Move over spinach and make room for the “King of greens” KALE!
Recently, I discovered kale. I noticed the countless benefits and instantly became obsessed. So of course I would try to find ways to incorporate it into my diet.
Here are some health benefits and reasons why you should get your “kale on”
😉
Kale is low in calorie, high in fiber and has zero fat. Kale is high in iron, vitamin K, vitamin A, calcium and antioxidants. Also, it has more vitamin C than a glass of orange juice!
So how can we reap the benefits of this super food everyday?
A smoothie!
I started making kale smoothies every morning for the past month and I feel incredible!
My skin looks great, I feel radiant and I have so much energy. I can’t see myself not drinking my smoothies in the mornings anymore. Even when I’m running late, I DO NOT CARE, I WILL make my smoothie. Because if I don’t, I will feel so sluggish and won’t have the energy to conquer my day.
And to make this smoothie a power smoothie add spirulina. Spirulina has amazing health benefits and is a natural protein source. Helps with boosting your immune system as well as giving you natural energy to conquer your day. Here is a great article on spirulina.
Many, believe that kale is really bitter, but all it takes is another fruit to make it taste like an enjoyable sweet treat in the morning.
All hail King Kale. I will forever be grateful for my power smoothie. I seriously don’t understand how I discovered kale a month ago and not 10 years ago!
*Note* I also add chia seeds to make the smoothie feel more like a morning meal since the seeds are filled with protein.
Recipe
Ingredients
1 handful Kale
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1 teaspoon spirulina
1 cup apple juice or orange juice
2-3 tablespoons cubed pineapple (with juice), canned or fresh
1 banana
Ice
Combine all the ingredients in a blender and blend.
You can also use an immersion blender (which is what I use).
If you use an immersion blender, add the chia seeds, juice, pineapple and ice in a large cup and blend. Then add the kale a little at a time and blend until smooth.
*Note: If you want your smoothie sweet to balance out the bitterness of kale, add apple juice, if you want a citrusy smoothie (Like Jamba Juice style) add orange juice.
Edible Ventures 
I have found that the taste of kale is more “dirty” than spinach, especially baby spinach. Does the rest of the stuff in the smoothie cover up this taste?
Yes, absolutely! The thing about kale is that it picks up other flavors very well. The banana in the smoothie definitely adds quite a bit of sweetness as well as the apple juice. Give it a try! I was skeptical at first but I give it a try and was pleasantly surprised.
sounds good!
Kale is a bit of a tough vegetable, but delicious none the less I love cooking it simple with the potatoes sliced small and some salt. add a bit of butter and milk to mesh it all up and add the bacon dices all nice and crisp.with a bit of the salty fat. Delicious. A true winter meal for us Dutch. Really nice new idea thank you.
I will definitely try this. Love the post 🙂
Reblogged this on FoodLoveInspiration.
I’m going to try that smoothie, thanks!
Thanks for doing the work for me Julie! going to try this and will let you know!
I love trying new recipes so I will be sure to give some of yours a go. I especially want to try your blueberry and lavender scones which sound absolutely divine!
Reblogged this on Manifesto and commented:
I love a nice tall glass of Kale and fruit juice after a morning run!
I definitely have to try this! I’m working on including healthy alternatives to my daily lifestyle. 🙂
That’s awesome! Just changing a few small things here and there can make a huge difference.
Love Kale too !!! Great stuff you have!!
This is exactly how I feel about…SPINACH. All hail Queen Spinach…full of all kinds of stuff and much more palatable. YUM. Spinach, a banana and maybe some pineapple, and BAM, my morning smoothie. Add a couple of spoons of Kefir and I’m good. Real good. Every day. Yep. Uh huh. Love it.
I’m going to try this one.Usually I have a spinach/fruit smoothie but by mid-day I’m in a mini coma. Going to give King Kale a shot.
If you want an extra kick of energy you can add bee pollen. Bee pollen is a natural source of energy and helps with preventing those mid-day comas. Hope that helps!
Wow thank you I will definitely try it. I’ll let you know how it goes.
Looks so good, definitely wanna try it!
I make smoothies everyday, but so far I’ve only added spinach. Will try kale.
I’ve been using the Nutribullet (which has to be the best invention on the planet) to make my baby spinach/fruit smoothies. I have recently tried kale and depending on what fruit I mix it can be pretty awesome. I find that pineapple definitely works the best – add in a peach and 1/4 avocado. Delish!
Spinach definitely tastes better, but the benefits from kale outweigh the spinach for sure. So I had to sacrifice on flavor 🙂 Also if you add apple juice to the smoothie, or half an apple, the kale tastes very delish!
Thanks for the tip! Went apple picking today so have plenty to try with the kale. 🙂
Umm. It seems that I just stumbled upon this blog…and I can say that I already LOVE it. KALE POWER. 🙂
Just made this for me and my mom for breakfast. It’ll definitely become a part of our morning routine while I’m home!