Super-food kale is everywhere – in smoothies, salads, and snacks. Don’t think you like kale? Maybe we can change your mind.
Fun Facts
- Kale really is a super food. It has more calcium than milk and more vitamin C than an orange.
- This green vegetable is loaded with vitamin A and omega 3 fatty acids – the good for your brain fats.
- Kale is more nutritious if you cook it lightly, but don’t overdo it or it becomes bitter and mushy.
- Serving it with a fat, such as bacon, Parmesan cheese, or dressing helps release some of the nutrients in kale. It also tastes delicious.
- Kale is easy to grow. It tolerates cool weather so plant it in early spring or early fall. Harvest it when it’s young and tender.
- Kale is in the Brassica It’s related to cabbage.
- During the Middle Ages, people in Europe ate lots of kale. Colonists brought it to America. During World War II, leaders in Great Britain urged people to grow kale as a food source when food was scarce.
- Some varieties of kale grow 5 to 7 feet tall. Many types of kale aren’t edible. People use ornamental kale in flower arrangements.
Vocabulary
- Tolerate: to withstand
- Ornamental: for decoration only
Questions and Answers
Question: Is it possible to eat too much kale?
Answer: Eating kale seems to be a current health trend, but eating too much of it can cause symptoms of thallium (a heavy metal) poisoning. Not to worry. You’d have to eat A LOT of kale to get sick. Still, it’s a good idea, as with any food, to use moderation and eat a varied diet.
Learn More
Visit an organic kale farm in upstate New York.
Try kale blueberry salad. It’s delicious!
