4 Things to Do With Kale

I have been on the quest the past couple of months for yummy ways to integrate the green goodness of kale into my diet.  After lots of online surfing I have been inspired with a few easy ideas that have become my go-tos on a daily basis.

If you have never cooked with kale before it’s time to start thinking about it!  Kale is a super nutrient known to help prevent cancer, lower cholesterol, and load your body up on vitamins! Visit this WebMd.com article for a full rundown of how glorious kale is.

Below are several ways to break the ice with kale and get your taste buds learning to love it!

Morning Scramble

My boyfriend can attest to this: I eat scrambled eggs EVERY morning.  After years of struggling to find a breakfast that kept my blood sugar stable (cereals are NOT the solution for me) and left me full enough until lunch, I finally found what works for my body.  But eggs can get pretty boring when you are making it 7 days a week….Try this for a change..

I scramble 3 cage free eggs with a little coconut oil and toss in my best friend: kale.  You don’t need a ton but a good handful will get kale into your body so you can start benefiting from it.  Tear it up into little pieces and cook it as long as you cook the eggs.  You can barely taste it!  I also usually throw some diced tomatoes and ground pepper in and top it off with 1/2 a sliced avocado when it’s done.  Sooo much protein and vitamins and your day has barely started!

PS-Because of my lifestyle I need carbs.  I usually have a piece of whole wheat toast spread with almond butter and a little honey.  Every few days I throw sliced banana on top for a nice touch 🙂

I’m a big fan of having a real breakfast.  It is my firm belief (and most nutritionists will agree) that you must have a well rounded meal to start your day.   Make it a fun and enjoyable meal!

 

Coconut Kale

I can not take ANY credit for this one.  I owe it to one of my favorite inspirational yogis out there, Kathryn Budig.  This one is soooo yummy!  You can find the recipe here.

I make this at least once a week.  It’s so quick and I really don’t get tired of it.  Makes a great side dish to anything you are making.  There is nothing I love more than sitting down with a bowl of this and know that I am putting so much glorious kale into my body!

ps~ DO be careful! Like she says in her recipe, amino acids are REAL salty.  I overkilled that and the sea salt my first time I made it.  Now I do VERY little of each because I’m not a big salty eater.

 

Kale “Green Monster” Smoothie

About 6 months ago a dear yogi friend of mine posted a picture of this crazy green looking smoothie.  Now, I am not one that is freaked out by the looks of something green and think ” eww! what is that?!”….instead I think “what is that?! I HAVE to try it!”   Don’t let the colors of smoothies/drinks scare you.   Usually they are WAY better than they look.

So she handed over her recipe to me and I made it and fell in love.  I’ve been experimenting with it ever since.  My go-to easy recipe is below.  But you may also find a lot of GREAT recipes here.

My green monster:

1 cup of organic apple juice (should be fresh, but just like you, I don’t always have time to make fresh juice in the morning! you can also swap it out for almond milk..but the juice masks the taste of the green veggies more for the taste buds)

handful of kale

handful of spinach

1/2 a banana

handful of frozen berries

handful of frozen mango/pineapple

 

Kale Chips

OOoooOOhhhhh my indulgence!  I actually haven’t made this in about a month and now my mouth is watering for it!  I will definitely be making it this weekend…

You will never taste something so surprisingly delicious in your life.  This is for you potato chip lovers just like me.   Meet your new best friend.

It’s truly as simple of this:  tear apart your kale into pretty large sizes (stems removed).  Make them big enough because they shrink a bunch in the oven.  Drizzle olive oil in a medium sized mixing bowl full of the kale.  Mix it all up so the kale is lightly coated.  Lay out the kale pieces on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil.  Sprinkle a fair amount of sea salt on top.  Bake on 350 for 10-15 minutes.  Keep an eye on them and when they are just starting to brown take them out.  Pour onto a plate and eat!

Truly the simplest most satisfying healthy snack I have made thus far.  Guess what, even the boyfriend likes them!   So bake away and share with your loved ones 🙂

I truly hope these have inspired you to start integrating kale into your daily diet!  I want to help people realize green veggies ARE yummy even if you don’t think you could ever have a love affair with them.  I really was never a big lover of them before either.  I had to open my eyes and realize if I didn’t start loading up my diet with more veggies that I may not live as healthy and as long as I want to.  Now I feel happy and satisfied with what I am putting into my body most of the time.  I still love chocolate and beer don’t worry…. 😉

I would love to hear some of your favorite kale recipes!  Please share them below by clicking on the comment link.  Let us kale lovers unite hehehe 🙂