Meet Kale : Your New Friend with Benefits!
Today is one of my favorite days of the year: National Kale Day! First of all, how great that our country, despite all its health problems, has a designated day for the king of all leafy greens, right?
One of the aspects that I like to focus on is the surprising ways in which kale is actually a superb substitute for animal protein, something that most people don’t know.
So how does a bunch kale stack up against that slab of steak? Let’s take a look:
- Sustainability: Livestock has an enormous carbon footprint, degrades land, and decreases biodiversity, while growing kale is cheaper and has none of these unintended consequences
- Iron: Despite the old wives’ tale telling us otherwise, you don’t need to get iron from animal protein. Per calorie, kale actually has more iron than beef (for a 100-calorie serving, 3.2mg vs 0.9mg, respectively).
- Healthy Fats: Though fish are often touted as the best source of omega fatty acids, a serving of kale contains 121 mg of omega-3’s and 92 mg of omega-6’s!
- Other Nutrients: When it comes to vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, animal proteins don’t stand a chance against this superfood. Kale brings all the star nutritional players to the table (literally): vitamins A, C, and K, calcium, zinc, potassium, selenium, folate, lutein, and more!
Other amazing perks of Kale :
Kale eases Lung Congestion, and is beneficial to the stomach the liver and the immune system.
It contains Lutein and Zeaxanthin, which protects eyes from macular degeneration. It also contains indole-3-carbinol, which may protect against colon cancer.
Kale is an excellent source of calcium, iron, vitamins A and C, and chlorophyll.
What kale recipe will you whip up to celebrate National Kale Day? Share in the comments section below!