Have you Heard of the the Eat More Kale Guy, Bo, out of Vermont?  This guy is a hero of mine.  And like most heroes, there is always a nemesis.   In this case, it’s Chick-Fil-a, a southern-based Fast-food chain that sells tasty bits like the Chick-n-minis, seen below:

Why the conflict?  Because Chick-fil-a seems to think Mr. Eat More Kale stole their slogan, Eat More Chicken.  So they are suing and they have deep pockets.

Personally, beyond the absurdity of their case and my love for supporting the little guy, when I see the picture above and I think about the lush, vibrant green color of kale, there is NO CONTEST as to where I would direct my food loyalty.  Kale wins.  Every time. Maybe that is why Chick-Fil-a is so upset:  Bo and the magic of his T-shirts and stickers up in Vermont are actually raising the awareness around the awesomeness of kale.  Yeah!  Maybe less people will want poor quality fried chicken parts wrapped in a starchy white bun served by a grumpy 19-yr old through a drive-through window.  Maybe more people will see kale is part of a hip, cool counter-culture food choice that says you support the little man and do the unconventional: EAT your veggies!

Well, wherever this Eat More Kale adventure goes, I’m in!  Not only do I have my stickers, ready to share with friends and family (you can buy them on his site for $.50) but I’m also reinvigorated in my efforts to encourage folks to eat more kale.  Why is kale so great?  Glad you asked.  Here are my top 5 reasons for loving Kale:

1.  It’s an anti-sugar craving food.  What?  Yes, that is what I said. The chlorophyll and the trace minerals like chromium and selenium, can help curb sugar cravings.  If you’ve been living on a diet high in refined foods and not listening to mom’s advice to eat your veggies, you may need a  boost of these nutrients and kale is plentiful in trace minerals, chlorophyll, as well as calcium and iron.  Same goes for other cruciferous veggies and dark, leafy greens.

2.  It’s so versatile.  You can kale raw in a salad, throw it in your green smoothie, make a frittata or omelette, sneak it into soups, meatloaf, lasagna, and really anywhere that you would use spinach.  It tastes great raw or cooked, baked or braised. 

3. Kale is a superstar antioxidant.  That means it heals your body deal with something called ROS: Reactive-oxygen-species.  They create a cascade of reactions that end up damaging your cells (aging, disease) Sound serious, doesn’t it?  We all have them in our bodies all the time, but the carotenoids and vitamin K found in kale can kick the ROS right outta dodge and put your body back in order.  This is as GOOD think if you’ve been eating a lot of sugar or processed food, which promotes inflammation.  Kale and other greens, as well as herbs like parsley, can combat this.

4. It’s easy to grow.  This is good news for those, like me, who do NOT have a green thumb.  It’s a very hearty, winter plant that is not very pursnickity in it’s need for ideal climate.  Growing kale means saving money (it can expensive to buy) and having a plentiful supply.  At just 35 calories/cup, you can stand to incorporate kale into your diet every day!

5. It’s so pretty, isn’t it?  Kale comes in all varieties and colors, like these

So, whatever type of kale you enjoy (my fav. is Dino kale), just EAT MORE KALE!