I found a spinach/baby kale salad blend that I love. I use it in salad.
Kale...how to disguise it?
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There must be something with equal nutrition or perhaps more so.Personally, I don’t force myself to eat things I really don’t like. I can’t imagine that there aren’t other alternatives that would be just as good as kale? But then again, I’ve been wrong before.
I love bubble & squeak and have nothing against frying. However, colcannon tastes quite different.
Lou
Forum Legend
Yes. Spinach. In fact, I think you can make a good case that spinach is even better nutrition wise.
and IMHO its. better tasting both cooked and raw.
in the summers I use spinach in my salads more often than kale. and in the winter, I use spinach more often that kale in my soups.
but I'm an advocate for variety - so I don't skip Kale totally.
When you look at their nutritional makeup, kale has more calcium, vitamin K, and twice as much vitamin C as spinach, she explains. Spinach, however, has more iron, magnesium, potassium, zinc, folate, and vitamins A and E.
But at the end of the day the best leafy green is the one that you are actually going to eat and enjoy.
Which Leafy Green Is More Nutritious: Spinach or Kale?
And better yet, which one should I put in my smoothie?
www.bostonmagazine.com
I think I've seen curly kale. I might have seen Cavalo Nero in the local Farmers' Market, but I'm not sure. I'll keep an eye out for that
the next time I go there. I HAVE gotten Purple Kale at the Farmers' Market, but it didn't taste that different from the green if I remember correctly. I think I've seen Kalettes under another name- mini-Kale. (Miniature vegetables seem to be a thing these days).It is the calcium I was after and why I have been trying to include more Kale even though I don't like it very much. I love spinach. We do use a lot of it.Yes. Spinach. In fact, I think you can make a good case that spinach is even better nutrition wise.
and IMHO its. better tasting both cooked and raw.
in the summers I use spinach in my salads more often than kale. and in the winter, I use spinach more often that kale in my soups.
but I'm an advocate for variety - so I don't skip Kale totally.
When you look at their nutritional makeup, kale has more calcium, vitamin K, and twice as much vitamin C as spinach, she explains. Spinach, however, has more iron, magnesium, potassium, zinc, folate, and vitamins A and E.But at the end of the day the best leafy green is the one that you are actually going to eat and enjoy.
Which Leafy Green Is More Nutritious: Spinach or Kale?
And better yet, which one should I put in my smoothie?
I just googled how available calcium in vegan foods is, and this link was the first.
Lou
Forum Legend
think when you buy kale in the supermarket it IS curly kale
Probably. it's like the second most common one in the markets. also known as Tuscan Kale.
I'll keep an eye out for that
Purple kale is just another version of Curly Kale. I think it's more common in people's home gardens because it's sort of pretty.
Yes Baby Kale. Some guy in California invented a mechanical harvester that is just great for harvesting immature leafy greens. Maybe someone in NY got one. or perhaps they are now shipping to the east coast.
I just got back from a little google searching. I intended to find out the guy or the company who invented the baby leafy green mechanical harvester. I read about it in a book about the organic farming movement. And I thought the story was interesting. The comapany might be Earthbound but I'm not sure. . but I did find that the whole baby green industry is really taking off. Even on the east coast - in green houses.
Lou
Forum Legend
Brocoli is a good source of calcium. Even better - tofu.
I make a very simple broccoli, mushroom, tofu stir fry. 34 g of calcium.
Remember that tofus calcium varies with the type of coagulant used--
Tofu Calcium: All the Nutrition Info You Need
Incorporate tofu and other calcium-rich beans, fruits, and veggies into your meals to keep your bones healthy without eating animal products.
tofubud.com
I also dislike curly kale, but I can get the black kale easily
A high speed blender is so great for breaking it down in smoothies, but if you freeze it, even just a good cheap blender does ok
I really like kale, citrus, ginger and date smoothies. Add a date to it it's sooo much better and dates are good for you!
Oh... let me take a moment to rant about silicone straws. I only want a straw for smoothies, or frozen drinks and soooo regret buying the silicone one. It's all wobbly, and just so disappointing, doesn't feel right, and even hard to clean with the straw brush.
I wish I'd have gotten a steel one with the silicone tip
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Lou
Forum Legend
Back before Covid my store had these bulk food bins where you could buy loose spring mix and loose baby spinach and make your own mix. I would even supply my own reusable nylon bag.
At first I was a bit disappointed that they didn't come back. Tho not sure why not. Most of the veggie you buy at the store are sort of like that. You can buy carrots, broccoli and almost everything else one at time.
As a single guy I appreciate buying smaller amounts.
But the supermarket has these premade mixes that come in 16oz or 5 oz containers that I've grown to appreciate. There are a couple of different choices. One company, Organic Girl, makes this mix in a 5 oz bag.
