Kale, kale, the leafy one, don't you know it's not round for long. It's seasonal, yes, so buy in bulk, buy plenty, eat it all to help you grow big and tall.
Not the best, but it'd be nice to sing to your kids... right?
Raw Kale
Well anyway, kale seems the unsung cousin of spinach, but is in fact a form of the cabbage family. You can spot it a mile off by the leaves, the big coniferous leaves that are nutty, almost sweet (like broccoli) when boiled, and have an earthier, crunchier texture when eaten raw. It is an incredibly versatile leaf that is finally being recognised as a 'superfood' because it contains high levels of the cancer preventative anti carcinogenic Vitamin K. Looks like kale is slowly usurping Popeye's famous vegetable.
Cooked Kale
Kale is at its most potent and nutritionally dense when raw. Try and buy organic, because pesticides aren't so good for your body. One way to optimise optimum health and get the most from kale is to juice a few stalks, and then with the left over pulp add to a salad/ fry lightly with a few vegetables for a kale flavoured stir fry. I like to juice kale, drink immediately (because the enzymes are live at this point), and have the kale pulp for lunch/dinner. It is one of the best forms of iron, and is packed full of antioxidants such as A, C and K that are key for optimum health. Yawn. Yes, kale is good for you, it tastes nice, and is better than other better-known leafy greens, but lest we forget the main reason why we eat our greens? For our skin. Vanity is the point of being for many, and kale is a party to savvy beauty regimes. It is one of the best foods for keeping your skin in tip top condition. I'm munching a sprig right now, and I swear my skin looks pretty damn radiant from here.
Start singing the tune, buy organic and eat it within a few days of purchase to ensure you're getting the best from the leaves. Your skin will thank you for it.
