Kale has recently become the talk of the town! This leafy green veggie has been popping up on menus at an insane pace and for a good reason! So, why all the hype? I will tell you! Out of all the green veggies to choose from, Kale packs the most bang for your buck when it comes to nutrients. The list of health benefits is pretty long but here are some of my favourites: Kale is super high in fibre, which is essential when it comes to maintaining or obtaining a healthy body. Foods high in fibre lower cholesterol and fight off heart disease! For just one cup of kale you are getting 5 grams of fibre. The other standout nutrient is IRON! Calorie for calorie, our green goddess contains more iron than beef. If you are a vegetarian, including kale in your diet is an excellent way to get your iron fix. Kale is also high is vitamin K and antioxidants such as carotenoids and flavonoids, all of which help prevent cancer. Vitamin K has also been linked to the prevention of Alzheimer's disease. This being said, it is simple to add kale to any meal! You can make a kale salad, sauté with extra virgin olive or coconut oil, or make kale chips! These are my new favourite snack because they are easy to make, nutritious, and versatile. You can put virtually any seasoning you desire on these healthy "chips" to satisfy your craving for salty snack goodness. Here is the recipe for yummy kale chips:
Ingredients
1 head organic kale
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees
2. Wash and dry head of kale
3. Rip apart chip size kale pieces (keep in mind the pieces will shrink when you bake them). Do NOT include the stem
4. Place kale pieces in a freezer size Ziplock bag. Drizzle olive oil into bag with the kale and seal (flatten the Ziplock to make sure there are no air bubbles)
5. Massage the olive oil onto the kale, making sure each piece is covered.
6. Lay the pieces of kale out on a baking in a single layer (this will take at least 2 baking sheets)
7. Sprinkle the salt and cayenne pepper evenly amongst all kale pieces
8. Put in oven for 20 minutes
9. Take kale chips out, allow them to cool for 15 minutes.
These "chips" are delicious with any seasoning. As you can see, I prefer the more spicy flavours, but you can use parmesan, oregano, or garlic salt. Kale chips are a yummy way to incorporate this amazing green into your diet! Enjoy!
