Quick and Easy Kale Chips

Kale chips never last long in our house. We love crunchy foods and we love nutrient dense foods. These are so quick and easy to whip up any time!

Quick and Easy Kale Chips

Super quick, easy and crispy Kale Chips. Try them multiple ways and season according to what flavors you and your family prefers!

• 2 Heads Kale – I prefer the curly green or purple kale
• 1 tbsp Avocado Oil
• 1 tsp Garlic Salt
• Optional other seasonings: curry powder, chili powder, nutritional yeast, cumin, cayenne pepper, smoked paprika

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F

2. Rinse and dry the Kale. Remove the stems and then tear or cut into bite sized – chip like – pieces

3. It’s best if you put the kale into a mixing bowl, cover with the olive oil and garlic salt. That way you can make sure all the kale is covered and you won’t waste as much like you would if you did it on the baking sheet.

4. Pour the Kale out or spread the Kale pieces out onto 2 or 3 baking sheets. Make sure the Kale isn’t crowded!

5. Bake for about 5-10 minutes. I would watch them closely because they can go from perfect to burnt really fast. I’ve had some batches take shorter and longer than expected. So, set multiple alarms and check them to make sure you pull them out before they turn brown!

 

Why not just buy corn chips?

There is a “movement” in the health world right now that is saying food is food is food. There are no “bad” foods or “good” foods. It’s all food. They continue to say that we should be making choices based on the nutrient density of foods, not on whether or not they are good or bad for us.

But… I completely disagree.

Processed foods and drinks are not food. Their nutrients are taken out, then filled back with fortified nutrients, they are filled with chemicals, preservatives and dyes, and to make them taste good, they are packed with salt and sugar. I have a really hard time hearing nutritionists call that food.

Why choose Kale?

Kale is a superfood, among others, that promotes health and wellness (1). It is part of the Brassica family and is packed with nutrients. Brassica’s are cabbage type veggies.

It may help with diabetic patients

Due to Kale’s high antioxidant capacity and dietary fiber content, Kale appears to prevent postprandial (after eating a meal) rise in glucose in the blood. (2) It has been known for some time that diets high in fiber have an impact on GI tract health, heart health and blood sugar (3).

Kale has anti-aging, heart protective and cancer fighting properties

In addition Kale is high in nutrients that have powerful free radical scavenging capabilities (4). Research is linking free radical production and lipid peroxidation (fat oxidation) as likely causes or contributors to some chronic diseases like: heart disease, neurodegenerative disorders, cancer, diabetes, and joint diseases. As a result, polyphenols have become a popular focus of research because of their heart protective, cancer fighting and anti-aging health effects/benefits. Polyphenols are broken down into further categories:

• flavonoids
• phenolic acids
• stilbenes
• lignans

The issue with cooking

As with most vegetables containing vitamins and minerals, some vitamins/minerals are quickly denatured by heat/cooking and you end up losing out on some of the nutrients they contain (3). In one study, Kale lost about 89% of its’ vitamin C content. However, Kale is still high in:

Beta Carotene – converts to Vitamin A, which means it is an antioxidant and helps to fight free radicals. It also helps support eye and skin health.

Vitamin C – is essential for detoxification, for energy production (mitochondrial health) and for fighting free radicals (i.e. anti-aging, cancer protective, heart health protective). You need Vitamin C for healthy cells.

Polyphenols – chlorogenic acid -> another antioxidant that is also found in coffee that helps promote a healthy heart and healthy body.

Zinc – necessary for human health. It plays a role in detoxification, skin and nail strength/health, cellular health and it also helps the immune system.

Eat Whole Food

It’s a theme here at Gym Call Chiropractic and Functional Medicine that food is medicine – so the majority of what you eat should be real whole food that is sourced for healthy sources. Organic vegetables and fruits when you can, and safe, healthy raised meats are imperative for protecting your health and healing from chronic disease.

Do you know where your toxic load levels stand?

Take the quiz! – you’ll get the quiz and tons of solutions to lower your toxic load in the free download sent to you!