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Superfood of the Week- Kale

By May 7, 2018May 7th, 2019Super Foods

The 2019 dirty Dozen is out and Kale is #3 on the list! Shocking but not unexpected with the popularity of this superfood. What is unexpected is that it has never been on the list until this year.

Kale is being called “the new beef”, “the queen of greens” and “a nutritional powerhouse.”

Say this 4 letter word and you get very strong opinions. People either really hate kale or love it. I for one love it! And if you hate it, there are a lot of easy ways to sneak it into soups and casseroles so even the pickiest will not notice.

Kale or leaf cabbage is a group of vegetable cultivars within the plant species Brassica Oleracea.  They have green or purple leaves, in which the central leaves do not form a head.  Green Cabbage is in the same family and does form a head with its leaves.

There are some really great benefits to eating kale.  Just look at these stats!
It is low in calories, high in fiber and has zero fat. It is filled with powerful antioxidants and is a great anti-inflammatory. Kale is great for cardiovascular support and is high in Vitamin A, C, and K as well as iron and calcium. As a detox food, it rocks in aiding your liver to get rid of free radicals and toxic waste.

Although it is tough and fibrous there are many ways to prepare kale so kids and husbands will eat up its yummy goodness. Remove the spine and cut it up into small pieces and sauté in olive oil and garlic, add to soup and salads or roast it in the oven. It is best to buy kale that is organic as it is on The Environmental Working Group’s Dirty Dozen list. These are foods with the highest levels of pesticides sprayed on them. Check out EWG.org

Kale is also very easy to grow in your home garden. It will grow in the flower bed or in a patio pot with very little water or tending to. It is also used as an ornamental plant that is very pretty or a garnish for other dishes. These are easy ways to use it if you just can’t bring yourself to eat it. But really, just be brave and try it!

Also, in the same family are Collard Greens and Green Cabbage. These leaf cabbages have all the goodness Kale does.

Happy Healthy Eating!

Dana

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