Thursday, September 20, 2012

Green Goodness

I discovered kale while living in California four years ago and fell madly in love with it. I was amazed by how much flavor this dark green curly leave had and how many things I could do with them.


It is one of those plants that grows in cold and warm weather, which is great news for anyone who wants to grow them in their own contry. History tells that it has been part of people´s diet since the Middle Ages and became an important ingredient during the times of war in Europe.


This super food is packed with vitamins K and C, beta carotene, calcium and fiber. It is a good friend to your eyes because it contains carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin, because it helps fight cataracts and eye macular degeneration.


Like other green foods {brocoli and brassicas} it is a powerful ingredient in fighting cancer because it provides yyou with a good dose of sulforaphanes, because the help suppress tumor growth by raising the body's levels of cancer-fighting enzymes. Chop or mince the leaves to help release these compounds.

To buy kale, make sure there are no discolorations or black spots on the leaves because these are signs that they are not fresh. Also, make sure the leaves are crips and the stem is hard. I highly encourage you to buy it in different colors so your dishes look not just healthy but also colorful.

Have a great and healthy day!

17 comments:

  1. I am SUCH a kale lover. My man calls it the "blogging food" because so many bloggers love it. I thought that was so odd/strange/funny of him to say it. But I love when people talk about it because it really is the perfect food. Love this post about it. It's beautiful!

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  2. Looks interesting, never had any before. Must give it a try :)) Have a wonderful day darling xx

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  3. I love kale too! But for some reason haven't been able to buy it at the supermarket lately (it's not there)...xo

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  4. I can't find Kale here in Switzerland! I plan on visiting a farmer's market in Lucerne soon to see if they maybe have it there, but I have had no luck so far.

    I am thinking of planting it in our backyard. I cannot eat it raw because I suffer from low thyroid function and cuciferous veggies have lots of goitrogens, but I love cooked green as well and I'd like to include it in my menus! The kale pesto above looks so good!

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  5. It is really starting to get so popular here. One thing people like to do is cook them in the oven to make kale "chips".

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  6. You know, I haven't been eating that much kale but may have to try making that very last recipe

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  7. so good for you!! love kale chips.

    www.beckspick.com

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  8. I love it too. It's really great in soups!

    http://naomemandeflores.com/en

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  9. I always make sure to get a healthy amount of greens in my diet. I need that vitamin K!

    http://www.glamkittenslitterbox.com/
    Twitter: @GlamKitten88

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  10. Ooh that last dish looks super yummy. I tried kale chips for the first time recently and they're great! Not quite as big a fan of the way they make the house smell while they're in the oven, but... they're yummy. :)

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  11. I haven't jumped on the kale bandwagon yet, but you are making me think I should reconsider.

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  12. I LOVE kale chips. And I love kale sauteed into my eggs in the morning. Only problem is.... it completely stinks up the house when you sautee it!!! It smells like rotten eggs mixed with rotten food! good thing it tastes so delicious.

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  13. i need to look in to kale, i don't think i've used it much!

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  14. Thanks so much for these always enlightening posts, we badly ever see kale here (or maybe its known by a different name?) so this was really interesting for me. I am mostly vegetarian so I would like to try it out.

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  15. I've never tried kale. I have been thinking I really need to give it a try because it is so healthy and I've heard so many people raving about making kale chips.

    Tracy @ Sunny Days and Starry Nights

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  16. These are interesting facts on Kale! I'm into my juicing phase and I juice kale with other fruits and veggies, it tastes delicious!
    have a great weekend!


    http://fashion-gourmet.blogspot.com/

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  17. I saw a cupcake eating contest this weekend and I commented to a friend that the only thing I'd ever want to each such a massive quantity of is kale. I can't believe I lived 29 years of my life without it. But once we made friends, we were besties. I just saute it up and put a bit of Bragg's Amino Acids on it. SO good.

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