KALE, Nature’s SuperFood! If I Have To Plug My Nose to Eat It, How Can I Expect My Kids to Eat It, Too? Actual Yummy Kale Recipes and More…

Kale: The Brad Pitt of Veggies?

I am staring at it. A big, giant Kale Salad made for me by the grocery store shelf. (True confession: I was too scared to buy it all leafy and pure in the veggie section.)

Opening the lid, I inspect the insides of the salad container – heavy, dark-greeny leaves chopped up. With some attractive, familiar, red cabbage bits. Quinoa (Keen-wah!) looking super earthy and rolly-polly. And, gods bless the thousands of cranberries scattered around to no-doubt give it a sweet punch.

Here begins my healthy lunch kick. I need to eat this way more often. Thus mentoring good eating behavior for my kids so they stay on the far-far-side of this awful American Obesity crisis and away from the 7-11 snack packs of neon-orange crunchy puffs and crispy, yellow potato yummies.

Kale. Hello there, you headlining, “Queen of Greens,” Media-Darling, Media-Whore, you. Welcome to my stomach. And don’t mind the jealous, withering head of your old-news, cousin broccoli being ignored underneath the baby carrots and romaine lettuce in the refrigerator’s crisper. Cousin broccoli had his day in the limelight.

Today is all about YOU, Kale, one of the healthiest veggies on the planet. The Rock-Star, Movie-Star, Oscar worthy, Grammy winning, Emmy earning SuperFood of the Twenty-First Century! Go Ma Nature!

But how do we eat you??? Do I plug my nose and wash you down? Do my kids watch me gag and gasp for air as I crunch and munch with wild, wide eyes and then turn to them and say: Ok, guys, now it’s your turn… Yummy!

Do we role-play “Family of Rabbits” or “Let’s be our Dog” – and act as if we enjoy noshing on leafy items from the backyard (oh, why, oh why does our dog do that??)

Well, no.

Seems there are some great recipes, both hot and cold. And, as always, all in moderation, adding a tasty salad dressing – and, uh, thousands of cranberries – on top of the super-rich Kale greens can make for a yummy and healthy continuation to the education of smart eating by both me AND my kids.

BIG, HUGE TIP: Try Baked Kale Chips as an oddly addictive and deliciously strange alternative when you have that UNDYING NEED TO CRUNCH ON SOMETHING WITH SALT. You will feel hip eating it, your kids will be wide-eyed with part revulsion, part fascination, part wanting more of it, and it was actually FUN to watch it crisp-up in our oven.

Last thing, I’m not sure how to transport Kale for a hiking snack. If you know of anything, let us know! And def share any other yummy Kale recipes you might have that the kids will like…..

Namaste & Three Cheers! –OM

Here are some fun links for more info:

The Truth About Kale

Kale Recipes Your Kids Will (Maybe) Eat!

Wow Your Friends - Baked Kale Chips Recipe