This Kale stuff has been around for a while now in the health food world. But it’s popping up more and more in daily life and lately you may feel like its infiltrated your whole world.

• It’s taken over the supermarket shelves

• Crept into your favourite cafe’s lunch and dinner menu

• Your friend at work is drinking green liquid by the litre

But what is Kale?

Kale is a leafy green vegetable from the same family as cabbage. But its appearance is different to the rest of its family. It closely resembles the Wild Cabbage.

With one main stem running down its centre and curly or crinkled leaves coming off the one stem.Kale has been around for a long time.

Known to grow in cooler climates and be very tough lasting through icy winters, making it a popular vegetable to grow in many parts of the world.

Kale is nutrient dense. You’ve heard it before that green is good, well Kale is the king of the green leaves.

Health Benefits

• High in fibreA great ingredient to use when detoxing

• Alkalising

• High in iron. More iron than beef per calorie.

• High in vitamins A, C and K

• High in CalciumKnown to have more Calcium than Milk per calorie

• Great for bone health

• Antioxidant richFull of cancer fighting properties like carotenoids and flavonoids

• Anti inflammatory and high in Omega 3 fatty acids1 cup of kale offers around 10% of our recommended intake of Omega 3

• Beneficial for sufferers of arthritis, asthma and auto immune disease.

• Great for cardiovascular health and will lower cholesterol

Use it in…

Kale is such a versatile ingredient for recipes. Add to soups. Make a salad and massage the leaves with Olive Oil, Tahini and Lemon. Add to your Omelette, Frittata or Tart. Put in the oven with a bit of Coconut Oil on the leaves and cook until crispy crunchy chips. Or add to your smoothie. 

Berry Green Smoothie

Time: 5 minutes

Serves: 1

Ingredients

• 1/2 cups Kale leaves

• 1/2 punnet or 1 cup Strawberries – frozen or fresh

• 1 cup of water, Coconut Water, Nut Milk

• 1 small handful of activated Almonds

• 1 teaspoon Coconut Oil or Hazelnut Oil

• 1 teaspoon Cinnamon

• 1 tablespoon Macqui powder or Cacao powder (optional)

• 1 high powered blender

Process

1. (Optional step) The night prior…Add your Almonds to a bowlFill with water and a sprinkle of saltCover and leave for 8-12 hoursRinse thoroughly in the morning

2. Add water to blender

3. Hold the stalk of Kale and slowly rip Kale leaves away from stalkDiscard stalkAdd leaves to blender

4. Add Berries, Almonds, Coconut Oil, Cinnamon to blender

5. Add Macqui powder or Cacao powder to blender (optional)

6. Blend on high until combined and silky smooth (approx. 1 minute)

7. Serve immediately with extra ice and sprinkle with CinnamonOr pour into glass bottle and take with you for a healthy breakfast on the run