Confessions of a Kale Lover

These are my confessions. I’m not a hipster. I’m not even middle class, but I love kale. I’m not sure when it started, possibly with a trip to the states.  Yes, of course it was... Kale is in abundance in the US. They have more of everything. More fast food joints, more swanky restaurants, more all-day breakfast cafes. Most importantly, and rather surprisingly, more healthy eating options. Kale is plentiful in the US a staple in most cafe and restaurant menus. This could also be because of endorsement of the trendy vegetable by the stars and fitness gurus. Beyoncé champions kale and even goes so far as to sport a KALE sweater Beyoncé consumes Kale un-ironically, but enjoys the irony of food fads like “super foods” and “gluten free”, so pokes fun at herself by posting this photo. Similarly, for his role in Nightcrawler, Jake Gyllenahaal reportedly lost 30lbs eating mainly Kale salad and drinking almond tea.



However, across the pond here in the UK, I have found kale to be available in slim pickings. On my return from the states I decided to endeavour to consciously consume more veg, as opposed to it being just something I say mildly obnoxiously at dinner parties: “Yeah we should all be eating more veg… I’m not a vegan but I admire their cause…”  I’d make these statements, seemingly satisfied that my comments were just as good as eating the vegetables themselves.



Eating fruit is pretty easy; I usually consume a banana, apple and orange in any given day.  I didn’t realise just how evasive vegetables were.  I’d become a salad dodger. I considered a kebab from my local as 1 of my 5 a day.  Admit it, where else do you get your serving of red cabbage? I promise I get a lot more helpful, and a lot less cliched, but not just yet…



Where was I?  Yes, the epiphany came on a recent trip to New York. I sat across the table from my lovely friend from Colorado (We actually met in Austin, Texas and what brought us to New York is a whole other story. I digress). We were sharing a slice of carrot cake. I rationalised that this counted towards my 5 a day fruit and vegetable intake. I enjoyed this with a large hot chocolate. My learned friend from Colorado drank a strange purply orange concoction. He saw me stare at it with a look of confusion that was far from subtle. He offered the cup in my direction. "Try this." he said. I handled the straw and took a sip. “It’s not bad," I said “but it's not good either.” He smiled ever so charmingly at my child-like response. “I suppose I’d drink it if I had to.” I mused. “ But you do have to.” he responded.



It was at this moment I realised I was all talk and no substance. I liked to preach but couldn’t walk the walk.  I sat there silently mulling over what a fraud I’d become. Looking at my face full of despair, he commented “It’s ok, I’m not going to force-feed you.”  We smiled, as I thought about what I’d eaten that day: pancakes, chips and a burger, with a token amount of fruit and veg (more like garnishes than portions).  My metabolism is only going to get slower so I need to address this. Possibly more important than my physical appearance is my health. I was leaving my body defenceless and expecting it to fight off colds and break down toxins with little help from me. I was mainly feeding it potatoes and cake.



So that fateful day I decided to increase my vegetable intake. A compromise I made with my taste buds was to make the veg taste good. I turned into a smoothie-making psychopath. I became fixated on great-tasting smoothies that contained veg. Not just a sprinkle either, but lots of it.  Enough to write home about. As I worked in the kitchen I was met with the usual aversion from my family. “What’s that you're making? Kale? Yuck!” said my younger brother.  “Try some.” I responded.  He declined. The curiosity got the better of him. He grabbed the glass and took a gulp. “Hmmm, I’ll finish this. ” he said as he walked toward the door, kale smoothie in hand.





Kale is a “Super Food” (I apologise for using this term. I’d like to reassert that I’m not pertaining to be a triangle-loving hipster, it’s just a good term), and a staple in many of the smoothies I make. It's packed with phytochemicals that help us stave off colds. It activates enzymes that help the body eliminate free-radicals. It can be consumed raw, though it's advisable to have the cooked variety from time to time. Read 'Killer Kale' as a reminder that all foods should be eaten in moderation. Lastly, not to be outdone by its cousin the cabbage, there is also a purple version of kale.