Since Ed and I both have cancer history in our family (go dads!), I try to find ways for us to eat cruciferous vegetables 2-3 times per week (key word: TRY). One of my favorites is kale. Anyone who has tried kale knows that it’s not the type of veggie you just munch on raw. Here are some of the ways I have prepared it:
• Kale Sausage Soup (recipe to come!)
• Put on sandwiches in place of lettuce – taste blends right in
• Chop into small pieces and sauté with other veggies (I recently used shitake mushrooms), grated ginger, fresh garlic, sesame seeds and olive oil and serve as a side dish
• Chop into small pieces and mix into scrambled eggs
• Mix 1-2 cups into a smoothie – I swear you won’t even taste it, you’ll just see the green!
• Use in a mixed greens salad – when mixed with spinach and romaine, the salad will not have the overpowering kale taste
Try it! Kale provides more nutritional value for fewer calories than almost any other food. That alone should motivate you to try it! Among its many nutrients are large amounts of Vitamins K, A, and C; manganese; fiber; and Vitamin B6. The phytonutrients in kale are what help prevent or fight cancer by suppressing tumor growth and blocking cancer-causing subjects from getting to their targets.
Kale is my favorite cruciferous vegetable, but some others to try are cabbage, collard greens, broccoli, cauliflower, radish and watercress. Cruciferous vegetables are detoxifying and do not allow free radicals to harm our DNA and cell membranes. They are also full of vitamins and minerals and good for things like vision and heart health. So whether you have cancer history in your family or not, I strongly recommend incorporating cruciferous vegetables into your diet. These are especially important and helpful this month to balance out all those sugary delicious sweets we encounter at every turn!
Kale & Kids: Since kale has a tough, chewy texture, it may be difficult to find a way for kids to enjoy it. I think your best option would be a smoothie, or incorporating it into some type of lasagna or pasta dish. If any of the moms out there have any good ideas, please share!
Now back to my banana kale smoothie…
Now back to my banana kale smoothie…
i have a new obsession with kale! I like to saute it with veggies - mushrooms & squash in particular - chicken broth, white wine and spices and put it over whole wheat pasta or barley. I'll toss it in with whatever I have in my fridge. It's great to throw in chicken or pine nuts too.
ReplyDeleteI am looking forward to the Kale Sausage Soup recipe.
ReplyDeleteI want to incorporate Kale into my family's diet, I just didn't know how to begin. Smoothie huh? I think I'll try it :->
A great way to get kids (and husbands) to eat kale is to make "crispy kale." Place a layer of kale on a baking sheet (try not to let the leaves overlap too much). Drizzle (or preferably mist) with olive oil so that each leaf is lightly coated. Bake the kale at 350 degrees for 15-20min until the kale is crispy (but not burnt). Remove from the oven and sprinkle lightly with salt. It tastes fried but is incredibly healthy -- we love to eat it as an appetizer or snack!
ReplyDeleteI love kale chips too! Thanks for including your recipe - I hope people try it because you're right - kids and husbands will surely enjoy it!
ReplyDeleteAnn