Add more Kale
to your diet
Kale has a good source of calcium, magnesium, vitamin A, vitamin C, fiber, iron, folic acid, amino acids, antioxidant flavonoids, and lutein.
Kale is available year round. The best crop is in the winter because
cold
weather makes it sweeter. It is easy to
grow and make a perfect crop for a container garden. There
are several varieties of kale: the most common is green (curly-leaf)
kale,
dinosaur kale and red Russian. The smoother leafed varieties are milder
in
taste. Kale
is
easy to prepare, versatile, and delicious.
Kale should be stored in the refrigerator crisper up to a week, and it
gets stronger
in taste as it is stored. To store
longer, wash, remove tough stems, dry, mince or chop and freeze. It
thaws
quickly and can be used like raw kale.
Eat kale raw, in a salad, use it as a wrap, or juice it or add it to a
smoothie. Kale can be blanched, boiled, braised, sautéed, steamed or
stir-fried. People prepare it in a similar manner to Swiss chard or
collards:
season with onions, garlic, tamari ginger or sesame oil, to name a few.
Some comparisons between
beef and kale:
Organicauthority.com's
Jill Ettinger had these reasons to
try kale:
1. Sustainability. Kale grows to maturity in 2 months. Meat
cattle
mature between 18 - 24 months of age. One pound of beef takes 2400
gallons of
water and 16 pounds of grain.
2. Anti-inflammatory. The consumption of animal proteins is a
major
cause of autoimmune disease, heart disease and arthritis. The nutrients
in kale
make it anti-inflammatory. It is so nutrient-dense is can actually
reverse some
of these conditions.
3. Iron. Per calorie, kale has more iron than beef.
4. Fiber. Needed daily, few Americans get enough. Ongoing fiber
deficiency is linked to many diseases, including digestive disorders,
cancers,
and heart disease. Most Americans get their protein from animal
sources, which
provide no fiber. Kale provides about 5% of the RDI per serving, along
with two
grams of protein.
For more comparisons for choosing Kale over beef read 7 Reasons Kale is
the new
Beef
Indian-Spiced
Kale & Chickpeas
Prep Time: 15
mins Total Time: 25 mins
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1-1 1/2 pounds kale, ribs removed, coarsely chopped (see Tip)
- 1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth, or vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon garam masala, (see Ingredient note)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed
Directions
Heat oil in a Dutch oven
over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about
30
seconds. Add kale and cook, tossing with two large spoons,
until bright green, about 1 minute. Add broth, coriander, cumin, garam
masala
and salt. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the kale is
tender, 8 to
10 minutes. Stir in chickpeas; cover and cook until the chickpeas are
heated
through, 1 to 2 minutes.
Tip: A 1- to 1 1/2-pound
bunch of kale yields 16 to 24 cups of chopped leaves. When
preparing kale for these recipes, remove the tough ribs, chop or tear
the kale
as directed, then wash it--allowing some water to cling to the leaves.
The
moisture helps steam the kale during the first stages of cooking.
Ingredient Note: Garam
masala, a ground spice mixture traditionally including coriander,
cumin,
cinnamon, peppercorns, cardamom and cloves, is commonly used in Indian
cooking. Find it in the specialty-spice section of large supermarkets.
Per serving: Calories 202, Total Fat 5 g, Saturated Fat 1 g, Monounsaturated Fat 3 g, Cholesterol 1 mg, Sodium 415 mg, Carbohydrate 32 g, Fiber 6 g, Protein 9 g, Potassium 499 mg. Exchanges: Starch 1,Vegetable 1.5,Lean Meat 1,Fat 1. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet
More Kale Recipes to try:
Massaged Kale Salad
KaleSlaw with Avocados and Almonds
14 Kale Recipes from Cooking Light
Kale Chips
