Kale -- My New Favorite Food!

So kale is like all the craze now, but personally never liked it much.

However suddenly, after eating the most delicious kale tahini salad last week while out, I LOVE. I am like obsessed with it now, no joke.

Eat it for breakfast lunch dinner, literally. Smoothie in the morn, kale in my sandwich or make different salads, same for dinner. Kale chips for snack.

I went through something like this last year too, except with frozen yogurt. Yeah I'm a bit weird re food

Anyway, back to kale. So I got the recipe for the kale tahini salad, adding a few of my own ingredients and like it even better than what I had at the restaurant. Yummy.

Man, I am becoming quite the cook if I do say so myself. After NEVER cooking or even knowing how. Couldn't even boil a freakin egg right!

I do have a point, so let me get to it. After discovering this yummy leafy green, I feel awesome!! Not that I felt bad before but I had my days.

But now literally every single day, I sleep better (no crazy dreams lol), wake up feeling refreshed and energized, and can go all day. So much energy!!

And literally everyone in my office got sick with flu recently, and I never did! I was the only one who didn't get it even being surrounded by everyone coughing and sneezing.

Could this be possible or is it all in my head?? That eating kale would have this type of effect on me!

In any event, I highly recommend. Be sure to remove the stems and massage it a bit first to break it down. Get creative, smoothies and salads. And chips! Sprinkle the leaves with salt and olive oil cooking spray, and bake in oven till crispy.

It's even good with some white beans, and store bought ranch dressing if you're in a rush!

Can anyone relate to this? Please share stories, good and bad.

I have a container vegetable garden and grow a variety of kale for different cuisines. They are very easy to grow and can be grown in 2 different seasons to have a continuous supply. I used to have a parrot who would not eat anything except birdseed and kale.

However I would not make the claim that kale is the reason you never got the flu this season. If you live in the US, our flu rate for this year was lower because we had a mild winter season. I work around children and I double up on vitamins and vaccine with healthy meal choices. Women tend to favor kale more than men... possibly because we require foods with high calcium.

Maybe you were low on a particular vitamin, and the kale has nourished that deficiency.

I was drowning in kale a few years ago. My old roommate and I had a small garden and the only thing that grew well was the kale. In fact, it was impossible to kill. I cut off all the leaves of each plant and they all regenerated. Plus, we bought into a farm share that summer and each weekly box had at least one head of kale. Usually more. There was no escaping the kale. I started to think that the big health craze surrounding kale was actually desperate attempt by farmers to sell a bumper crop that had taken over their fields. It's cheap, and you can't kill it, so I can see how it would be appealing to a farmer to grow.

Anyhoo, I can't say that I experienced any great gains in health that summer. But I spent so much time harvesting, cleaning, and cooking the kale that maybe it all evened out.

It's ok cooked and weaved into a dish, etc. , but raw not so good...and no, I will never drink it.[-(

So kale is like all the craze now, but personally never liked it much.

 

However suddenly, after eating the most delicious kale tahini salad last week while out, I LOVE. I am like obsessed with it now, no joke.

 

Eat it for breakfast lunch dinner, literally. Smoothie in the morn, kale in my sandwich or make different salads, same for dinner. Kale chips for snack.

 

I went through something like this last year too, except with frozen yogurt. Yeah I'm a bit weird re food

 

Anyway, back to kale. So I got the recipe for the kale tahini salad, adding a few of my own ingredients and like it even better than what I had at the restaurant. Yummy.

 

Man, I am becoming quite the cook if I do say so myself. After NEVER cooking or even knowing how. Couldn't even boil a freakin egg right!

 

I do have a point, so let me get to it. After discovering this yummy leafy green, I feel awesome!! Not that I felt bad before but I had my days.

 

But now literally every single day, I sleep better (no crazy dreams lol), wake up feeling refreshed and energized, and can go all day. So much energy!!

 

And literally everyone in my office got sick with flu recently, and I never did! I was the only one who didn't get it even being surrounded by everyone coughing and sneezing.

 

Could this be possible or is it all in my head?? That eating kale would have this type of effect on me!

 

In any event, I highly recommend. Be sure to remove the stems and massage it a bit first to break it down. Get creative, smoothies and salads. And chips! Sprinkle the leaves with salt and olive oil cooking spray, and bake in oven till crispy.

 

It's even good with some white beans, and store bought ranch dressing if you're in a rush!

 

Can anyone relate to this? Please share stories, good and bad.

 

Kale is always in my fridge.

Certain kale has a less bitter taste and can be eaten raw. Especially in a salad!

