Check out these delicious recipes on ways to prepare kale (photo credit: BigStockPhoto.com)
If there is one thing that is “hot” in the world of leafy greens right now, it is kale. This dark leafy green vegetable has been rapidly increasing in popularity in the United States over the past two years and experts don’t expect that to change any time soon.
Kale is so packed with nutritional value that it scores perfect 1,000 on the Aggregate Nutrient Density Index (ANDI), a food-rating system that measures nutrients per calorie. It’s easy to see why some people call it a superfood when you look at what a single small serving of kale provides. When boiled, 3.5 ounces of kale provides the following:
- 28 Calories
- 6 g of Sugar
- 2 g of Dietary Fiber
- 9 g of Protein
- .4 g of Fat
- 13,621 IU of Vitamin A
- 778% of the RDA for Vitamin K
- 49% of the RDA for Vitamin C
- 20% of the RDA for Manganese
- 11% of the RDA for Vitamin B6
- 7% of the RDA for Calcium
- 7% of the RDA for Iron
- 6% of the RDA for Riboflavin (Vitamin B2)
- 6% of the RDA for Vitamin E
- 5% of the RDA for Thiamine (Vitamin B1)
And that’s just one small serving of this nutrient dense and delicious vegetable!
Kale is a type of cabbage that can have dark green or purple leaves. Kale is sweeter than some of the other dark leafy greens and is a great addition to salads and soups. It has thicker, crunchier leaves than most other greens, which is why one of the most popular uses is to make it into chips.
More and more kale is being grown here in Arizona during the winter months. To help you incorporate this healthy veggie in your daily diet, here are some other ideas for using kale.
- Bacon, White Bean, and Kale Skillet
- Kale Salad
- Sautéed Kale
- Cashew Pesto Kale Chips
- Pan-seared Salmon with Kale and Apple Salad
- Kale and Quinoa with Creole Seasoning
- Parmesan Kale Chips
- Grilled Chicken with Roasted Kale
- Turkey Sausage with Spicy Beans
- Roasted Beet and Kale Salad
- Kale Citrus Salad
- Whole Wheat Pasta with Kale and Roast Chicken
- Roasted Yam and Kale Salad
- Kale and Apple Salad
- Pork Tenderloin with Steamed Kale
- Sausage, Kale, and Lentil Soup
- Orzo with Kale
- Lemony Lentils with Kale
- BBQ Kale Chips
- Garlic Kale
- Creamy Kale Salad
- Butternut Squash and Kale Stir Fry
- Turkey, Garbanzo Beans, and Kale Soup
- Braised Kale, Sausage, and Creamy Polenta
- Chile Rubbed Chicken Breast with Kale, Quinoa, and Brussels Sprouts Salad
- Kale and Feta Salad
- Kale, Swiss Chard, Chicken, and Feta Cheese Salad
- Roasted Squash and Kale Salad
- Spicy Kale and Corn Stuffed Chicken Breast
- Acorn Squash and Kale over Penne
Related articles
- Getting Creative With Kale (fillyourplate.org)
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- 40 Reasons to Be Mad for Mangoes (fillyourplate.org)