Kale is one of the healthiest greens out there and you have probably often seen it but never eaten it. If you have ever been to a deli you will have probably seen kale it is the green curly leaf vegatables often at the bottom of the display cases of around the deli meats. Kale can be eaten raw or cooked it is similar to spinach but takes a little longer to cook and is chewier. I like to finely chop my kale and steam it and then put it on my spaghetti toss it in a soup or in a lasanga. You can replace any recipe that has spinach with kale or add it to any meal lacking greens. It can be boiled, sauteed, steamed or even eaten raw. Being that kale is one of the healthiest greens out there it would do you good to add it to all your foods. Kale has powerful antioxidant properties and is anti-inflammatory. Kale is very high in beta carotene, vitamin K, vitamin A, vitamin C, lutein and zeaxanthin, is reasonably rich in calcium, and contains Omega 3 fatty acids . Kale can provide an intense flavor to salads also anyone who enjoys drinking wheat grass should try drinking kale juice which is quiet popular in japan and has many nutrients.
Kale, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt
Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz) Energy 30 kcal 120 kJ Carbohydrates 5.63 g - Sugars 1.25 g - Dietary fiber 2.0 g Fat 0.4 g Protein 1.9 g Vitamin A equiv. 681 μg 76% - β-carotene 8173 μg 76% Thiamin (Vit. B1) 0.053 mg 4% Riboflavin (Vit. B2) 0.07 mg 5% Niacin (Vit. B3) 0.5 mg 3% Pantothenic acid (B5) 0.049 mg 1% Vitamin B6 0.138 mg 11% Folate (Vit. B9) 13 μg 3% Vitamin C 41.0 mg 68% Calcium 72.0 mg 7% Iron 0.9 mg 7% Magnesium 18 mg 5% Phosphorus 28 mg 4% Potassium 228 mg 5% Zinc 0.24 mg 2% Percentages are relative to US recommendations for adults.
Source: USDA Nutrient database
