Find out why kale packs even more healthy benefits than spinach.
Kale’s often considered asuperfoodand has been in vogue as a smoothie and salad ingredient for a few years.
What Is Kale?
Photo: Szakaly/Getty Images
In the past, U.S. farmers grew kale leaves primarily as a garnish.
Kale vs.
Spinach: What’s the Difference?
Cora Niele/Getty Images
The most common variations of kale include curly, purple, and dinosaur kale.
If you prefer less bitterness, choose baby kale because it has a milder flavor.
Here are some more kale benefits to consider.
PicturePartners/Getty Images
Sulforaphane and indole-3-carbinol are just two anticarcinogenic agents (cancer inhibitors) found in kale.
Kale is also low in calories, which can help with weight management.
Consuming enough calcium in your diet helps prevent bone loss and diseases like osteoporosis.
Grant Cornett
A 100-gram serving of raw kale has over 100% of your recommended daily intake.
For this, kale wins again.
Vitamin A and beta-carotene are essential for hair growth.
VICTOR PROTASIO; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless
Vitamin C aids in collagen production, a protein your body uses for skin elasticity and strength.
Here are some of our favorite ways to enjoy this vegetable.
Raw
Kale packs a wallop nutrient-wise when eaten raw.
Greg DuPree
Not a fan of kale’s strong flavor?
Blending it with apple juice (or apple and water) and bananas gives it a sweeter edge.
you could also add kale to other dishes, like pasta or scrambled eggs.
Victor Protasio
Boiled
Kale leaves are hearty.
Try sauteed kale as a side dish with chicken, pork chops, or steak.
(We adore it as simple kale chips, too!)
Victor Protasio
Due to its texture, kale will crisp up when baked, providing a welcome taste and texture.
It’s fast and easy to make these kale flatbread bites.
2015;10(11):e0143526.
doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0143526
Zhao L, Wang H, Du X.The therapeutic use of quercetin in ophthalmology: recent applications.Biomed Pharmacother.
2021;137:111371. doi:10.1016/j.biopha.2021.111371
Ortega-Hernandez E, Antunes-Ricardo M, Jacobo-Velazquez DA.Improving the health-benefits of kales (Brassica oleraceaL.
var.acephalaDC) through the system of controlled abiotic stresses: a review.Plants (Basel).
2018;7:F1000 Faculty Rev-689.
doi:10.12688/f1000research.14127.1
U.S. Department of Agriculture.
(2019, April 1).Kale, raw FoodData Central Search Results.
(2022, October 6).Calcium Fact Sheet for Health Professionals.
(2021, March 29).
Vitamin K Fact Sheet for Health Professionals.
NIH Office of Dietary Supplements.https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/vitaminK-HealthProfessional/
Carr AC, Maggini S.Vitamin C and Immune Function.Nutrients.
2018;17(1):44-53. doi:10.1016/j.jcm.2017.11.002
