Health Benefits of Kale
Kale is revered as green veggie royalty. It is an outstanding source of vitamin K, vitamin C and vitamin A (as beta-carotene), and provides calcium, potassium, folate, fibre and the eye-friendly carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin.
Wellness
Immune health A cup of raw kale provides most of an adult’s daily vitamin C, supporting normal immune function.
Bone health Kale is packed with vitamin K and provides well-absorbed calcium, both important for healthy bones. If you take warfarin, keep your intake of leafy greens consistent and talk to your doctor.
Eye health Lutein and zeaxanthin help protect the eyes, and diets rich in them are linked with a lower risk of macular degeneration.
Heart health Kale’s fibre, potassium and antioxidants support healthy cholesterol and blood pressure.
Plant compounds As a cruciferous vegetable, kale contains glucosinolates, and diets rich in cruciferous vegetables are linked with a lower risk of some cancers, as part of an overall healthy eating pattern.
Is kale “the new beef”? Kale provides some iron and a little protein, but nowhere near as much as beef. It is a fantastic partner to protein foods rather than a replacement. A squeeze of lemon helps you absorb its iron.
Beauty
From the inside Vitamin C helps your body make collagen, and beta-carotene supports healthy skin cell renewal.
Weight management
A cup of raw kale has only around 35 kJ (8 calories), so it adds nutrition, colour and volume to meals for very few kilojoules.
Cooking with kale
Kale can either be eaten raw, or, to retain maximum health benefits, flash-cooked
When choosing this vegetable, look for dark green leaves that are not wilted, and firm stalks. Also, smaller leaves tend to be tenderer
Kale is delicious by nature and the perfect base green for a gourmet health salad including sliced red onions, a handful of juicy raisins, some toasted almond slivers and your favorite low-calorie vinaigrette, I like it with cranberries, fetta, lemon zest and roast pumpkin or prosciutto, ricotta and anchovy. lemon, garlic and flat leaf parsley
Kale chips have cropping up in health food stores galore and it is supremely easy to make your own at home! Just slice them into bite-sized chips, drizzle them with some quality EVOO and a dash of sea salt and bake them in the oven on a low gentle heat until crisp, top off a veggies stack with them
Try substituting kale for spinach and whip up an impressive batch of low-fat creamed kale or some scrumptious Greek spanakopita
This leafy green adds savory and nutritious bulk to your winter soups and stews
Interesting fact about Kale: Kale actually tastes sweeter after a frost, as the plant converts some of its starch into sugar to protect itself from the cold!
This article is general information about food and wellbeing, not medical advice. Please talk to your GP or a qualified health professional about any health condition, medication or major change to your diet.
