The BEST healthy Cheesy Kale Chips — The Sustainable Kitchen

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Health Kale Chips are easy to make and taste like Doritos using nutrional yeast — CHEESY KALE CHIPS

I was never that kid who hated eating vegetables. I grew up surrounded by a family that grew a lot of herbs and vegetables, so it was always weird to me that the kids I knew didn’t eat vegetables. Typical dinners always consisted of a variety of vegetable dishes or soups, eaten with rice and a protein dish. In some cases, vegetables were the main star of a meal. It’s no wonder I grew up appreciating and craving fresh vegetables.

While I wasn’t introduced to kale until later in life, eating other greens, such as mustard and collard was a part of growing up in New Orleans. If I recall, kale always had a negative connotation. I couldn’t think of one person who said, “Yeah, I can’t wait to cook me some kale” for dinner. In fact, for most of the 20th century, kale was primarily used for decorative purposes and didn’t become popular as an edible vegetable until the 1990s. So what happened for it to become so popular?

”I’LL GET EVERYONE TO EAT KALE”

That was the quote that started it all. Oberon Sinclair, the self-proclaimed Kale Queen boldly stated in several publications about kale to “educate consumers on kale’s benefits. From there, Bon Appetit magazine named 2012 “The Year of the Kale” and celebrities like Beyonce promoted the leafy vegetable by wearing a “kale” shirt in one of her music videos. In 2011, Gwyneth Paltrow showed the world how to make kale chips on The Ellen Show.

Beyonce wearing a "kale" shirt in her 7/11 music video — Beyonce in a “kale” shirt in one of her 7/11 music video

By 2014, kale was the rage in most American households and restaurants. Kale salads, Kale soups, and kale chips started popping up on menus across America, touting it as one of the best superfoods. People were replacing their spinach with kale in their smoothies and green juice. As consumers were becoming more interested in healthy and sustainable living, kale became the poster child superfood ingredient for health-conscious home cooks.

Make sure you wash your kale several times to remove any dirt and grit — Wash your kale thoroughly to ensure all dirt and grit is removed

THE BENEFITS OF KALE

Kale is highly nutritious and very low in calories. A single cup of kale contains:

Calories: 7
Carbs: 1 g
Fiber: 1 g
Vitamin K: 68% of the Daily Value (DV)
Vitamin C: 22% of the DV
Manganese: 8% of the DV
Vitamin A: 6% of the DV
Riboflavin: 5% of the DV
Calcium: 4% of the DV

It is also densely packed with antioxidants, which include beta-carotene and vitamin C. Antioxidants help counteract oxidative damage by neutralizing free radicals in the body. Vitamin C is an antioxidant that helps in the synthesis of collagen. Kale also contains vitamin K, which is an important nutrient that is involved in blood clotting. It does this by activating certain proteins and giving them the ability to bind to calcium.

Kale also contains substances that have been shown to help fight cancer in test-tube and animal studies. One of these substances is sulforaphane, which helps block the formation of cancer at the molecular level. It also contains a substance called indole-3-carbinol, which is believed to help prevent cancer.

Kale could also help support weight as it is a nutrient-dense, low-calorie food. Eating plenty of food with a low energy density has been shown to promote weight loss in numerous studies. Energy density refers to the amount of calories in a specific amount of food (Mayo Clinic, 2014). Kale chips are low energy density food, meaning you can eat a lot of them, without adding many calories to your diet. It also contains fiber, which has been shown to help with weight loss.

Massaging olive oil into your kale will reduce the bitterness — Making Kale Chips- Massage the oil into the kale to decrease bitterness

The Recipe

These kale chips are the perfect savory snack. It combines a mixture of spices with nutritional yeast, giving it a “cheesy” flavor without dairy. Instead of reaching for a bag of potato chips, which are full of fats and salt, make these kale chips to keep on hand for when you need a snack. Making kale chips is easy, but just make sure you make a lot, because if you’re like me, you will most likely eat these in one sitting.

Be sure to wash your greens thoroughly, at least 2 times to remove any dirt and grime. It’s important that you let your greens dry completely. If you have the time, let it air dry overnight on your kitchen counter. Massaging the oil into your kale is also important as it helps with the bitterness. This recipe is very versatile and the spice mixture can be adjusted to your liking depending on what you are craving. Sometimes, even just a bit of sea salt is all you need!

Add nutritional yeast for "cheesy" kale chips — Kale chips with nutritional yeast and a blend of spices

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

2 large stalks kale, about 4 cups
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons fine flake nutritional yeast
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

Step 1:

Preheat oven to 300° and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Step 2:

Remove the leaves from the stalk and tear the leaves into large pieces. Wash the leaves thoroughly twice to remove dirt and grit. Place paper towels on counter and place leaves on top to air dry.

Step 3:

When leaves are completely dry, place them in a large bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Massage the oil into the kale leaves, ensuring the leaves are evenly coated with oil.

Step 4:

In a small bowl, combine all spices and sprinkle on leaves, mixing well to combine.

Step 5:

Spread the leaves on the baking sheet, arranging them in a single layer. Sprinkle more nutritional yeast if you like.