Kale has been getting more and more attention these days as a food powerhouse…you might say kale is the new black on the salad shelves.
All hail Kale!
Kale gets 3 gold stars from me because it is jam packed with nutrients, vitamins and antioxidants. Make sure to read right to the end for some awesome recipes.
The deets on kale:
Kale is super low in calories (one cup = 35 calories) . It’s a good source of fibre, Vitamin K (which helps with bone growth & regulating blood clotting), Vitamin A, which helps tissue repair, vision, red blood cell production and is a great source of Beta Carotene and Calcium.
Kale has cholesterol-lowering benefits if you cook it by steaming. The fiber-related components in kale do a better job of binding together with bile acids in your digestive tract when they’ve been steamed.
It is showing promise in lowering the risk of cancers including cancer of the bladder, breast, colon, ovary, and prostate.
Kale is also great to help detoxify your body systems at both the cellular level and whole organs. (Blood, kidney’s, liver, bowels).
What the hale do you do with kale???
Kale can be added to salads or made into a salad all it’s own(recipe below). You can add kale to your boot camp protein shake (recipe below) or make up a batch of kale chips. Kale is an easy add on to your grocery list, give it a try, be adventurous!! Sneak it into a boot camp smoothie and your family will never know!!
How to buy Kale
Kale should be firm, deep colouring to the leaves (green is the most well known) and moist strong stems. Avoid any that is not stored with your super markets other green leaf produce, chilled, spritzed with water, stems lower. Smaller leaves will be more tender and have a more mild flavor than the bigger leaves.
Kale chips
- 1 bunch of kale
- 1tbsp olive oil
- ¼tsp salt
Directions: Preheat oven to 350°F Remove kale leaves from the middle stem and tear leaves into bite size pieces. Wash and thoroughly dry the leaves. In a mixing bowl toss the leaves with the olive oil and salt. Place the kale out on baking sheets and bake until the chips get crispy, careful not to let them burn (about 10-15 minutes.)
Mediterranean kale salad
1 cup dry quinoa (quinoa is the only whole grain that is a complete protein)
- 1 bunch of kale
- 1.5 – 2 cups chopped tomato
- 1.5 – 2 cups chopped cucumber
- ½ cup Kalamata olives (about 20)
- fresh mint, parsley and chopped garlic (to taste)
- lemon juice (to taste)
- 3tbsp olive oil
Directions: Prepare 1 cup of quinoa as directed and toss with the juice of 1/2 a lemon. Add chopped mint, parsley and garlic to taste creating a tabouli flavour. Chop the kale and add to your quinoa mixture with additional lemon juice and 3tbsp of olive oil. Toss the salad until the leaves are coated. Add chopped tomato, cucumber and Kalamata olives. Enjoy!
Kale boot camp smoothie
- 2-3 leaves of kale
- 1/2 frozen banana
- 1 cup blueberries or any fruit of your choice
- 1 cup water or unsweetened almond milk
- ice (optional)
- 1 scoop vanilla boot camp protein powder
Blend and enjoy
