Used In: Smoothies* and Juice
Other Preparation Methods: Raw, Steamed, Sauteed, Dehydrated, Baked, Boiled, Braised
ANDI Score: 1,000
Kale--an amazing green--beautiful, nutritionally dense, and tasty. There are quite a few varieties of kale but the most commonly available is lacinato (dinosaur), curly, and red kale (pictured). It's packed full of flavonoids for antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits. It lowers your cholesterol and possibly your risk of cancer. Not to mention many health benefits that haven't even been studied/realized yet. It is truly a super-food!
One cup (67g) chopped raw kale is very high in Vitamins K (684% DV), A (206%), and C (134%). It's also worth noting that it contains 1.3g Fiber, 2.21g Protein, and only 34 calories. And that's just for one cup! Your green smoothie could easily contain 2-3 times that!
Kale is on the Environmental Working Group's Dirty Dozen List, which means you should only buy it organic.
The variety, age, freshness, source, any many other factors affect the flavor. Sometimes kale can be bitter. Sometimes it can taste very "green". Sometimes it's a bit sweet. I've found that lacinato kale is generally less bitter than curly and red kale can be a bit sweet. And by sweet, I don't mean fruit-sweet, just sweet as far as greens go.
*Lacinato kale blends up smoothly but unless you have a high-powered blender such as the Vitamix or Blendtec, you won't be able to completely blend curly kale varieties.
Other sources: USDA National Nutrient Database, FDA, WHFoods, The Vegetable Bible, and my own experience
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