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Kale

Kale is a crisp, nutritious, dark leafy green belonging to the cruciferous family.

Kale is one of the best dark leafy greens to use in your diet! Dark leafy greens are incredibly beneficial due to all of the vitamins, minerals and fiber that is present. Several varieties of kale exist, you can generally find lacinato kale, red kale, and just plain old regular kale. Kale is a dark leafy green with a dense and hearty texture, the taste is slightly bitter unless cooked or “massaged” when raw.

Health Benefits of Kale:

Kale has many health benefits, as most dark leafy greens do, but kale also has benefits stemming from the cruciferous side of things. Cruciferous vegetables (including kale) are known for possessing powerful detoxification properties. Kale also lowers the risk for certain types of cancer, mainly due to the ITC content (a.k.a. isothiocyanates made from glucosinolates). These ITCs are also responsible for kale’s role in the detoxification process. We also can’t forget that kale is widely accepted as an anti-inflammatory agent.

Nutrient Breakdown of Kale:

*Per 1 1/2 cups

How To Use:

Kale is great when used in salads, stir-fry, soups, stews, Nourish Bowls or even smoothies. It can also be used in juices! Kale is great on its own in the form of kale chips as well.

Recipes:

Chocolate Cocoa Kale Chips

Massaged Kale Salad

Kale Hemp Tabbouleh

NS Recommends:

The key to enjoying kale raw is a process known as “massaging”, check out Massaged Kale Salad to learn the full process!