Plan. Shop. Prepare. Eat.

Most of us are opportunistic eaters – we wait until we are hungry and then we eat whatever we have quick and easy access to.  If this sounds like you, then you can use this to your advantage by following these simple steps:  Plan, shop, prepare, eat. 

You can spend a little time planning to ensure that the foods you turn to are those that you feel good about.

Planning your meals isn’t as hard as it sounds.  There are endless recipes available on the internet, in magazines, on television, and in cookbooks to choose from.  You don’t need to plan seven different breakfasts, lunches and dinner each day.  Plan a couple of different alternatives for breakfast and lunch and then change them up each week.  Plan three dinner ideas and then make use of leftovers during the week. 

Start with breakfast!  I can’t emphasize enough how important breakfast is every day – ideally with foods providing protein, fat, and carbohydrates.  Starting your day with a balanced breakfast boosts your metabolism, promotes balanced blood sugar, and will provide you with consistent energy.  Start this week by trying a couple of the ideas below. 

1.      Leftover Vegetable Frittata

Leftovers can make a great breakfast.  Try this recipe for dinner with a salad and then enjoy leftovers in the morning:  Vegetable and Cheese Frittata

2.     Yogurt and fruit parfait

In a goblet, layer the following ingredients twice: berries (1/4 cup of sliced strawberries and ¼ cup of blueberries—can be fresh or frozen), 6 ounces of vanilla low-fat yogurt, and 2 tablespoons of granola (and finish with a few berries on top).

3.     Toast with Nut Butter and Fruit

Try almond butter, cashew butter, or peanut butter to find your favorite.  Look for whole grain bread with the first ingredient being 100% whole wheat (or an alternate grain if wheat is not for you.)

4.     Avocado Sunrise

Try this easy-to-make, energizing morning meal: cut a ripe avocado in half, scoop it out of the peel, remove the seed, put your favorite fresh salsa in place of the seed, and sprinkle with a little sea salt.

5.     Immune-Boosting Smoothie

Combine 1 cup of strawberries, 1 cup of raspberries, a half cup of pineapple, 1 tablespoon of ground flax seeds, 1/3 cup yogurt, and 1/3 cup coconut water in a blender and mix until smooth. (If you want to make it cold, toss a few ice cubes into the blender).

6.     Energy-Boosting Oatmeal

Combine 1/2 cup of old-fashioned oats and 1 cup of milk (cow, soy, rice or other) or water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Cook for 3-5 minutes over medium low heat, stirring occasionally.  Remove from heat, add in 1/8 teaspoon of vanilla, sprinkle in some cinnamon and honey (to taste) and then stir in 1-2 tablespoons ground flax seeds (start with 1 tablespoon and gradually increase).  Top with fresh berries.

7.     Breakfast Burrito

Scramble two eggs, sprinkle with cheese and then roll up in a whole wheat tortilla.  Top with your favorite salsa and some fresh spinach.  If you are not a fan of eggs, fill a tortilla with a banana and 2 tablespoons of your favorite nut butter.

Enjoy!

Is Your New Year's Resolution to Lose Weight?

 



It is December 29 and every other television commercial is about a weight loss program.  Janet Jackson and Mariah Carey have been featured for Nutrisystem and Jenny Craig.  What woman wouldn't want to look like either of them?

While there are many diet programs out there, the real secret to losing weight and keeping it off is to eat real food.  What I mean by this is to eliminate as many processed, packaged foods as you can.  And if you choose to include the convenience of processed, packaged foods in your diet, read the labels and choose the products with the shortest list and with ingredients you recognize as food.

Eating this way takes some planning and preparation, but so does following Nutrisystem, Jenny Craig, or Weight Watchers.  The difference is that you get to eat a wide variety of foods that are fresh, delicious, and high in nutrients to maximize your energy and health.

I believe that your body and metabolism works more efficiently when the majority of foods you eat are close to their natural form.  Whole foods in their natural form include beef, poultry, fish, lamb, pork, whole grains, vegetables, fruit, nuts, milk, cheese, yogurt, and eggs.  There is no going hungry with these guidelines. 

