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Spinach and I have been friends for a long time and I have figured out ways to sneak it into breakfast, lunch, and dinner on almost a daily basis. But I am a spinach snob. I like baby spinach. In the bag. Washed and ready to go. So imagine my disappointment when the grocery store didn't have any!! What was I going to put in: my green smoothies? my veggie chop? my pasta sauce? my salads?
Enter kale. That curly, hardy looking cousin of cabbage.
I've known the nutritional benefits of kale for a long time. But it just seemed less versatile, and more trouble. But it's cheap. What the heck. In the cart it went.
The chart below from Thinkstock compares spinach to kale, nutritionally.
| 28 grams spinach (1 loosely packed cup) (%RDI) | 28 grams kale (1 loosely packed cup) (%RDI) | |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 6 | 14 |
| Total fat (g) | 0 | 0 |
| Sodium (mg) | 22 (1%) | 12 (1%) |
| Carbs (g) | 1 | 3 |
| Fiber (g) | 1 | 1 |
| Sugars (g) | 0 | 0 |
| Protein (g) | 1 | 1 |
| Calcium (g) | 27.7 (3%) | 37.8 (4%) |
| Folate (mcg) | 54.3 (14%) | 8.1 (2%) |
| Iron (mg) | .8 (4%) | .5 (3 %) |
| Magnesium (mg) | 22.1 (6%) | 9.5 (2%) |
| Manganese (mg) | .3 (13%) | .2 (11%) |
| Potassium (g) | 156 (4%) | 125 (4%) |
| Vitamin A (g) | 2,625 (53%) | 4,305 (86%) |
| Vitamin B6 (mg) | .1 (3%) | .1 (3%) |
| Vitamin C (mg) | 7.9 (13%) | 33.6 (56%) |
| Vitamin K (mcg) | 135 (169%) | 229 (286%) |
As you can see, as far as fiber and protein, spinach and kale are pretty close. When it comes to folate, iron, and magnesium, spinach is much higher. For vitamins A, C, and K, and calcium, kale comes out on top. Maybe the best plan is to alternate kale with spinach, or eat both.
So this week, my green smoothies have been a little greener: maybe not as smooth, but really pretty. Kale was great in lentil soup. And it makes a beautiful salad.
What you'll need:
Salad:
1 bunch of kale
1 large tomato, chopped
2 Tbsp sunflower seeds
2 Tbsp dried cranberries
Dressing:
3 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp Trader Joe's 21 Seasoning Salute (or Garlic & Herb Mrs Dash)
1/4 tsp salt
What you'll do:
Break the leaves off the stems in bite sized pieces, discarding any brown or bad leaves and the tough stems. Fill a large bowl with cold water and add 1/4 tsp of salt and stir. Then drop in the kale leaves, swish them around, and allow to sit in the water for about 5 minutes. Remove from water and arrange on multiple layers of paper toweling. Roll up the paper towels and kale and set aside. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, stir together the ingredients for the dressing. Then add in cleaned and dried kale leaves. Using your hands, mix kale and dressing, messaging the leaves and dressing so each leaf is completely coated. This will start to break down the kale, making it a little softer. You can either eat it right away or allow the salad to marinate in the fridge for a of couple hours. Then toss in tomatoes, seeds, and cranberries just before serving. Serves 2-3. Enjoy.
