My favorite thing to eat for lunch is a homemade Kale Salad. I make a large batch on Sunday and dole it out into Salad Bowls for lunch every day. I feel like Kale is one of those leafy greens that you wouldn’t think of getting at the grocery store. It’s not one of the best looking greens. I mean its wrinkly and dark green and looks like it would be quite the task to chew. Most people reach for Spinach or Green Leaf Lettuce or Arugula. With their bright green leaves and softer texture, it’s no surprise that poor Kale gets overlooked. Kale, however, has a ton of health benefits, it is high in iron, fiber and Vitamin K and is low in calories and fat. It is also an excellent source of antioxidants and has anti-inflammatory properties, need I say more? When combined with other healthy ingredients it makes a very delicious salad. Even though it is tougher to chew than other greens, it is totally worth it, and think of all the calories you burn from chewing. I buy Natures Greens Organic Kale Greens from my local grocery store, it comes pre-washed and pre-chopped and all I have to do it chop it up a bit more to make the leaves a bit smaller, but that’s just a personal preference. The ingredients I include in my salad are shredded carrots, diced avocado, sliced almonds, Low-fat Feta Cheese and diced red onions. Add as much of these ingredients that meet your taste depending on the quantity you are preparing. I also add a vinaigrette which I make using equal parts of Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Red Wine Vinegar, 2 tablespoons of Dijon or Stone Ground Mustard, 2 tablespoons of Raw Honey, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice (I use fresh lemons, 1 lemon yields 2 tablespoons), 2 fresh garlic cloves (more if you love garlic), Salt and Pepper to taste. Combine all the ingredients and mix well to blend them together. To prevent the avocado from going brown you can add it the day you plan on eating your salad. Kale Salad (2)As I mentioned before I make a big batch on Sunday evening and the good thing about Kale is that even with the salad dressing added it keeps for up to 5 days in the refrigerator. Making the salad ahead of time saves me precious time every day which is another plus. I purchased disposable salad bowls on Amazon and my salad looks like I got it from Panera Bread. I like chicken with my salad so I buy a whole Rotisserie Chicken from the store and add some to my salad as well. You can also add Canned Tuna or Salmon if you like fish. This salad is very filling which is another plus as usually, a healthy salad leaves you starving an hour later. So next time you’re at the grocery store, grab yourself a bag of Kale and try this recipe. Let me know what you think! Visit www.fitinstilettos.com for more interesting articles on health, fitness, and fashion.Column content