Best practice for weight loss is to include vegetables and fruit at every meal and snack, and to include whole grains such as brown rice, quinoa, polenta, barley, oatmeal, couscous, etc.  The fiber naturally present in these foods will fill you up and tune up your digestive system.  Healthy fats are also important for healthy cells!  Include avocado, nuts,nut butters, and cold-water fish (salmon, tuna, sardines) in your diet frequently.

I've included a few ideas to get you started.

Breakfast - Oatmeal with blueberries and walnuts; scrambled eggs with toast and an orange; toast with peanut butter and an apple.

Lunch - Quinoa salad with chicken breast, kalamata olives, and basil; black bean and sweet potato chili with corn bread; Pita stuffed with chicken caesar salad.

Dinner - Grilled salmon with brown rice and broccoli; marinated flank steak with sweet potato fries and salad; veggie pesto pizza with salad.

Snacks - Fresh fruit and nuts; veggies and black bean hummus; home-made trail mix; yogurt with almonds and raisins.

Treats - Dark chocolate (70%+ cocoa is best), real ice cream - a little goes a long way!


Plan your meals and snacks on the weekend and make dishes that store well ahead of time (chili, whole grain salads, hummus, trail mix, etc.) 

Try not to let yourself go too long without eating, and by all means don't deprive yourself of the foods you love.  Both may lead to overeating and feelings of defeat when trying to make healthy changes to your diet.

My advice - turn off the diet commercials and instead focus your efforts on learning to cook and eat real foods.

Happy New Year!!

Mindful Eating for the Merriest of Holidays

As part of my dietetic internship, I had the opportunity to prepare a seminar on "Mindful Eating" to help participants prepare for the holidays.  I’d heard of Mindful Eating as a healthy practice, but little did I know how beneficial it could be!

Life is busy and full of distractions, if not in our head with thoughts about something we did or something we plan to do, then from TV, internet, multitasking, time constraints, children’s activities, and social commitments.  When do we have time to truly focus on our enjoyment of food?

What is Mindful Eating?

Mindful eating means eating with awareness – awareness of the experience of eating. Mindful eating means tuning in to all of your senses:

• Eyes – sight of food
• Nose – smell of food
• Tongue – taste of food
• Touch – mouth feel of food
• Sound – noise of eating (crunching sounds)

Benefits of Mindful Eating

Mindful eating is definitely a worthwhile practice to develop, especially during the busy holidays.  Mindful eating has several benefits:

·         Greater enjoyment of our food (research has shown that the pleasure center in the brain is stimulated more when eating mindfully)

·         Eating more slowly = less food before reaching satiety

·         Greater awareness about whether we are full or not

·         Improved digestive function – when body is experiencing fight or flight, the digestive process is on hold (30-40% less effective).  Result:  digestive distress, impaired nutrient absorption, feeling of heaviness.

·         Allows us to tune in to physical hunger vs. emotional hunger.

How to Develop the Skill – Practice!

To practice mindful eating, get a good piece of dark chocolate, a sweet dried apricot, or a cruncy walnut.  Find a quiet place with no distractions and follow the steps below. 

1.      Look at the food – notice the color, texture, shape.

2.      Smell the food – inhale the aroma a couple of times and notice how you can “taste” with your nose.

3.      Take a bite – do not begin chewing yet.  Notice the flavors on your tongue.  With the chocolate, allow it to slowly melt and awaken all of your taste buds.

4.      Chew the food slowly – notice the feel of it in your mouth.  Listen to any sound that the chewing makes.

5.      Swallow the food – be aware of its inner journey to where you no longer experience it as food.

How was your eating experience different?  Did you notice anything new about the food you ate?

While it may not always be practical to focus every bite of food at this level of awareness, here are a few strategies to slow down your eating to focus your awareness on the enjoyment of your meals.

·         Eat with chopsticks and/or put your utensils down while you chew and swallow.

·         Eat with your non-dominant hand.

·         Eat without TV, computer, or newspaper.

·         At work, get away from your desk and eat outside or with an outside view.

