Do you eat kale? If not, you are truly missing out. It has become one of my favorite vegetables (if not my favorite). I have been eating kale almost every day this year. If I don’t have it one day, my body really craves it.
I made this salad for the first time a few weeks ago and it is delicious! I learned that you should “massage” kale with a little bit of extra virgin olive oil (preferably organic). This makes all the difference in the taste of the kale. I have been using curly kale but I bet other types would taste good, too.
Amazing Raw Kale Salad
Ingredients:
2-3 Large Leafs of Organic Curly Kale
1 Teaspoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 Can Garbanzo Beans
7 Grape Tomatoes (preferably organic)
Sea Salt and Pepper to Taste
Instructions:
Wash kale
Tear kale into small pieces and put into a bowl
Drizzle one teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil onto kale and massage it into the kale with your hands
Sprinkle sea salt and pepper onto kale, massage it into it and let sit for about 10 to 15 minutes
Add garbanzo beans and grape tomatoes (and anything else you may like)
Earlier this year, I wrote about 10 Reasons to Eat Kale. Just to re-cap, here is the list from that article:
1. High in fiber and low in calories and fat. One cup of kale contains 5 grams of fiber, 36 calories and zero fat. It helps with digestion and elimination because of the high fiber content.
2. High in calcium – One cup of kale contains 15% of the daily requirement of well-absorbed calcium. This is a much better way to get calcium than through dairy.
3. High in magnesium – One cup of kale contains 40% of the daily requirements of magnesium. Magnesium is important in more than 300 chemical reactions that keep the body functioning properly.
4. High in Vitamin A – One cup of kale contains 180% of the daily requirements of Vitamin A which is important to vision and the growth of bones.
5. High in Vitamin C – One cup of kale contains 200% of the daily requirements of Vitamin C which is helpful for your immune system, metabolism and hydration.
6. High in Vitamin K – One cup of kale contains 1,020% of the daily requirements of Vitamin K which is needed for normal blood clotting and bone health. Vitamin K is a key vitamin in regulating our body’s inflammatory process.
7. A good source of minerals like copper, potassium, iron, manganese and phosphorus – Used by the body to build bones and muscles, regulate heartbeat, oxygenation of the body’s cells and blood clotting. They help your body grow, develop and stay healthy.
8. Very versatile – Kale can be used in green smoothies, salads, sauteed, steamed or eaten raw. We just started eating organic Lacinato Kale and love it! We have sauteed it in grapeseed oil with salt, pepper and garlic (powder or minced). It is delicious!
9. Promotes a healthy heart – Kale helps to lower excess cholesterol levels.
10. Helps to lower cancer risk – Kale can help lower the risk of bladder, breast, colon, ovarian and prostate cancer.
** If you’re taking warfarin or another anticoagulant medication, your health-care provider may advise you to limit your intake of kale and other foods high in vitamin K. Vitamin K’s blood-clotting properties may interfere with these medications (information from livestrong.com).
It’s all about the journey…
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