Kale

Kale is a vegetable I only started eating this year. It was listed on the website of Greenline, where I get my organic fruit and veges from, so I thought I would try it.

Earlier in the year I was getting this kind of kale. The stalks are woody so I only ate the leaves.


Lately I have been getting this kind of kale, which is also known as lancinato kale, black cabbage or cavalo nero


I know I feel good after eating it, and now I know why...

From Jonny Bowden:

'Kale is the highest ranked vegetable on the ORAC scale, a measure of antioxidant power. (It's value is 1770; the next best vegetable is spinach with a rating of 1260.)

'It's a member of the brassica family of vegetable royalty and, like other members of this family (cabbage, for example), contains powerful phytochemicals like cancer-fighting indoles which have been found to have a protective effect against breast, cervical and colon cancer.

'It also contains sulforaphane which helps trigger detoxifying liver enzymes, helping the body to rid itself of chemicals and free radicals that may cause cellular and DNA damage.'

Bowden suggests a raw kale salad with dried cranberries and pine nuts, and says it's also great stir fried in some coconut oil.