·         Express gratitude for the food and/or eating companions when you begin your meal.

Implementing these strategies to eat more mindfully can improve your digestion and your waistline this holiday season.  Enjoy your favorite holiday foods to the fullest!

Foodie Flavors for Pumpkin Seeds

How long has it been since you've carved a pumpkin for halloween and then roasted the seeds?  I don't think I can even remember the last time I enjoyed homemade roasted pumpkin seeds prior to this year!

As part of my dietetic internship, two other interns and I will be presenting a food demonstration on Halloween Day.  Our theme is "toasting and roasting" so we couldn't resist including roasted pumpkin seeds with our recipes.

Pumpkin seeds are rich in protein, iron, magnesium, and zinc.  They are also a good source of fiber.  Like other seeds they contain a high percentage of calories from fat, but it is primarily healthy unsaturated fat.  A 1/2-ounce serving of seeds (approximately 40-45 seeds) contains only 60 calories and 2.5 grams of fat so feel free to indulge guilt-free.

Roasting directions:  After you've carved your pumpkin, rinse the seeds well, toss with olive oil and roast for 20 minutes at 300 degrees to dry them out.  Then, toss them with a little more olive oil and the spice combination of your choice.  Roast the flavored seeds for 20 minutes, until golden brown.

Now for the fun part - the foodie flavors!  These great flavor combinations were created by one of my fellow interns with some inspiration from the Food Network. 

For 1-2 cups of seeds, try these delicious variations:
Italian - 2 teaspoons grated fresh parmesan cheese, 1 teaspoon of dried oregano.
Chipotle BBQ - 2 teaspoons brown sugar, 1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin.
Ginger coconut - 1 1/2 teaspoon honey, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, 1 1/2 tablespoons shredded coconut.
Indian - 2 teaspoons garam masala, 1/8 cup currants.
Spanish - 2 teaspoons smoked paprika, 1/8 cup slivered almonds.
Sweet treat - 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 2 teaspoons sugar.

If you haven't eaten them all straight off of the pan, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator and sprinkle seeds on salads, soups, vegetables, grain or pasta dishes.  

After Halloween, you can still enjoy pumpkin seeds by buying the green "pepitas" in the bulk section of the grocery store.  The pepita is the green inner seed after the white hull is removed.  Buy raw seeds (unroasted) and go straight to seasoning and roasting.  There is no need to roast them first to dry them out like the fresh seeds with hulls. 

Have a happy and healthy halloween!

Hummus 3 Ways

A great way to add beans to your diet and to make fresh vegetables more exciting is to eat hummus.  Hummus is a dip or spread that has Middle Eastern origins and has been around for hundreds of years.  It is on restaurant menus, served in school cafeterias, and available in many flavors on grocery store shelves.   The best tasting hummus is homemade, and gives you the choice of bean variety and flavors. 

Traditional hummus is made with garbanzo beans (also called chickpeas), tahini (sesame seed paste), lemon juice, fresh garlic, olive oil, and salt.  With the right equipment (a small food processor or a reliable blender), it is very easy to make and can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week.  Hummus is rich in protein, iron, fiber, vitamin C and calcium and provides healthy fat from the sesame seeds.  It makes a perfect, portable snack that will help you maintain your blood sugar throughout the day.

Now for the 3 Ways

There are endless varieties of hummus you can make using different beans and spices, and The Desert Café in Baltimore reportedly has a rotating menu of more than 175 versions!  Thanks to the Food Network Magazine, they have shared three recipes to make at home (each makes about 4 cups):

Sour Cream and Onion Hummus

3 cups canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed, ½ cup liquid reserved

2 to 3 gloves garlic

¼ cup tahini

¼ cup fresh lemon juice

1 ½ teaspoons dried minced onion

1 ½ teaspoons onion powder

1 ½ teaspoons granulated garlic

Kosher salt

Put the chickpeas, chickpea liquid, garlic, tahini, lemon juice, dried onion, onion powder, granulated garlic and 1 teaspoon salt in a food processor.  Puree until smooth and creamy.

