Whqt to eqt this month: kole
in humans,"
saYs
Walter C.
Willett, M.D., Dr.P.H', chairman of the dePartment of
nutrition at Harvard University's School of Public
Health, "although glucosinolates and related comPounds
at high doses can inhibit cancers
in animals'"
People taking warfarin
(Coumadin
and
generic)
should talk with their doctor
tile
ale, broccoli's leafier cousin, is
no longer relegated to being a
side dish at dinner. This versacruciferous vegetable can also be
worked into your breaKast or lunch for
nutrition boost.
"We buy more kale than anY of the
other related greens combined," says
Foods
)ames Parker, a buyer for Whole
popularits
of
proof
Market. As further
ity, Web searches for kale recipes have
nearly quadrupled in the past two years'
a
according to Google Trends'
Kale can also work as Part of a tastY
dessert. For example, kale lemon gelato
and streusel was one of chef Madison
Cowan's winning dishes last year on the
Food Network's "Iron Chef America"'
But you don't have to be a Pro to cook
this hearty leafy green. Here's what you
need to know:
The benefits. At just 36 calories per
1-cup serving, kale is packed with vitamins A, C' and E, along with calcium
and fiber. And it contains lutein, zeaxanthin, and other carotenoids, which
have been linked to a reduced risk of
certain eye diseases. Plus it's loaded
with vitamin K, which helPs blood to
clot and builds stronger bones'
There's evidence that eating an extra
daily serving ofleafy greens can reduce
the risk of tYPe 2 diabetes' And the
greens have glucosinolates, which might
help fight cancer. "We have not seen
clear benefits with cruciferous vegetables for reduction in cancer incidence
I
Oo
JULY
2013
.
before eating foods rich in vitamin K
because
it
can undermine the blood
thinner's effects, says Sarah Booth,
Ph.D., director of the Vitamin K Laboratory at Tufts University in Boston'
Buying it. Two tyPes are PoPular:
curly, which is bright green and tastes a
little tart, and dinosaur (also known
black, lacinato' or Tuscan), which is
darker, with flat leaves and a nutty taste'
All types of kale can be eaten raw, but
beginners might like the more tender
dinosaur variety, says Dawn |ackson
Blatner R.D., author of "The Flexitar-
Prepping it. Store kale in an airtight
container or sealed plastic bag until
you're ready to use it. Then wash the
leaves before you cut them and blot dry'
If you're put off by kale's tougher tex-
ture in raw salads, try cutting it thin
and massaging in an acid-based dressing that includes lemon, lime, or vinegar. That will help break down cell
walls and make it more tender, Blatner
says. Since the stems tend to be tough,
from them whether
or cooked.
raw
kale
she's eating
she strips the leaves
Cooking ir. "You can cook kale to
release the bitterness,
cook it," Cowan
but don't over-
saYs.
Boiiom line. Kale is a star in the
produce aisle, but don't forget to eat a
rainbow of fruit and vegetables to get
all of Mother Nature's benefits.
r
as
ian Diet" (McGraw-Hill, 2009).
When shoPPing, avoid Yellow or
bruised leaves, limP stems, and
anY
signs ofdecay. Or try prepackaged baby
kale, which tends to be more tender and
less pungent than mature kale' Frozen
kale is best used in casseroles and other
dishes where you're combining ingredients, since it loses some of its texture'
Opt for organic if it's available.
Growing it. Although it's usuallY
started in the spring, late fuly is also a
good time to plant kale, says Betty Sanders, a master gardener who oversees a
6,000-square-foot garden at the Massachusetts Horticultural Society in Wellesley. "Kale likes a light frost, which makes
sweeter, but it's gone once the temperatures diP into the low 20s'" You
it
can grow it in pots, but make sure that
they're roomy (a minimum of 8 inches
deep and 8 inches wide) and that the
plants get at least 8 hours of sunlight'
Consumer Reports on Heolth
KALE WALBE*T SAIA&
4 cups
pocked finelY choPPed rqw
I
kole (prcferublY dinosour kole)
lorge red oPPle (such os fuii or
I
honeycrisP), choPPed
cup rhinlY sliced celerT
Yz
cup wolnuts,
loosd ond
chopped
% cup plus 2 toblesPoons roisins
2 ro-blesPoons Diion musford
2 roblesPoons rvoler (odd more
os needed)
I loblesPoon red wine vinegor
% teospoon seq solt
Directionsl
Ploce kole in o lorge bowl. Add holf of
the chopped opple olong with the celery
7a cup wolnuts , ond % cup roisins' Put
remoining opple in o blender or food
processor olong with remoining 7a cup
wolnuts, remoining 2 toblespoons roisins,
mustord, woter, vinegor, ond solt' Pur6e
until well combined ond slightly thick,
odding woter if needed' Pour dressing
over solod ond mix well' Serves 4 to
6 people.
Nulriiion informotion pcr rewing: l4O colorics'
7 gromr totol fot, O.5 groms soturstcd fot'
135 milligremr rodium.
Source: Whole Foods Morket
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