Kale is a popular leafy green full of beneficial elements. Kale is very healthy - in fact, it's one of the healthiest vegetables you will ever find. It's therefore beneficial to include it in your diet. It's even better if you can grow your own kale in your garden. This way, you will make sure that the kale you eat is super healthy and always fresh.

Health Benefits

Kale offers numerous nutritious benefits. It's full of minerals and vitamins you need in your diet. Kale is not just full of beneficial elements - it offers numerous other health benefits.

Some of the best benefits of kale include:

• High iron content. Kale has more iron per calorie than beef.
• High calcium content. Kale has more calcium per calorie than milk.
• Low calorie content. One cup of kale has only 36 calories.
• High fiber content. One cup of kale has 5 grams of fiber.
• Lots of anti-oxidants. Kale is full of anti-oxidants, such as carotenoids and flavonoids.
• Full of vitamins. Kale contains lots of vitamins A, C and K.
• Additional benefits. In addition to the above health benefits, kale is also a great anti-inflammatory food, and it's great for healthy heart. Also, kale makes a great detox food that can be used to help get rid of toxins from your body. It will also keep the liver healthy.

Growing Kale

Kale is not difficult to grow in your garden, and you might even try to grow it indoors, using containers. Kale looks like a gentle vegetable, but it doesn't require super care. You should care for it in a similar way you care for other green vegetables.

One advantage to growing kale in your own home is to have a completely healthy vegetable. Don't use harmful pesticides and other chemicals so your kale will be super-healthy and organic.

Using Kale

There are many different ways in which you can use kale. Some people think that this is a very bland, tasteless vegetable. Nothing can be further from the truth. There are many different ways in which you can use and prepare kale to make it super tasty.

Here are some of the best ways to use kale:

• Add kale to your green salad. Before you use it, massage it first to make it softer.
• Use kale instead of spinach in soups, pastas, mashed potatoes, beans, casseroles, crock pot meals and other recipes.
• Add kale to green smoothies.
• Use kale in your sandwiches instead of lettuce.
• Steam kale to make a low-calorie meal.
• Make a kale juice.
• Stir fry kale with other vegetables.
• Use kale instead of lettuce wraps.

These are just some ways to use kale in recipes. There are many other ways you might want to try. Experiment and find the best way to eat lots of kale. It's beneficial to incorporate this healthy vegetable to your diet.

Another thing to keep in mind is that the center of the leaf tends to be bitter. If you are bothered by this, cut out this part of the leaf to make your kale taste sweeter.

Photo credit: trollhare