Buffalo Wing Hummus

3 cups canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed, ½ cup liquid reserved

2 to 3 gloves garlic

¼ cup tahini

¼ cup fresh lemon juice

1 ½ teaspoons paprika

2 tablespoons barbecue sauce

2 to 3 tablespoons cayenne hot sauce

1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar

Kosher salt

Put the chickpeas, chickpea liquid, garlic, tahini, lemon juice, paprika, barbecue sauce, hot sauce, vinegar and 1 ½ teaspoons salt in a food processor.  Puree until smooth and creamy.

Pizza Hummus

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

¼ cup tomato paste

2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried basil

2 to 3 gloves garlic

3 cups canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed, ½ cup liquid reserved

¼ cup tahini

¼ cup fresh lemon juice

Kosher salt

Heat the olive oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the tomato paste, oregano and basil and cook until slightly toasted, about 2 minutes.  Transfer the tomato paste mixture to a food processor.  Add the garlic, chickpeas, chickpea liquid, tahini, lemon juice 1 teaspoon salt in a food processor.  Puree until smooth and creamy.

Go to the Food Network online to see all 47 recipes for hummus:  http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipe-collections/hummus/index.html?No=0

The Secret to Great Tasting Vegetables

The new USDA Healthy Plate model recommends that we fill half of our plate with fruits and vegetables.  We all know that vegetables are good for us and that most people do not eat the recommended daily servings of 5 each day.  In fact, many people straight out say that they do not like vegetables.

If all you’ve experienced is overcooked, over-salted vegetables (think canned green beans, frozen dinners, and most restaurant vegetables); it is no wonder that you don’t like them! 

The secret to great tasting vegetables is easy:

1.       Choose fresh and in season.

2.       Prepare with respect.

3.       Add flavor:  sweet, salty and/or sour.

Choose Fresh and In Season

Local, fresh vegetables purchased in season are fresher and less-expensive than those picked unripe and then ripened during transit over thousands of miles.  The most obvious example of this is fresh tomatoes.  An August tomato picked from your garden or purchased from a farmers market has far more flavor than a store-bought tomato in January.  There is no comparison!  If it doesn’t taste good, it won’t make it to your plate.

During winter months, squash and root vegetables are a great choice.  Also, enjoy high quality frozen vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, corn, peas, and green beans. 

If you live in the Pacific Northwest, a great site to find out what is in season each month is the Seasonal Cornucopia website http://www.seasonalcornucopia.com/sc/default.asp .

Prepare with Respect

By this I mean choose the best cooking method to emphasize the flavor and qualities of your vegetables.  This can be a very personal choice; some people prefer broccoli raw, some roasted, and some blanched or lightly steamed.  No matter which method you prefer, avoid over cooking.  I encourage you to experiment to find the method that you like the best.  If you are new to cooking vegetables, try roasting with olive oil, salt and pepper. 

Add Flavor:  Sweet/Salty/Sour

The secret to great tasting vegetables (especially leafy greens such as kale, chard, and spinach) that even your kids will eat is using one or all of these three flavors:

1.       Sweet

2.       Salty

3.       Sour

Leafy greens and other vegetables taste bitter to most people – from mildly bitter to pungent – depending on the sensitivity of your palate.  The secret to reducing the bitterness of your greens is to flavor with sweet, sour, or salty flavors – or all three!

Add sweet flavors with sweet sautéed onions, bell peppers (red or orange), fresh fruit or fruit juice, or chutney.  Add sour with vinegar (balsamic, red or white wine, rice, or apple cider) or fresh lemon or lime juice.  Salty is easy – a pinch of sea salt, umeboshi plum paste, miso, sea vegetables, or chopped olives are all a nice complement to bitter greens.

Now that you know the secrets, try them and share your discoveries with your family and friends.  You may end up with so many favorites that you need a bigger plate.

Healthy Eating - One Plate at a Time

The Harvard School of Public Health recently published their version of the USDA’s “MyPlate” model for healthy eating. 

