Why kale is a superfood

The core reason is that its nutritional density per unit weight is in the first echelon among common green leafy vegetables. Its "super" essence is compared with ordinary green leafy vegetables such as Chinese cabbage and lettuce that we often eat.

When I was working on food development for light food restaurants in the past two years, I specially compiled a nutritional comparison table for 100g of common vegetables. The vitamin K of kale can reach 680% of the recommended daily intake, and the vitamin C is 2.3 times that of oranges of the same weight. It also has cardiovascular-friendly omega-3 fatty acids, vision-protecting lutein, and isothiocyanates that are proven to have auxiliary anti-inflammatory effects. The calories are only 30 calories and less than 10g of carbohydrates. When we were making low-calorie menus for fitness enthusiasts preparing for competitions, we originally had to arrange 300g of spinach to supplement enough vitamin K. Instead, we replaced it with 50g of kale, which is enough without taking up stomach capacity. At that time, its order rate in our store accounted for 40% of the salad side dishes, and many customers who were trying to lose weight specifically made special remarks to add more.

But to be honest, the title "superfood" itself has a lot of marketing filters. I participated in an offline exchange of the Society of Public Nutrition last year, and many teachers mentioned that there is no need to mythologise it. Its oxalic acid content is very high. 100g of raw kale can contain about 200mg of oxalic acid. For people with a history of kidney stones or weak gastrointestinal function, eating it every day can easily increase their metabolic burden. I had a fan backstage who followed the trend and checked in on the "one-week kale fasting meal" and ate two large bowls of raw kale salad every day. After only 12 days, I became so bloated that I couldn't sleep. When I went for a physical test, my uric acid exceeded the normal threshold. It took me almost half a month to recover. And really speaking of comprehensive nutritional intake, if you blanch it and eat it with half a pound of spinach and a small handful of broccoli, the nutrients you get are actually not much different. You can't afford to stock up on vegetables every day because they are three or four times more expensive than ordinary vegetables.

I usually buy some and put it in the refrigerator instead of eating it as a main course. When smoothing fruits and vegetables, throwing in two slices can reduce the grassy smell much better than adding spinach. Or blanch it in water for 30 seconds, take it out, squeeze out the water and mix it with some light soy sauce and finely ground sesame oil. The astringency is basically gone, and the crispy one is more fragrant than cold lettuce. To put it bluntly, "super" does not mean that it can cure all diseases, but that it can provide you with more nutrients under the same calorie intake. If you really want to pursue health, it is better to change the habit of taking out heavy oil and salt first. It is much more effective than worrying about whether to eat kale or not.