Organic Ingredients: Baby Greenleaf Lettuce, Tango, Baby Spinach, Baby Red Oakleaf Lettuce, Baby Green Oakleaf Lettuce, Baby Red Chard, Baby Green Chard, Lolla Rosa, Arugula, Mizuna, Baby Bok Choy, Tatsoi, Baby Redleaf Lettuce, Baby Red Butter.
Lou
Forum Legend
Also if you guys are wondering why baby greens became so popular - they used to have to be harvested almost by hand. Here in California they are grown outside and now thanks to laser guided grading machines they can make the beds super level and then make a lawn mowing machine that cuts stuff off really close to the ground. People walk ahead of the mowing machine to look for rocks and stuff. I also have heard they do the best to avoid mowing down animals.
in other places baby greens are grown indoors and they have indoor versions of the harvesters.
Oh, and you guys probably know this but I was surprised to learn a few years ago that baby carrots are not baby carrots. A farmer got tired of people not buying the less attractive carrots so invented like a vegetable lathe which turns wierd looking carrots into cute little carrots.
in other places baby greens are grown indoors and they have indoor versions of the harvesters.
Oh, and you guys probably know this but I was surprised to learn a few years ago that baby carrots are not baby carrots. A farmer got tired of people not buying the less attractive carrots so invented like a vegetable lathe which turns wierd looking carrots into cute little carrots.
I don’t like to buy the mixed greens that include any of the red lettuces…they go bad/wilt so fast and mess up the rest of the greens. My daughter finds the same thing whenever she buys it. It’s hard to find mixed greens without the red lettuce so I’m happy I have the baby spinach/kale available. Sometimes I buy butter lettuce but I’m not sure if it’s that nutritious…it reminds me of iceberg which is supposedly the devil of all lettuces, lol.
Lou
Forum Legend
iceberg lettuce needs a new PR guy. It certainly isn't the devil that people paint it to be. With one gram of protein and one gram of fiber and 0 g of fat per 10 calories, it is actually pretty good.
And while iceberg lettuce gets a bad reputation for not being as nutritious as other lettuces, it’s packed with Vitamin A, Vitamin K, and folate. Iceberg lettuce can offer a range of important health benefits for you and your family.
Health Benefits of Iceberg Lettuce
Find out what nutrients are in iceberg lettuce and learn how it can help everything from blood clotting to eye health.
www.webmd.com
they now regularly have butter lettuce with the roots attached. Living lettuce. Despite the plastic - I buy it occasionally. it stays in the fresh in the frig for a really long time. and is tasty. I like it on sandwiches.
Lou
Forum Legend
So I'm trying to find brands of tofu with high calcium. Only two so far and they're not brands available to me, of course. Honda and Phoenix Bean. Shrug.
Every brand I have is only ten percent. Nasoya and Nature's Promise.
Every brand I have is only ten percent. Nasoya and Nature's Promise.
Lou
Forum Legend
Around here most of the stores have quite a few brands and types. I have not really paid much attention to it till just now and I looked in my freeze. normally I just buy Hodo, but recently I've been buying whatever is cheapest in the supermarket. But looking at what I had in the freezer it varied from 6% to 10% of the RDA. Which was surprising to me - I thought it would be like 20 to 30%.
I didn't have any Hodo in the freezer. but I went on line and they have 20%. I usually buy Hodo in the 2 pound blocks but one day I realized that I was doing the math wrong and it's not as cheap as I thought. So I've been buying what ever is cheapest. but now I'm thinking of going back to buying Hodo. they do ship so you might look into it.
I love iceberg on sandwiches, and tacos, and taco salads. For the few calories it adds I don't feel a need for it to be nutritious. Used to be so super cheap though....iceberg lettuce needs a new PR guy. It certainly isn't the devil that people paint it to be. With one gram of protein and one gram of fiber and 0 g of fat per 10 calories, it is actually pretty good.
And while iceberg lettuce gets a bad reputation for not being as nutritious as other lettuces, it’s packed with Vitamin A, Vitamin K, and folate. Iceberg lettuce can offer a range of important health benefits for you and your family.
Health Benefits of Iceberg Lettuce
Find out what nutrients are in iceberg lettuce and learn how it can help everything from blood clotting to eye health.
they now regularly have butter lettuce with the roots attached. Living lettuce. Despite the plastic - I buy it occasionally. it stays in the fresh in the frig for a really long time. and is tasty. I like it on sandwiches.
I don't find the red leaves in the spring mix I get from Aldi to go bad sooner. Thats a blend that seems to stay fresh longer, and organic and clean. I find those living lettuces are full of dirt and grit
Have you seen the price of Hodo
. It's crazy high here, want to say like $6 a block
Lou
Forum Legend
Well it's $5 for a 10 oz block.Have you seen the price of Hodo
I've been buying the 2 lb block. but I can't remember how much it costs.
but yeah, even $5 was too much for me. I've been buying cheaper blocks for 3 or 4.
even soy milk is getting expensive.