What’s the difference?  "Unfortunately, like the earlier U.S. Department of Agriculture Pyramids, MyPlate mixes science with the influence of powerful agricultural interests, which is not the recipe for healthy eating," said Walter Willett, Professor of Epidemiology and Nutrition and chair of the Department of Nutrition at HSPH.  The Healthy Eating Plate is based on the latest and best scientific evidence which shows that a plant-based diet rich in vegetables, whole grains, healthy fats, and healthy proteins lowers the risk of weight gain and chronic disease.

The Harvard version is more specific about important choices to make within each food category.  The healthy plate recommends whole grains (brown rice, oatmeal, 100% whole wheat) over refined grains (white flour and rice products),  healthier high-protein foods such as fish, poultry, beans and nuts, beneficial healthy fats (olive and canola oils, avocado, and flax seeds rich in omega-3 fatty acids), and choosing from a variety of fruits and vegetables (choose from a rainbow of colors; avoid over reliance on potatoes).  The Harvard version also emphasizes the importance of physical activity and reducing high-sugar beverages.

To learn more, visit Harvard’s site:  Harvard Healthy Plate information.

Your best chance of success to follow this advice is to eat most of your meals at home.  Most restaurants, even high-end ones, continue to serve an unbalanced plate with ½ protein, ¼ starch, and ¼ vegetables (at most!).   I recently traveled to Las Vegas and had my choice of famous restaurants to choose from:  Emeril Lagasse, Bobby Flay, Wolfgang Puck, Todd English, Mary Sue Milliken, etc.  While the food was wonderful, it was a real challenge to find vegetables or a salad that wasn’t heavily laden with dressing or butter.  Several restaurants offered broccolini as a side, and twice I received it overcooked and swimming in butter.  In the future, I will ask to have the vegetables prepared lightly steamed with no added butter or oil. 

If we don’t ask for healthier versions of restaurant meals, the industry will never change.  Unfortunately the majority of American diners expect to receive a large portion of meat or seafood for their entrée at a restaurant.  The sides such as grains and vegetables are treated as condiments to the main protein component, but a healthy diet includes just the opposite.  A good strategy is to split your meal with someone else or take half of it home for another meal, and order sides of steamed vegetables and whole grains.

In your own kitchen, you can easily make the change to include a large portion of vegetables accompanied by whole grains and a moderate portion of protein foods.  Don’t let the restaurant industry define your version of a healthy plate. 

Tomato Patience

There is nothing better than a vine-ripened summer tomato fresh from the garden.  In the Pacific Northwest, home gardeners are patiently waiting for their plentiful green tomatoes to finally ripen.  September is the critical month – sunshine and warm temperatures make the difference between ending the summer growing season with an abundance of ripe tomatoes or not. 

This year we planted early in hopes of having an earlier crop – beefsteak tomatoes and red and yellow cherry tomatoes.  The cherry tomatoes started to ripen a couple of weeks ago and they draw us to the garden every day to pick them before the birds find them!  The big prize will be the beautiful beef steak tomatoes, which require much more patience and a few wishes for continued sunshine!

Vitamins, Minerals, and Lycopene

Tomatoes are a perfect summer superfood.  They are rich in vitamin C, A, and K, and also in minerals molybdenum, potassium, manganese, and chromium.  They are most well-known for their high content of lycopene, which has been found to protect cells, DNA, and LDL cholesterol from oxidation.  This has been shown to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and prostate cancer.  It is best to eat the whole tomato – animal studies where test groups received either lycopene or the whole tomato found that those give the whole food where better protected from disease.

Choose tomatoes that are free of wrinkles, bruises or soft spots.  It is best to store them at room temperature and not in direct sunlight.  They will continue to ripen at room temperature, and if you want to speed up the process put them in a paper bag with an apple or banana.

Tomatoes are delicious either raw or cooked.  Slice them for a quick salad with basil, mozzarella cheese, and balsamic vinegar.  Sauté chopped tomatoes with parsley, kalamata olives, and garlic to top fish, chicken, or tofu.  Cherry tomatoes are great in green salads and mixed in with pasta and whole grain salads. 

