"If kids grow kale, they eat kale. If kids grow tomatoes, they eat tomatoes. But when none of this is presented to them, if they're not shown how food affects the mind and body, they blindly eat whatever you put in front of them."
--Ron Finley
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| Walking the fields at Shining Light Garden in Vero Beach, Florida at a recent Growing Healthy Kid' workshop |
My perfect definition of good food: good for you, tastes good, nutrient dense, locally grown, and
organic. This matters when you are cooking with and/or for kids.
If food doesn’t taste good, the kids won’t eat it. Having good food also matters when
you are cooking for older family members who may have lost their taste buds and
whose limited food choices impact their overall health.
One of the best foods to eat is kale. Why?
- Kale is one of the most nutrient dense foods we have.
- It is a cruciferous vegetable which is the group of vegetables with strong anti-cancer properties. Some other cruciferous vegetables include: broccoli, bok choy, cauliflower, collards, arugula, cabbage, brussels sprouts, and watercress.
- Kale is a very good source of lutein which is essential for eye health. Luteins are carotenoids which are pigments that give some fruits and vegetables their color. If you have glaucoma, eating kale every day can be very, very good for your eyes and your future vision.
- Looking to get to a healthier weight? One cup of cooked kale has 36 calories.
With
all these great health benefits, what do you do with that beautiful organic
kale in your refrigerator? Here are two of my favorite suggestions so you can easily get several servings a day:
in the morning, include raw kale as an essential ingredient in your blueberry shakes and in the evening, enjoy baked kale chips as an appetizer. Below is my recipe for delicious kale chips.
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| Kale chips "Before" |
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| Kale chips "After" |
GROWING
HEALTHY KIDS: Our Favorite Recipes
KALE CHIPS
Ingredients:
- 5-6 leaves organic curly kale (green or purple)
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- 3 Tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1/4 teaspoon pink Himalayan sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 290 degrees. Place parchment paper on a baking sheet.
- Wash and dry kale. Tear into 1-2 inch pieces and scatter evenly on baking sheet.
- Sprinkle olive oil over kale. Do not drench.
- Evenly sprinkle nutritional yeast, sea salt, and garlic salt over kale.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, turning chips halfway through baking time.
- When chips are crispy (not limp), remove from oven and serve immediately.
With love,
Nancy
Heinrich, MPH
Founder and
Wellness Architect
Growing
Healthy Kids, Inc.