Those kales aren't sold in grocery store typically though

The bests man of my wedding was a former White House chef, and his wedding gift to us was to cook a "presidential dinner." He made a delicious kale salad with golden beets, lemon and orange juices, and some other ingredients. Best salad ever. He got me into Kale.

I love making kale chips.

It's ok cooked and weaved into a dish, etc. , but raw not so good...and no, I will never drink it.[-(

Wiseman, have you tried in a salad with yummy dressing and maybe some scallions, and herbs to liven up flavor?

Smoothie made with oranges, pineapple juice, carrot juice, it blends beautifully.

Remove stems first.

I do get it though, as I said I NEVER liked it either, but that tahini dressing is to die for!

Certain kale has a less bitter taste and can be eaten raw. Especially in a salad!

 

Those kales aren't sold in grocery store typically though

 

The bests man of my wedding was a former White House chef, and his wedding gift to us was to cook a "presidential dinner." He made a delicious kale salad with golden beets, lemon and orange juices, and some other ingredients. Best salad ever. He got me into Kale.

We have Jimbo's and Whole Foods here so can buy the organic which yah is great eaten raw in salad with a good dressing.

Maybe you were low on a particular vitamin, and the kale has nourished that deficiency.

 

I was drowning in kale a few years ago. My old roommate and I had a small garden and the only thing that grew well was the kale. In fact, it was impossible to kill. I cut off all the leaves of each plant and they all regenerated. Plus, we bought into a farm share that summer and each weekly box had at least one head of kale. Usually more. There was no escaping the kale. I started to think that the big health craze surrounding kale was actually desperate attempt by farmers to sell a bumper crop that had taken over their fields. It's cheap, and you can't kill it, so I can see how it would be appealing to a farmer to grow.

 

Anyhoo, I can't say that I experienced any great gains in health that summer. But I spent so much time harvesting, cleaning, and cooking the kale that maybe it all evened out.

Maybe except got a check up not too long ago and blood test showed not deficient in anything.

I dunno may be all in my head, a sort of placebo effect. But whatever works, right?

My girlfriend bought kale once. I threw it in the trash where it belongs.

What? You weren't thrilled with the kale smoothies and that green color and weird taste? I had to down a bottle of gatorade to get the taste out of my mouth. girlfriend bought kale once. I threw it in the trash where it belongs.

Maybe except got a check up not too long ago and blood test showed not deficient in anything.

 

I dunno may be all in my head, a sort of placebo effect. But whatever works, right?

Hey, if it makes you happy, that's a health boost in itself!

What? You weren't thrilled with the kale smoothies and that green color and weird taste? I had to down a bottle of gatorade to get the taste out of my mouth. personally can't stand kale. I lived in Oregon from 2009 - 2014, so it, along with quinoa, were inescapable. Any time I said I wasn't a fan (and you gotta be VERY diplomatic about how you approach a discussion about kale there), it was aaaaaaaalways "well it must have not been prepared right!" As you say, it's alright if completely overwhelmed by whatever it's cooked in, but try as I did for the sake of not hating 75% of the dishes at any given potluck, I just couldn't get into it.

 

I do try not to hate too hard, though. It's good for you and more power to you if you actually find yourself enjoying something healthy. I ate 4 of those $1.50 taco stuffed burritos from Taco Bell for lunch the other day, so I'm the last person to cast judgment.

I rather like the Tuscan Black Kale (Cavolo Nero), cooked and served as a vegetable. Once steamed, I heat some olive oil in a pan, lightly fry some chopped garlic and add the cooked kale. It is good.

To all the naysayers, I get it! I was too for a long time.

Not sure what happened but after that tahini salad last week something switched and became a fan.

It's possibly just a phase. Like I said went through something similar last year with frozen yogurt. Became obsessed with it; it is ALL I ate. Now I can't even imagine doing that. I eat it maybe once a month now as a dessert.

Not sure if you read my post on notalady's "put my scale away" thread but I think because I had a mom so obsessed with weight, I developed a rather weird relationship with food.

I do not like a lot of things so when I find something I like I go a bit crazy about it for awhile.

Believe me, I even surprised myself with this one! I'll get over it.

At least my obsessions are with certain foods and NOT relationships! That's a plus.

What? You weren't thrilled with the kale smoothies and that green color and weird taste? I had to down a bottle of gatorade to get the taste out of my mouth.

 

Gatorade? I have the same reaction to *that* as you do to kale! LOL

 

Yuck!

Gatorade? I have the same reaction to *that* as you do to kale! LOL

 

Yuck!

 

Me too - have no idea why people including my son like it lol.