What about canned tomatoes?  You can find whole peeled, chopped, and sauces for quick and easy meals.  Many canned tomatoes are high in sodium, so be sure to look for low or no sodium versions and check the label for sodium content or other added ingredients.

Enjoy fresh tomatoes while they last!  Farmers markets have an abundant supply to fill your plate while patiently waiting for Mother Nature to bless your garden.

Gluten-Free Yeast Rolls

During the last two years I discovered that wheat and my digestive tract are no longer friends.  They probably never were but only recently did I have the courage to eliminate wheat from my diet.  I've found it is easiest to choose gluten-free products - where there is no gluten there is no wheat!

The one thing I have missed is a good yeast roll for sandwiches or burgers.  I've also missed the wonderful experience of fresh baked bread, including the aroma while it is baking and the enjoyment of eating it warm from the oven.

While attempting to grocery shop without my glasses, I accidentally picked up a Bob's Red Mill "Homemade Wonderful Bread Mix" instead of the biscuit mix I'd intended to buy.  

I decided to experiment to see if I could use the mix to make a roll suitable for a burger bun.  The first time I made them, they were irregular shaped blobs that quickly fell after I'd baked them.  I didn't cover them while they were baking and they browned too quickly, which resulted in my pulling them out of the oven a bit early. 

Today I made them again, and results lived up to the "Homemade Wonderful" label.  I wanted to share this with all of the gluten-free foodies who may also be missing yeast rolls and want to get adventurous in the kitchen.  Simply mix according to the directions and shape them into circular mounds instead of putting the dough in a bread pan.  I baked them for 20 minutes and covered them with foil after 10 minutes to prevent over browning.

They freeze well and are good enough for everyone to enjoy, gluten-free or not.  Enjoy!

Chocoholics Rejoice!

Chocolate lovers and chocolate manufacturers are united in their celebration about the health benefits of chocolate, or more specifically cocoa.

Cocoa is rich in a type of antioxidant called polyphenols  also found in plant foods such as red grapes and green tea.  These polyphenols may reduce the risk of heart disease, improve blood flow, and lower blood pressure. 

Cocoa or cacao beans are not beans but the seeds of the fruit of the Theobroma cacao tree. The seeds are dried and then processed to produce cocoa powder.  Dark chocolate generally has a higher percentage of cocoa content than milk chocolate.

Hershey Compares Dark Chocolate to Super Fruits

The Hershey Company conducted a study published in Chemistry Central Journal, where researchers compared the total flavonol and polyphenol content as well as antioxidant activity content of cocoa powder and dark chocolate vs. super fruits, including acai, blueberry, cranberry, and pomegranate.  (Keep in mind that this study has some risk of bias since Hershey has a vested interest in the outcome.)

The researchers looked at the antioxidant content per 40-gram (1.4-ounce) serving of dark chocolate (containing 60%-63% cacao) and cocoa powder vs. 8 fl. oz. of super fruit juices.  The fruit juices included acai, blueberry, cranberry, and pomegranate and were 100% non-blended juices.  The total antioxidant activity of dark chocolate per serving was significantly higher than the super fruit juices except for pomegranate juice.  

The total polyphenol content per serving was highest for dark chocolate at about 1,000 milligrams per serving.  This was significantly higher than the fruit juices except pomegranate juice.  Dark chocolate also had the highest total flavonol content per serving at more than 500 milligrams, followed by cocoa beverage at about 400.  All of the super fruit juices had less than 200 milligrams per serving of this type of antioxidant.

Researchers say it's important to note that the cocoa powders, cocoa beverages, and dark chocolate used in the study contained natural or non-alkalized cocoa.  Alkalization is a process used to mellow the flavor of cocoa, but it also destroys the polyphenolic compounds.  Most hot cocoa mixes contain alkalized cocoa and thus contain few or no antioxidants.

Health Benefits

How do the polyphenols in chocolate help to reduce heart disease?  Research has shown that the polyphenols in chocolate inhibit the oxidation of LDL cholesterol.  This reduces the potential for LDL cholesterol to stick to artery walls, decreasing the risk of plaque buildup, heart attack and stroke.

