I wonder what Popeye the Sailor was thinking when he chose to eat spinach instead of kale. If you recall those old cartoons, Popeye would eat whole cans of spinach, which would pump up his muscles like balloons, before he tore into the bad guys that were messing with his helpless girlfriend. Now don’t get me wrong. Spinach is VERY healthy. I just think Popeye would have replaced it if he found out 4 delicious ways to add healthy antioxidants to your diet using kale.
What Is It?
Kale is in the same vegetable family as broccoli, collard greens, Brussels sprouts, and cabbage. What sets it apart from the rest is that it’s one of the healthiest vegetables in the world.
When it comes to antioxidants, kale is on another level. In just one cup it has over 200% of your needed vitamin A, more than 130% of vitamin C, and about 680% of vitamin K. These phytonutrients give it the antioxidant boost that promotes eye health and anti-cancer benefits.
It’s also packed with minerals like copper, potassium, iron, manganese, and phosphorus. And the best part? That cup only contains a little over 30 calories.
Kale is really versatile when it comes to meal preparation. If you’re not convinced about this super-veggie yet, you might be when you see these possibilities:
1 – Smoothie
The leaves have a more rigid texture than your average lettuce or spinach. It can take some getting used to…..or you can just say forget it and throw it in a blender.
Mixing in a couple fruits and some yogurt will mask the flavor and texture all together. Try juicing with all your fruits and veggies. There are 7 reasons why it can change your life!
2 – Chips
Eliminate your guilty trips to the snack closet and make your own chips. It’s really easy…..
First you have to wash the kale and cut it into chip-sized pieces. Make sure you take off the thick stem part.
Then lay your chips out to dry. When they are dry sprinkle some olive oil and salt, or any other seasoning on top. Garlic might be a good idea.
Finally, bake the chips on a cookie tray on 350 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes, or until they have nice crispy brown edges.
3 – Steamed
Especially when cooked, the fiber content in kale works to bind bile acids, which results in lower cholesterol.
All you gotta do is lay a steamer basket over a pot of boiling water. Clean and cut the leaves and remove the stems. Then lay the leaves in the steamer basket for about 10 minutes and reduce the heat.
The leaves are done when they are about as floppy as a wet noodle. Serve the steamed kale with a little bit of olive oil, garlic, and sprinkle of salt and pepper.
4 – Salad
It’s all about how you dress your salad. Like I said before, these leaves aren’t like your typical romaine lettuce. It might take some getting used to. If it’s your first time using kale in your salad, just mix half and half with your usual lettuce choice.
A good dressing option is a drizzle of olive oil with lemon juice, salt, and pepper. You can obviously add your other traditional salad favorites as you like.
I hope you liked these 4 really easy ways to get more antioxidants into your diet with kale. I personally use it instead of most other leafy greens and I love it! If you have any questions about preparation or even other stuff completely off topic, don’t hesitate to contact me. I’ll get right back to you. In the mean time, please share this on facebook. Also, I know you’ll enjoy 7 Simple Ways To Get More Vegetables Into Your Diet.
About Adam Pegg
