Kale Yeah! My Obsession of the Greatest Green in the World

Today, I will be talking about my favorite green...the best green leaf in the entire world, k a l e. There are so many reasons why I'm so in love with this green, and I could talk about it all day. I actually wrote a whole research paper on it last year (if you actually want to read it, I'll put a link to it).

Kale is not only delicious, but its also super cheap, and has so so so so many health benefits.

     Delicious & Versatile:

When you first try kale, especially if its raw you may think I'm crazy for saying it's so delicious...especially if you are iceberg lettuce person. Kale has a deep, green taste and depending on the type of kale can be a little bitter. It may take a few attempts for you to get used to the deliciousness of the green, but it is worth it in the end. If you're not a fan of the raw kale (which most people aren't) that is totally fine because it is an a m a z i n g green to cook with. Because it is packed with nutrition, and is such a hearty green it cooks beautifully. This green is also great to sneak into smoothies, for added nutrition. If you add enough fruit (three parts fruit, one part green) you can barely taste the kale.

 

The versatility of this green is also enormous. Because this green is so hearty, it can be used as a wrap, or "taco" for a great carb-free, non-processed option.

Also, because kale is so great to cook with, it is perfect to throw into soups, or stews because it can withstand heat very well. Another great way to use kale is to make chips out of them! Kale chips are becoming the latest "trend" and you can find them in most grocery stores, but the store-bought kale chips are so expensive, it is kind of ridiculous. So I definitely recommend making your own. 

k a l e  c h i p s.

All you need to do is de-stem the kale (curly kale works best) wash and fully dry it, then lay it out on a cookie sheet, spray it with a little cooking spray (preferably olive oil, or coconut oil spray) then season it with whatever you'd like (salt, pepper, garlic, red pepper flakes). Lastly, put it in an oven preheated to about 400 degrees, for around five to ten minutes or until they are crispy (keep a close eye on them, so they don't burn!). Then let them cool and enjoy! 

     Nutritious:

The nutrition in kale is kind of unbelievable. It really is a powerhouse, and provides so many benefits in small amounts. It is very low in calories, you can basically eat as much of it as you want (as long as you're not adding butter or a ton of other things to it). In just one cup, you can get well over the recommended amounts of vitamin K (great for blood clotting, and strong bones), and vitamin A (awesome for your eyes). One cup of kale also has about 70% of the recommended amount of vitamin C (which is obviously really good for your immune system). Not only does it have a bunch of vitamins, but it also has a ton of antioxidants as well as anti-cancerous properties. Kale is also a great detoxifier. Like I said before, I really could talk about how great kale is all day long! 

So hopefully, I have persuaded you to give kale a try if you've never tried it before. And if you have tried it before, and hated it hopefully you'll give it another chance...your body will thank you!

LINK TO MY KALE RESEARCH PAPER (for all my fellow foodie nerds) :https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1f3pT2S32cCcGpHdVVfLWZrOVE/edit?usp=sharing

My Thoughts: Organic or Conventional?

     Organic is a term that gets thrown around all the time in the food industry. So many studies are done to investigate whether or not organic is better, healthier, more sustainable, etc. First of all, many people don't actually know what organic is, or what it means, or how it's different than conventional food.

     Organic foods are produced without chemicals, pesticides, irradiation, or additives. In other words, they are grown about the same way, but without any types of sprays or treatments. This means that farmers have to keep very specific conditions, and use specific organic pesticides to grown their produce. Being an organic garden is something that has to go through a certification process, and isn't something that a farmer can just claim. All companies must be certified to used the word "organic" whereas anyone and everyone can use the word "natural". So organic and "natural"....not the same thing at all. ( I will discuss my anger with the word "natural" in a later blog post)

 (wait, so these are "natural"....?)

     Many people assume that organic is better for you, more nutritious, and more beneficial to your health. This can be very overwhelming to someone that is trying to eat healthier, because organic foods are definitely more expensive, and not everyone can afford to buy organic. So does this mean you should just not buy produce at all if you can't afford organic? Of course not! Something doesn't have to be organic in order to be healthy and nutritious for you. Also, it has yet to be proven that organic foods are better for you, or healthier than conventionally grown produce.

     So what are my thoughts on this subject? I think organic produce can be too expensive to buy, and I have no problem at all with buying conventionally grown produce. I'd rather it be organic, or locally grown, to reduce the amounts of chemicals going into my body....but organic is something that just isn't on my list of priorities when going grocery shopping. Although I do make sure that I wash all my produce completely to get as much chemicals and pesticides off as I can. Organic is something that I think gets blown out of proportion, and although it is important, it isn't something to obsess over.

     There is a list known as "The Dirty Dozen" which is a list of foods that pesticides are used the most on. When I start making actual money, and can afford to spend a little more on food, I will start buying most of these foods organically, but until them all I can do is scrub, wash, rinse, repeat. Also, notice that most of these foods you eat the entire piece of food, meaning focus on buying organic (if you can) produce that you eat the skin, rather than buying organic banana or oranges, where you definitely are not going to be eating the skins.

     Although I don't eat meat, if I did I would definitely spend that extra money to buy organic meat, because I think organic (or hormone-free) meat is much safer. Mostly because non-organic raised animals are typically injected with hormones, which I wouldn't want to be putting in my body, so buying organic would prevent this. I also don't drink cow's milk, but if I did I would also aim for organic milk, again due to the hormones that are used in non-organic milk.

Well those are my thoughts on organic foods. Hope they did not offend you. What are your thoughts on organic? Do you spend that extra money for the organic label? Let me know in the comment section down below!