Before you run out to buy your favorite chocolate bar, be aware that all chocolate is not equal.  Dark chocolate with a cocoa content of at least 70% is recommended because it is lower in sugar and higher in polyphenols than milk chocolate. 

Definitive studies using dark chocolate to prevent heart disease have not been done, so don’t go crazy and add a chocolate bar to your vitamin regimen.  It is reasonable to eat up to 1 oz. daily of high quality dark chocolate as part of a healthy diet.

Endangered Species is one of my favorite brands.  The bar shown below is 3 oz. and I've found that about 1/2 oz. savored after a good meal is enough to satisfy my sweet tooth.

Kale... Chips??

I know it sounds strange to make chips out of a leafy green that often decorates salad bars, but if you haven’t tried them you are missing an incredible snack alternative.  People who have tried them describe them as “addicting” and confess that they often eat a whole bowl themselves.

When I first heard about them I knew that it was something I had to try!  Leafy greens are a powerhouse for health and creative recipes inspire me.  I purchased some Dinosaur Kale, also known as Lucinato or Tuscan Kale.

I found a few recipes online and baked a batch with less than delicious results – too salty, unevenly cooked, and some were charred beyond being edible.   Yuk!

I had some beet greens from a beautiful bunch of beets from the farmers market, so I decided to get creative and tried a less salty recipe with the greens, along with some balsamic vinegar.  It sure sounded good, but the results were not good.  What about collard greens?  They are thicker and might hold up better to the heat of the oven.  Wrong!  By this time I was getting frustrated and I was close to a household rule that leafy greens do not go in the oven – ever.   I ended up buying a package of kale chips from Whole Foods for $7.99 to see what the “professional” chips tasted like, but I disliked these more than those I made myself.

I decided to consult an expert, and it just so happened that I was at the Summer Food Academy at Auburn School District.  On the last day of the academy, their experienced kitchen manager made kale chips for the kids.  They were fantastic, and many of the kids couldn’t get enough of them.

One of the critical factors I'd missed was the type of kale.  I learned that the Curly Kale is much better suited to even cooking because it does not lay flat on the baking sheet.

I found some beautiful purple curly kale at the farmers market and added some dried oregano and a pinch of cayenne pepper along with the olive oil.  I sprinkled salt on the kale just before baking to season it as I would any roasted vegetable to prevent adding too much salt.  The result was 100% delicious! 

Why was I so determined to make them?  Kale is a superfood, and I am always looking for creative ways to incorporate it in my diet.  One cup of raw kale contains 684% of the recommended daily amount of vitamin K, 206% of vitamin A, and 134% of vitamin C.  It is also an excellent source of manganese, copper, calcium, and iron and has 2 grams of fiber.  This is the kind of snack I get excited about!

If you haven’t tried kale chips, use my recipe below to give them a try.  Vary the seasoning if you’d like to and be sure to watch them closely as ovens vary in temperature.

Spicy Kale Chips

These home-made chips are so delicious that even your kids will enjoy them!  The curly leaf kale works best as the curly edges ensure that the kale doesn’t lay flat on the pan.

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large bunch kale, washed and torn into bite-sized pieces

~1/8 teaspoon sea salt

1 pinch cayenne pepper, or more if you prefer more heat

1.       Heat oven to 325 degrees F.

2.       Spin kale in a salad spinner or blot with a paper towel to remove excess water. 

3.       Place kale in a large bowl, add olive oil, and massage the oil into the kale until all of the leaves have been coated.

4.       Place kale on a large baking sheet sprinkle with salt and cayenne pepper.  Toss to evenly distribute the spices.

5.       Bake for approximately 10 minutes and then toss the kale to redistribute it on the pan for even cooking.

6.       Bake for an additional 5-7 minutes, until the kale has just begun to brown around the edges and kale pieces are crispy.

7.       Cool and serve.

Preparation time:  25 minutes.

Makes 4-6 servings (or 1 if you eat them all yourself!)

Note:  Please consult your doctor if you are taking a blood thinner.  The high content of vitamin K may interfere with your medication.