Celebrate National Kale Day Today!

What will it take for us to reclaim our health? Simple shifts. That’s what all the green buzz about kale boils down to. Swap pretty much anything in your diet for kale and you’ve made a healthy choice. Kale is so nutrient-dense, delicious, and surprisingly versatile that it bumps up the nutrition in everything from smoothies and salads to pizza and popcorn. Yes, there is a miracle in kale’s crunch.

Just a simple shift, say from a potato chip to kale chip, is a step from nutritional carbage (not a typo ☺️) to a delicious green snack filled with vitamins, minerals, fiber, and plant-based antioxidants. Jason Mandala, a farmer and educator, made a simple shift. He started eating kale regularly and his health improved. His simple shift – just a little more kale – grew into something much larger and more important. We can make a simple shift that is about more than kale: It is about embracing a healthier, greener, more connected lifestyle that builds community and local food culture.

Last spring a band of kale lovers formed to spread kale’s message of the health benefits, culinary versatility and to use kale to celebrate the amazing progress in America’s local food production. Today, there are 8,144 farmers markets in America, according to the USDA. Kale and other farm fresh, nutrient-dense whole foods are arguably more available than anytime in recent history. The shift is simple. (Did I mention also delicious?)

Once called peasant’s cabbage, the name “kale” comes from “kail,” the Scottish name for the plant. Kale is usually harvested in fall or winter, being grown in the seasons prior; the colder weather improves its quality and flavor. By the 2010s, kale had increased in popularity to become the most beloved of superfoods, even though some other foods are just as nutritionally dense. Dr. Drew Ramsey and Chef Jennifer Iserloh created National Kale Day and started a petition back in 2013 at Change.org to try to add to the day’s legitimacy. Today, we celebrate kale on account of its many health benefits and its versatility in the kitchen, and we work to promote its continued use.

Please join the National Kale Day by:

• Posting about National Kale Day on social media using #nationalkaleday.
• Celebrate by making delicious Kale Chips! Just pre-heat the oven to 375^, and then toss 2 inch, destemmed pieces of kale with about 1 tablespoon of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. You can also add in any other spices like turmeric or chili powder. Then spread the kale out on a baking sheet and bake for about 10 minutes or until leaves are crunchy!

If you wonder what the heck all the kale fuss is about, it’s easy to sum up. Kale means health: a multi-colored superfood from the cruciferous family of vegetables that everyone from vegan to paleo embraces. Yes, almost all plants are a healthy choice, but when it comes to nutrient density, culinary versatility, local availability and value, nothing beats kale.

Source: Huffington Post, edited