Kale Benefits: All About the Leafy Green and Kale Nutrition

Kale (Brassica oleracea) is a leafy, dark green cabbage cultivar that does not form a head like regular cabbage as it grows. A cruciferous vegetable, kale is a versatile leafy green you will find in recipes for main dishes, side dishes, appetizers, salads, and soups. You can use the green leaves for a salad or sauté a bunch of kale in olive oil. The specific variety of kale and your method of cooking will impact the green vegetable’s texture and flavor.

Kale varieties vary in terms of flavor, texture, and color. Some common types of kale include:

1. 1. Curly kale: This type of kale is popular for salads and cooking. Curly kale has easy-to-tear leaves with frilly edges, and its color can range from bright green to dark green.
2. 2. Dinosaur kale: Also known as Lacinato kale or Tuscan kale, this type of kale is blue-green and has large leaves with a scaly texture. Dinosaur kale is an excellent option for kale chips because of its size and lack of bitterness.
3. 3. 'Red Russian' kale: This kale has smaller and flatter leaves than other cultivars, and its stalks are reddish-purplish. The leaves taste bitter, so 'Red Russian' kale works best on sandwiches or as a garnish.

As a superfood, kale includes high levels of vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K, and riboflavin. It is also a source of daily dietary fiber plus antioxidants and minerals, including calcium, omega-3 fatty acids, manganese, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, and folate. Consider the following health benefits:

• Kale can benefit your heart. Nutrients like folate, potassium, fiber, and calcium support heart health. Kale helps to lower bad cholesterol (LDL) levels, reducing the risk of heart disease. The flavonoid antioxidants and fiber content of kale can also help decrease blood sugar levels, which is important for heart health.
• Kale can boost the immune system. Kale’s antioxidants, including beta-carotene, fight free radicals in the body, supporting the immune system and helping to prevent chronic diseases.
• Kale can help brain development. Kale contains iron, folate, and vitamin B6, all of which help support normal brain development.
• Kale can improve bone health. Kale’s high levels of vitamin K support bone mineral density and can help prevent osteoporosis.
• Kale can promote blood clotting. Vitamin K also supports the body’s ability to coagulate blood properly. People who take blood thinners should limit their kale intake. Consult your doctor or dietitian about kale consumption if you are on blood thinners.
• Kale can support eye health. Kale contains the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin, which give the leafy plant its green color and support humans’ retina health, helping to stave off macular degeneration.

Kale is a versatile leafy vegetable you can eat raw in salads or cook into several dishes. Consider the following ways to prepare kale:

• Bake: You can bake or roast kale as part of a vegetable medley with other greens, such as brussels sprouts or collard greens. Make a colorful variation by cooking kale with root vegetables, such as turnips and sweet potatoes. Drizzle kale with maple syrup for a sweet kick.
• Blend: You can blend this vegetable in a hearty Italian kale soup for a wintry dinner. You can add kale to almost any soup recipe; it tastes great with lentils, farro, and Italian sausage. You can also blend the greens to make a refreshing kale smoothie. Mix nuts, coconut milk, and ginger into your smoothie to make a snack low in carbohydrates.
• Roast: For a crispy snack, roast kale. To make kale chips, toss the greens with oil and add savory seasonings like cumin, garlic powder, za’atar, curry powder, chili powder, and nutritional yeast for flavor.
• Sauté: Sautéing is one of the most common ways to cook kale. To sauté kale, you can remove the stems or keep them for added crunch. (Note the stems might take longer to cook.) You can toss kale and other green veggies with olive oil before sautéing them, or you can cook it on its own to add to pasta or a pizza. Squeeze some fresh lemon juice on top for a citrus zing.

Kale is a hardy green, but after time, raw kale will begin to dry out and lose its crunch, flavor, color, and nutrient content. Use these storage methods to get the most out of your head of kale:

• Dried: Another way to preserve your kale is to dry it. This method won’t prolong the life of your kale as a fresh, green veggie, but you can use this crispy kale as an ingredient in recipes or as a tasty snack on its own. You can dry kale in the oven for several hours or use a more efficient dehydrator. Once it’s dry, you can add salt, pepper, and other spices. Eat it on its own as kale chips or use it as a crunchy salad ingredient.
• In the freezer: As with many veggies, it’s a good idea to blanch kale before freezing it. Prep the kale as though you were about to make a recipe—strip it from the veins and chop or tear the leaves to the necessary size. Then place the leaves in a large pot of boiling water for a minute or two. Remove them quickly from the hot water, and then plunge them into a large bowl of ice water. Thoroughly dry the kale in a salad spinner or with paper towels. Spread the leaves in a single layer on a baking sheet and place them in the freezer for a couple hours. Once they’re frozen, pack them in a freezer bag or airtight container and store them in the freezer for up to eight months.
• In the refrigerator: You can store a fresh bunch or bunches of kale in the fridge’s crisper drawer. Before storing the kale, wipe away excess moisture, wrap the kale leaves in a paper towel, and place them in a plastic bag. Kale bunches will last a week in the fridge.

Functional foods are whole or fortified fare that can potentially provide health benefits when you consume them as part of a regular diet. Since these foods do not yet have a legal definition, it’s crucial that consumers research any claims related to nutritional value and consult an accredited nutritionist or dietician before incorporating new foods into their diets. This article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for nutritional advice from a trained professional.

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