Can You Eat Raw Kale?
We delve into all things Kale in this blog, looking at what it is, different types, some of its key health benefits, and how you can prepare it in delicious...
What Is Kale?
A little known fact is that kale, the leafy green vegetable, is actually part of the mustard family and is a close cousin of broccoli and brussel sprouts. It's closest relative, however, is a time honoured favourite of ours… Cabbage.
Different Types of Kale
There are a number of different types of kale you might find on your supermarket shelves and they all look very different.
Kale comes in many varieties and colours. While deep green is the most common, it can also be found in yellow-green, purple, red, pink, lavender, blue, and white, and leaves can be either flat or ruffled.
Many kale varieties are slightly bitter, but kale can also be spicy or sweet. One method to reduce bitterness is to cut the stem from the leaves and marinate them with olive oil in the refrigerator for 24 hours. This will make them more tender and less bitter.
The one that people are most familiar with is..
Curly Kale
Curly leafed kale is probably the first thing that comes to mind when you think of kale. The bright-green leaves are sometimes curled so tightly it can be hard to chop them. This kind of kale tends to have a bright, peppery flavor that can become quite bitter.
Chinese Kale
Kailaan (Chinese kale), also known as Gai Lan, or Chinese broccoli is a superstar in Asian cuisine and a delight for the senses. This nutrient-rich vegetable features thick, dark green leaves and tender stems. With its mild, slightly bitter taste, Chinese kale adds a delightful twist to stir-fries, soups, and steamed dishes. Packed with vitamins A, C, and K, as well as essential minerals, it not only tantalizes your taste buds but also nourishes your body.
Tuscan Kale
Tuscan kale goes by many names. Among them are dinosaur kale, cavolo nero, and black kale. This kale has longer spear-like leaves with a pebbled appearance and a dark, mottled green color. Its flavor is deep and earthy — it’s less bitter than curly leafed, with an almost-nutty sweetness.
Why is Kale so Popular?
One of the main reasons that Kale has become so popular is that it is available year round but more importantly is that it is highly nutrient dense, low in calories and filling and hence its ever increasing popularity and inclusion in healthy diets.
But we want to get into the details about Kale, namely the health benefits, the best ways to prepare, cook and eat it and whether it's better eaten raw, steamed or cooked.
Is Kale Healthy?
There categories of healthy impact on the body that Kale can have and all of them are pretty important:
1. Chronic Disease Prevention:
Kale contains high levels of what are known as phytonutrients. Kale contains the polyphenols quercetin and kaempferol and the terpenoids alpha, beta and gamma carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin, all of which have been associated with reduced likelihood of chronic diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular disease.
2. Concentrated Vitamins:Kale is a rich source of vitamins K (associated with eye health), Vitamin K (which supports strong bones and overall bone health) and Vitamin C which supports your immune system.
3. Heart Disease:A number of different studies have also shown that eating plenty of leafy greens in your diet can reduce your chances of heart disease by 15%
Is Kale Nutritious?
Kale is low in calories but extremely filling and fibrous, which when combined with its high density of vitamins makes it a powerhouse of the leafy green vegetables.
- Calories: 30 per serving
- Total Fat: 0g, 0%.
- Saturated Fat: 0g, 0%.
- Trans Fat: 0g.
- Cholesterol: 0mg %0.
- Sodium: 23mg 1%.
- Total Carbohydrate: 6g, 1%.
- Dietary Fiber: 2g, 7%.
- Total Sugars: 1g.
Want some of that in your life? Try our delicious lean green cold-pressed juice, our greenest juice going, its simple clean and full of leafy kale goodness.
To Cook or Not to Cook?
One of the big questions when it comes to green vegetables is whether cooked or raw is better.
In general cooking for longer periods can reduce the nutrient density so it is always best to not overcook and where possible lightly steam.
Can You Eat Raw Kale?
As long as you wash the kale before consuming it is absolutely safe to eat. Often a good method of preparing it is to massage the kale to soften it before including in a salad and making it more easy to chew and enjoy.
The tough part with kale is that if it isn’t chewed properly our bodies can struggle to digest it and therefore the nutrient availability can be reduced. One of the ways to help with this can be to blend raw kale into a smoothie and increase the absorption factors.
Another way is to juice kale and in particular cold pressed juice creates the highest concentration of high quality vitamins and minerals. In a single 250ml bottle you can have up to ½ kilo of the green power house!
What Does Kale Taste Like?
Raw Kale can have a slightly bitter taste and certainly can be tough to chomp your way through… but where there's a will there is a way and Kale's upsides as a green in your diet are worth it.
Kale salads are a great way to add into your diet and particularly with a light vinaigrette, tomatoes, nutritional yeast and or parmesan.
Again another way to build kale into your diet can be to include it into your green smoothies where you can balance flavours with lemon, ginger and some sweetness in the form of apple or carrot.
How to Prepare Kale
A good goal is to fill half your plate with fruits and vegetables every day. Here's where kale can work its superpower. Tear leaves and blend them into your morning smoothie, or use the whole kale leaf as a replacement for tortillas or bread when making a sandwich. For extra crunch, replace your regular potato chips with some roasted kale chips. For dinner, make a hearty bean soup with kale.
Sautéed Kale Recipe Ingredients
We’ll use 6 simple ingredients in this easy sautéed kale recipe:
- Kale! I love tender lacinato kale, but another variety, such as curly kale, will work here too. Before you cook it, wash and dry the kale and remove any tough stems. Then, tear or chop the leaves into bite-sized pieces.
- Extra-virgin olive oil – It adds rich flavour and helps the kale soften as it cooks.
- Garlic – It amps up the flavour in this simple dish.
- Lemon juice – It makes the hearty kale nice and bright.
- And sea salt and fresh black pepper – To make all the flavours pop!
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, chopped kale, salt, and pepper, and cook, tossing, until the kale wilts. Remove from the heat, and squeeze a little lemon juice over the kale. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
That’s it! Change up the seasoning by sprinkling crushed red pepper flakes.
More Recipes: The 6 Fastest Ways to Make Vegetables Taste Amazing!
Conclusion
We have all grown up hearing “eat your greens". Well it turns out that there is a good science that backs why and how this can improve one's long term health, and kale is one of the power house options in the green vegetable domain.
Not only are there multiple long term health benefits, but also it can form a delicious part of your cold and hot food diet.
At PRESS, we have always used kale at the core of our cold pressed juice and smoothies and in fact cold pressed green juices are what our founders discovered for themselves whilst living in the US and inspired them to start the company back here in the UK.
If you are looking to get more greens into your diet we found the easiest way is in fact not to “eat your greens” but to drink them!
Our cold pressed juice and Smoothies are created using cold temperature pressing and have no nasties or preservatives in them. Plus they form a major part of our meal plans and our juice cleanses.
So, remember, whether you eat your greens or drink them, “In Kale we trust!”
