5 Delicious and Healthy Ways to Eat Kale

A handful of healthy and tasty ways to prepare kale for your next hearty meal.

Kale is one of the hottest greens right now. This wonder veggie’s reputation is easily justified considering this superfood has some amazing health attributes. But if you’re like me, you’ve seen kale being sold at your local grocer in bundles large enough to feed a herd of hippies and wondered, “What the heck would I do with all of that kale?”

Well, I’m here to give you some ideas. 

But first, some facts:

Kale comes from the cabbage family, and is related to other vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, collard greens and Brussels sprouts. If you’ve ever tried it raw, you probably know that it’s a pretty tough plant, and in my opinion tastes a little like bitter spinach. If you can acquire a taste for it, and some of the ideas below may help you to do so, then you can happily soak up all the nutrition in this miracle veggie.

When I first heard about kale, someone told me that it’s like spinach…on steroids. What they meant was this spinach-like plant is so packed with nutritional value that it can help its consumers put Popeye to shame.  Among other goodies, kale is packed with: beta-carotene, vitamin K, vitamin C, calcium and even has some powerful anti-cancer properties.

Keep in mind that some of these properties are diminished when you boil kale. However, a lesser amount is lost when you steam, microwave or stir-fry it. So, as with most vegetables, eating it fresh will give you the best bang for your nutritious buck. Although, raw kale is a hard thing to munch on for a late afternoon health snack, unless you are used to it. Therefore, here are a few feast-worthy ways you can incorporate kale into your next meal:

1. Sautee- Bobby Flay has a simple recipe for sautéed kale, for which you only need to add olive oil, garlic, vegetable stock or water, salt, pepper and red wine vinegar. Toss that up in a saucepan for about 10 minutes, and BAM! You have a nutritious side dish. You can even add this to your favorite pasta recipe!

2. Boil- Bulk up your next vegetable soup by adding some kale to the mix. Or you can try this Kale and White Bean Soup recipe from RealSimple.com.

3. Blend- This may sound a little scary, but adding kale to your morning smoothie is a great way to pump up the nutrients. One RealSimple recipe combines kale, celery, banana, apple juice, lemon juice and ice for one tasty and kale-full gulp of goodness.

4. Bake- Kale chips are a super simple and healthy snack to try, and one that you can certainly experiment with in regards to seasonings. To start with a basic recipe, all you need to do is bake your kale leaves on a cookie sheet with olive oil and salt, and voila!  You have yourself a crunchy-kale snack.

5. Raw- As mentioned above, eating fresh kale is the best way to ensure that you get all the nutrients this green offers. So, why not just add it to your favorite salad? Here’s a delicious recipe for an awesome looking Avocado and Kale salad from happyfoody.com, you can toss into your next meal.

Want more deliciously healthy recipes? Check FeelGoodNow’s Food & Drink video series and get cooking!

FeelGoodNow Contributor: Maureen McGuire
Though she loves uncovering cultural and historical factoids behind various wellness topics, there is much more to this gal than meets the virtual eye. Outside the office, this blogging maven is usually painting up a storm, brushing up on her Spanish skills or soaking up Colorado’s 300 days of sunshine.  This native New Mexican loves to travel, and as green chile aficionado, she brings a certain spice to the FGN team.


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