Skip to main content

What's All The Hype About Kale?


Guest post by Northeastern graduate student Meghann Jurkowski

The mighty kale has been a hot topic on the rise. Everyone seems to be drinking green smoothies or doing juicing cleanses with kale as a main ingredient. It's also been popping up in dishes at restaurants across the country and promoted heavily in all kinds of grocery stores. October 2nd was even National Kale Day! You may be looking around and wondering to yourself, what's all the hype about kale? The truth is, this nutrient packed super leafy green is something to be raving about. There are so many different kinds of kale, so many ways to prepare and eat it, it tastes great and the nutritional benefits are outstanding!

What are the health benefits associated with kale?

Nutrient Density
Kale is extremely nutrient dense so when you eat this green you are getting more nutrient bang for your calorie buck. This means that the ratio of nutrient density to calorie intake is high. One cup of kale contains 33 calories. With these 33 calories you are taking in 9% of your daily value of calcium, 134% vitamin C, 206% vitamin A, and a whopping 684% of vitamin E. Kale is also a good source of iron, manganese, copper, phosphorus and potassium. Kale has more iron per calorie than beef does!

Antioxidants
Kale is an excellent source of antioxidants, especially from vitamins A, C and K. The antioxidants carotenoids and flavonoids have been shown to have anti-cancer health benefits while lutein and zeaxanthin have been associated with eye health.

Bone Health
Kale has more calcium per calorie than milk and is loaded with vitamin K. These nutrients support the building of bones and aid in the prevention of bone loss and osteoporosis.

Lowers Blood Cholesterol
The fiber content of kale helps in lowering blood cholesterol levels. Kale also reduces the risk of heart disease. These heart health promoting properties are at their maximum potential when kale is cooked.

Other Health Benefits
Kale contains 10% of the RDA for omega-3 fatty acids (the good fats our bodies need!) which act as an anti-inflammatory. Kale also has properties that support our bodies in its detoxification process.

How do we use kale to reap all its nutritional benefits?

Kale can be eaten raw, baked, steamed sautéed....its applications are endless!
  • Smoothies
  • Juices
  • Soups
  • Stir-Frys
  • Salads
  • Kale chips
  • Pizza topper
And there are many different kinds of kale to choose from...

The most common is curly kale


Lacinato Kale (also known as Dinosaur Kale)


Premier Kale



Redbor Kale


Siberian Kale


Red Russian Kale


Kamome Red Kale


Now that you know what all this kale hype is all about, go out there and start enjoying it with this recipe for delicious kale chips!

Kale Chips
Kale//1 bunch
Olive Oil//1 tbsp.
Seasoned Salt//1 tsp.

Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350˚F. line a non-insulated sheet with parchment paper.
  2. With a knife of kitchen shears carefully remove the leaves from the thick stems and tear into bite size pieces.
  3. Wash and thoroughly dry kale with a salad spinner. Drizzle kale with olive oil and sprinkle with seasoning salt.
  4. Bake until the edges brown but are not burnt (10 to 15 minutes).


-------------------

Meghann Jurkowski is a graduate student of nutritionist Christine Clark in the MS in Applied Nutrition program through the College of Professional Studies at Northeastern University.

Nutritionist Christine Clark works with Dining Services to provide you with tips and techniques to stay healthy during your time at Northeastern. If you have any further questions about this topic or are looking for more information about any other nutrition or diet topic, such as food allergies or sports nutrition, please contact her at christine.clark2@compass-usa.com or call UHCS at 617-373-2772 for an appointment.

References:
  1. Delicious, Nutritious Kale: Photo Guide to Different Varieties. http://ecolocalizer.com/2012/03/25/delicious-nutritious-kale-photo-guide-to-different-varieties/.
  2. The Truth About Kale. http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/the-truth-about-kale.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Focus on Whole, Minimally Processed Foods

With assistance from Northeastern graduate student Crystal (Sopher) Richardson What’s the WHOLE story on Processed Foods? Nutritionists and dietitians are often asked why processed foods are bad.  It’s not an easy question to answer.  Many refer to the fact that the “Diseases of Civilization” – heart disease, hypertension, tooth decay, diabetes and some cancers did not exist before the increased popularity of processed foods. Whole and minimally processed foods are prepared without copious amounts of added fat, salt or sugar, therefore maximizing the consumption of cancer-fighting nutrients and phytochemicals, that protect your body’s cells from damage. A 2017 study of 249 adolescents showed that the consumption of minimally processed foods was inversely associated with excess weight. 1 Another study in 2016, published by Anthony Fardet showed a link between minimally processed foods and satiety versus ultra-processed foods. 2 While most people know that eating a whole apple is much h
Post a Comment
Read more

Local Produce

Summer is the perfect time to enjoy local produce because of the sheer variety of fruits and vegetables that are available. I’ve waited all winter for ripe berries, juicy tomatoes and sweet stone fruit. We get a few months of this bounty and when the season is over, we wait patiently for summer to come again so we can enjoy our favorites. Connecting and eating with the seasons can be rewarding but also a tough challenge as many of us now rely on grocery stores to provide year-round produce. FUN FACT Did you know that the average food item has traveled 1,500 miles to get to your plate? Seeking out local food, understanding how it was grown and learning more about the people who grew it can be an empowering experience. Not everyone has the opportunity to shake hands with the person that grew their food but for those that do, it carries more weight than a certification. Download lagu WAIT, THERE’S MORE Did you also know that how we eat can have as big an impact on climate change as transp
Post a Comment
Read more

Behind the Scenes of H3's New 2013 Menu

As I write this post, I am getting ready to send the truck back out on campus to roll out our winter offerings. In my last post on the history of food trucks , I said that in this post I would discuss the future of food trucks. However, there are more timely things to discuss and I would like to instead use this post to provide a peek into the exciting world of menu creation and what kind of factors we take into consideration throughout the menu planning process for the Hungry Hungry Husky. Now when one thinks of creating menus, they may think chefs spend hours in the kitchen experimenting with different ingredients and getting their creative juices flowing. This would be true, but before that there are other things we as chefs need to consider. One of the most important things to consider is convenience to the customer – lunch is a great example. During the busy school/work week, customers don't have time to sit down and enjoy a leisurely meal. This is especially true for food tru
Post a Comment
Read more