12 reasons you should eat more kale
I'm trying to get a lot more vegetables in my diet – particularly those of the green variety. Kale is my current favourite, it tastes a lot better than it looks and is densely packed with nutrition! Kale is a cruciferous vegetable – and in the Brassica family, but it packs far more of a nutritional punch than its other family members; cauliflower, broccoli and cabbage. Here are 12 reasons you should get more in your diet!
1. It’s full of flavonoids (45 different types) which have many antioxidant & anti-inflammatory benefits.
2. It’s loaded with vitamin K which is crucial for proper blood clotting
3. It also gives a good dose of vitamins A and C – in fact far more vitamin C than an orange.
4. Lots of minerals are also found, such as copper, potassium, phosphorus and manganese
5. Calcium is also more abundant in kale than it is in milk (so those myths that paleo will leave you deficient in calcium are completely unfounded)
6. Kale is a great source of sulphur – and we all know we should be eating more sulphurous veggies….
7. It's high in iron, essential for a good immune system.
8. Generally kale is a fairly cheap veg, so it’s great to pack out meals on a budget
9. Green fingers? Kale is a relatively easy veg to grow – and the best thing is it’s always fresh!
10. With curly kale, red kale, baby kale and even a purple kale – you can’t get bored of it!
11. Not that we care about calories, but kale is very low in calories
12. It’s also very low fat – but don’t worry, you can rectify this by cooking it in a generous amount of coconut oil!
How to eat it?
I often just stir fry some kale in coconut oil, but kale is also great in green smoothies – and if you haven’t tried kale chips yet, you’re missing out! If you’d usually eat spinach, try swapping it out for some kale in recipes. And if your family aren't keen on it, try steaming it, puréeing it and mixing it into dishes like stews and casseroles. They’ll never know!
Kale is also great raw in salads – and it goes really well mixed in with some scrambled eggs for a nutritious start to the day.
Are you a kale fan? How do you like yours – tell me you tips in the comments below!
