Comments on: In praise of kale http://www.centertao.org/blog/2009/01/01/in-praise-of-kale/ taoism, taoist thought, buddha, yoga, tai chi, shakuhachi, Tue, 31 Jan 2012 04:38:12 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Jessica http://www.centertao.org/blog/2009/01/01/in-praise-of-kale/comment-page-1/#comment-135 Jessica Mon, 02 Feb 2009 07:22:28 +0000 http://www.centertao.org/?p=1900#comment-135 Kale is lovely in soup, and cooked and chopped it makes a great addition to a fritatta. If you destem it and cut it into slender ribbons, then knead it, raw, with lots of good olive oil and some salt, it makes a wonderful salad ingredient. It breaks down a bit and becomes succulent, meaty and delicious. Great with broccoli raab, grated carrot and avocado chunks plus your favorite olive-oil or tahini-based salad dressing. Kale is lovely in soup, and cooked and chopped it makes a great addition to a fritatta. If you destem it and cut it into slender ribbons, then knead it, raw, with lots of good olive oil and some salt, it makes a wonderful salad ingredient. It breaks down a bit and becomes succulent, meaty and delicious. Great with broccoli raab, grated carrot and avocado chunks plus your favorite olive-oil or tahini-based salad dressing.

]]> By: carl http://www.centertao.org/blog/2009/01/01/in-praise-of-kale/comment-page-1/#comment-125 carl Thu, 08 Jan 2009 02:36:29 +0000 http://www.centertao.org/?p=1900#comment-125 Look closely and you'll see how much more nutritious kale is over pac choy, except for fola (folic acid) where pac choy beat kale hands down. The moral of this is the importance of some variety. Each food has its strong points. It is just that kale has so many strong points! By the way, I left the RDA column amount in as a reference, but the comparison is just between 3.5oz (100g.) of kale and pac choy. It should be said too that pac choy is a mighty healthy vegi. It just looks weak when judged against kale. Now, speaking of availability in the market. I happened to see kale at the market last year and was blown away by the price. As I recall they charged close to $5 a bunch (about a plant). It is easy to be a rich person if you measure wealth in how much kale you can grow. It is the easiest and most prolific. So why do they charge so much? I suppose it is just a case of supply and demand. Little demand makes for little supply which increases the price for those rare persons who buy kale. Interesting. <table border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="318"> <tbody> <tr> <td width="60" valign="top"></td> <td width="60" valign="top"><strong>RDA</strong></td> <td width="60" valign="top">kale/3.5 oz.</td> <td width="63" valign="top">Pac choy/3.5oz</td> <td width="75" valign="top">kale's surplus %</td> </tr> <tr> <td width="60" valign="top">Calorie</td> <td width="60" valign="top"><strong>2000.0</strong></td> <td width="60" valign="top">50.0</td> <td width="63" valign="top">13.0</td> <td width="75" valign="top">384.62%</td> </tr> <tr> <td width="60" valign="top">Prot</td> <td width="60" valign="top"><strong>50.0</strong></td> <td width="60" valign="top">1.9</td> <td width="63" valign="top">1.6</td> <td width="75" valign="top">118.75%</td> </tr> <tr> <td width="60" valign="top">Fats</td> <td width="60" valign="top"><strong>2.0</strong></td> <td width="60" valign="top">0.4</td> <td width="63" valign="top">0.2</td> <td width="75" valign="top">200.00%</td> </tr> <tr> <td width="60" valign="top">Carb</td> <td width="60" valign="top"><strong>250.0</strong></td> <td width="60" valign="top">5.6</td> <td width="63" valign="top">3.0</td> <td width="75" valign="top">186.67%</td> </tr> <tr> <td width="60" valign="top">Fibr</td> <td width="60" valign="top"><strong>22.0</strong></td> <td width="60" valign="top">2.0</td> <td width="63" valign="top">0.6</td> <td width="75" valign="top">333.33%</td> </tr> <tr> <td width="60" valign="top">Calc</td> <td width="60" valign="top"><strong>1200.0</strong></td> <td width="60" valign="top">72.0</td> <td width="63" valign="top">165.0</td> <td width="75" valign="top">43.64%</td> </tr> <tr> <td width="60" valign="top">Phos</td> <td width="60" valign="top"><strong>1200.0</strong></td> <td width="60" valign="top">28.0</td> <td width="63" valign="top">44.0</td> <td width="75" valign="top">63.64%</td> </tr> <tr> <td width="60" valign="top">Iron</td> <td width="60" valign="top"><strong>18.0</strong></td> <td width="60" valign="top">3.0</td> <td width="63" valign="top">0.8</td> <td width="75" valign="top">375.00%</td> </tr> <tr> <td width="60" valign="top">Magn</td> <td width="60" valign="top"><strong>400.0</strong></td> <td width="60" valign="top">40.0</td> <td width="63" valign="top">26.0</td> <td width="75" valign="top">153.85%</td> </tr> <tr> <td width="60" valign="top">Zinc</td> <td width="60" valign="top"><strong>18.0</strong></td> <td width="60" valign="top">0.5</td> <td width="63" valign="top">0.6</td> <td width="75" valign="top">81.97%</td> </tr> <tr> <td width="60" valign="top">Pota</td> <td width="60" valign="top"><strong>5500.0</strong></td> <td width="60" valign="top">380.0</td> <td width="63" valign="top">306.0</td> <td width="75" valign="top">124.18%</td> </tr> <tr> <td width="60" valign="top">V-A</td> <td width="60" valign="top"><strong>5000.0</strong></td> <td width="60" valign="top">10000.0</td> <td width="63" valign="top">3100.0</td> <td width="75" valign="top">322.58%</td> </tr> <tr> <td width="60" valign="top">V-B1</td> <td width="60" valign="top"><strong>1.5</strong></td> <td width="60" valign="top">0.2</td> <td width="63" valign="top">0.1</td> <td width="75" valign="top">300.00%</td> </tr> <tr> <td width="60" valign="top">V-B2</td> <td width="60" valign="top"><strong>1.8</strong></td> <td width="60" valign="top">0.3</td> <td width="63" valign="top">0.1</td> <td width="75" valign="top">260.00%</td> </tr> <tr> <td width="60" valign="top">Niac</td> <td width="60" valign="top"><strong>22.0</strong></td> <td width="60" valign="top">2.1</td> <td width="63" valign="top">0.8</td> <td width="75" valign="top">262.50%</td> </tr> <tr> <td width="60" valign="top">V-B6</td> <td width="60" valign="top"><strong>2.2</strong></td> <td width="60" valign="top">0.3</td> <td width="63" valign="top">0.4</td> <td width="75" valign="top">69.77%</td> </tr> <tr> <td width="60" valign="top">Fola</td> <td width="60" valign="top"><strong>0.2</strong></td> <td width="60" valign="top">0.0</td> <td width="63" valign="top">46.0</td> <td width="75" valign="top">0.06%</td> </tr> <tr> <td width="60" valign="top">V-C</td> <td width="60" valign="top"><strong>60.0</strong></td> <td width="60" valign="top">180.0</td> <td width="63" valign="top">25.0</td> <td width="75" valign="top">720.00%</td> </tr> <tr> <td width="60" valign="top">V-E</td> <td width="60" valign="top"><strong>11.0</strong></td> <td width="60" valign="top">1.0</td> <td width="63" valign="top">0.1</td> <td width="75" valign="top">833.33%</td> </tr> </tbody></table> Look closely and you’ll see how much more nutritious kale is over pac choy, except for fola (folic acid) where pac choy beat kale hands down. The moral of this is the importance of some variety. Each food has its strong points. It is just that kale has so many strong points! By the way, I left the RDA column amount in as a reference, but the comparison is just between 3.5oz (100g.) of kale and pac choy. It should be said too that pac choy is a mighty healthy vegi. It just looks weak when judged against kale.

