? Here are some reasons:
Firstly, we’ll start with the important facts. 1 cup of raw kale has 33 calories, 6 grams of carbs (2 of which are fiber) and 3 grams of protein.
It is absurd how many vitamins, minerals and essential nutrients are in this vegetable. It has very high concentrations of beta carotene, vitamin K and vitamin C while also being rich in calcium. (Fun fact - 1 cup of raw kale has more Vitamin C than an orange!) A single cup of raw kale (about 67 grams or 2.4 ounces) contains:
· Vitamin A: 206% of the RDA (from beta-carotene)
· Vitamin K: 684% of the RDA
· Vitamin C: 134% of the RDA
· Vitamin B6: 9% of the RDA
· Manganese: 26% of the RDA
· Calcium: 9% of the RDA
· Copper: 10% of the RDA
· Potassium: 9% of the RDA
· Magnesium: 6% of the RDA
It also contains 3% or more of the RDA for Vitamin B1 (Thiamin), Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin), Vitamin B3 (Niacin), Iron and Phosphorus.
Many powerful antioxidants are also found in kale including quercetin and kaempferol, which help your body rid itself of oxidative damage that can contribute to early ageing and many diseases including cancer. It contains compounds including sulforaphane and an indole-3-carbinol that have been shown to fight cancer in test tubes and animal studies. (Aka it hasn’t been proven yet in humans so I can’t actually make a claim that kale fights cancer.)
Kale is high in minerals, some of which many people are deficient in. It is a source of calcium, magnesium and potassium. Fun Fact – per calorie, kale has more iron than beef!
Kale for Weight Loss
With its low calorie count and high levels of vitamins and minerals, kale is the most nutrient dense food in the world. As such, unlike other leafy greens, kale leaves you feeling full and satisfied, without worrying about points. Its high water content gives kale a low energy density as well as it contains protein and fiber, all of which have been shown to aid weight loss.
Kale In History:
Kale has been eaten since the Roman times and is a staple in many cultures across Europe. Until around the 15th century, kale was one of the most popular green vegetables. Referred to as ‘Sabellian Kale’, the ancient forms of the vegetable were available in curly-leaved varieties as well as flat-leaved varieties from Greece.
In the 19th century, ‘Russian Kale’ was brought to Canada, then the United States (Hey! We finally got something first ;)) by Russian traders.
During WWII, citizens of the UK were encouraged to cultivate the vegetable as it was easy to grow and provided important nutrients that were missing in people’s diets due to rationing.
Cooking with Kale:
Now that we know everything that you need to know about kale….how the heck do you eat it?
Firstly, whether you intend to cook it or eat it raw, you must remove the leaves from the tougher stalks. I usually do this all at once then wash and chop it and store it in a large container. Doing this make life easy when you’re in a hurry or just being lazy. Kale also freezes well and tastes sweeter and more flavourful after being exposed to frost.
Ways to eat Kale:
Raw - This is how I prefer to do it. You get the most out of it (volume and nutrients) and it gives more flavour to a salad. It is also a great garnish!
Baked - The biggest kale trend by far is to make chips. I’m not actually a huge fan of kale chips (probably because the one time I made them I ate so many it sent me to the bathroom for days) but if you have self-control, this makes a great snack or side! Just lay your pieces of kale out on a baking sheet and drizzle with oil and your favourite seasoning. You bake it until it starts to brown and reduces to about half the size.
Boiled / Sautéed - Like spinach, kale is great cooked. Seriously just use it as a substitute for spinach in any recipe. It will give your dish a fuller, earthier taste.
My new favourite kale dish is a kale caesar sald. Pair it with breaded chicken or fish!
Well I hope you’re now fully prepared to jump on the kale train.
I’d love to see your pictures and recipes. Please share :)!
Resources:
http://authoritynutrition.com/10-proven-benefits-of-kale/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kale
http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/kale-nutrition-and-cooking
http://www.onegreenplanet.org/vegan-food/popular-types-of-kale-and-their-health-benefits/