kale

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What is the origin of kale?

According to Wikipedia, kale was one of the most common green vegetables in Europe until the end of the Middle Ages.  The ancestor to the modern day curly kale already existed in Greece before 4th Century BC.

What 'family' is kale a part of?

Kale or borecole is a part of the cabbage family.  The species Brassica oleracea also includes broccoli, cauliflower, collard and brussel sprouts.

What nutrients can be found in kale?

Kale is very high in beta carotene, vitamin K, vitamin C, lutein, zeaxanthin (a carotenoid) and calcium.  Boiling decreases the sulforaphane (an organosulfur compound that exhibits anti-cancer, anti-diabetic and anti-microbrial properties) whereas, steaming or stir frying do not.  Kale is also a source of indole-3-carbinol, a chemical which boosts DNA repair in cells.  Kale is also a good source of carotenoids.

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What can one do with kale?

My favourite methods of using kale are blending it in a smoothie, juicing it or marinating it in olive oil, spices and nutritional yeast and then dehydrating the leaves into kale chips.  Another delicious recipe that I recently tried was kale and sausage soup.  Kale also freezes well which is great if you don't want to see it go to waste.  Of course, a great way to incorporate kale into a meal is to chop it into your salad.

What is the ANDI score for kale?

ANDI stands for Aggregate Nutrient Density Index and was created by Dr. Joel Fuhrman.  An ANDI score shows the nutrient density of a food on a scale of 1-1000.  Kale scores 1000.  This, however, does not mean that you should eat kale everyday.  Victoria Boutenko, author of the Green Smoothie Revolution, found out first hand the side effects of eating kale everyday for an extended period of time.  Each leafy green vegetable has a small amount of a certain toxin in it in order to protect itself from extinction.  This way animals will automatically rotate their greens as so should we.  These toxins will have the reverse effect of healing!  It's important to rotate your greens.

Keep your eyes open this summer.  Juice Caboose will be introducing some snack items to our menu and this will hopefully include a regular supply of our homemade kale chips.  Not to mention, we've had a request or two for a Green Smoothie Challenge.  This summer when the greens are plenty might be a good time for it!

Juicy Suzy