Now, speaking of availability in the market. I happened to see kale at the market last year and was blown away by the price. As I recall they charged close to $5 a bunch (about a plant). It is easy to be a rich person if you measure wealth in how much kale you can grow. It is the easiest and most prolific. So why do they charge so much? I suppose it is just a case of supply and demand. Little demand makes for little supply which increases the price for those rare persons who buy kale. Interesting.

RDA kale/3.5 oz. Pac choy/3.5oz kale’s surplus %
Calorie 2000.0 50.0 13.0 384.62%
Prot 50.0 1.9 1.6 118.75%
Fats 2.0 0.4 0.2 200.00%
Carb 250.0 5.6 3.0 186.67%
Fibr 22.0 2.0 0.6 333.33%
Calc 1200.0 72.0 165.0 43.64%
Phos 1200.0 28.0 44.0 63.64%
Iron 18.0 3.0 0.8 375.00%
Magn 400.0 40.0 26.0 153.85%
Zinc 18.0 0.5 0.6 81.97%
Pota 5500.0 380.0 306.0 124.18%
V-A 5000.0 10000.0 3100.0 322.58%
V-B1 1.5 0.2 0.1 300.00%
V-B2 1.8 0.3 0.1 260.00%
Niac 22.0 2.1 0.8 262.50%
V-B6 2.2 0.3 0.4 69.77%
Fola 0.2 0.0 46.0 0.06%
V-C 60.0 180.0 25.0 720.00%
V-E 11.0 1.0 0.1 833.33%
]]> By: Lynn Cornish http://www.centertao.org/blog/2009/01/01/in-praise-of-kale/comment-page-1/#comment-124 Lynn Cornish Tue, 06 Jan 2009 20:31:34 +0000 http://www.centertao.org/?p=1900#comment-124 I'm sold. I don't think it's always available at the market so I guess it's best to grow it yourself. I've always heard that bok choy is the most nutritious vegetable...maybe I'll try to find a comparison. I’m sold. I don’t think it’s always available at the market so I guess it’s best to grow it yourself.

I’ve always heard that bok choy is the most nutritious vegetable…maybe I’ll try to find a comparison.

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