Let's face it, Montrealers, not many of us like eating our vegetables, especially for breakfast. Besides, who even has the time to prepare anything more complicated than buttered toast and a coffee to-go in the morning? Indeed, eating healthy does take more time than making simple toast, but--I promise--your body will thank you for it later. Don't forget, breakfast is the most important meal of the day and yet, here we are running out the door with practically nothing sustainable in our stomachs. How are we then supposed to function without a proper source of energy? And worse yet, we risk having everyone around us at school or work hear the growling of our stomachs. Awkward!
My obsession: the kale smoothie. Hold on! Now before you close this window, hear me out. I agree--the media went a little overboard with the talk of kale. And yes, the leafy green's benefits were heavily exaggerated. Somehow, kale has become a fad in the West. Even Beyoncé is rocking a sweatshirt with the word kale on it in a recent music video; however, kale does have its benefits and they shouldn't be overlooked. After all, kale has been cultivated for over 2000 years! It was once the most widely eaten green vegetable until cabbages won the popularity contest in the Middle Ages. Imagine that! So, for those of us who don't like vegetables and have little to no time to prepare a nutritious breakfast, sneaking in kale into smoothies is the perfect way to go about this particular displeasure. Don't worry, it won't even feel like you're eating vegetables with the recipe to come!
Okay, so here's the real deal. According to WebMD, kale is a superfood, which means that it contains a great amount of antioxidants. One cup of kale contains the following: 3 grams of protein, 2.5 grams of fiber (helps manage blood sugar and keeps you satiated), vitamins A, C and K, folate (indispensable for brain development), alpha-linolenic acid (an omega-3 fatty acid), lutein and zeaxanthin (prevents macular degeneration and cataracts), and other minerals such as potassium, calcium and zink. It's also astounding that per calorie, kale contains more iron than beef, more calcium than milk, and ten times more vitamin C than spinach. And to top it all off, kale is great for those who want to shed a few pounds at only 33 calories in one cup. Okay, you get the picture. So then why not improve your immune system and overall health by having this dark leafy green in your mason jar while you're running some errands?
Seriously though, a kale smoothie in the morning is a great alternative to a lazy and oftentimes unhealthy breakfast and it only takes 5-10 minutes to make. Worse comes to worst, if you're really out of time, prepare your ingredients the night before. It's that simple! Let's begin, shall we?
The Kale-tastic Smoothie Recipe:
Prep Time: 5-10 mins | Blend Time: 1 min | Total Time: 5-10 mins
Serving: 2 small portions (200 mL/each) or 1 large one (400 mL)
- 1 cup (250 mL) of loosely packed chopped kale
- 1 small kale stem with leaf (for decorative purposes)
- 1 cup (250 mL) of ice cubes
- 1 half of peeled apple
- 1 banana
- ½ cup (125 mL) of vanilla almond milk
- 1-2 tablespoons of honey
- 1 slice of lemon (for decorative purposes)
Caution: Kale's curling leaves provide many traps for dirt. Make sure to wash them thoroughly.
1. Wash kale.
2. Chop the kale and remove its stems.
3. Wash apple.
4. Cut apple in two.
Caution: For the next step, be extra careful with the knife! Peeling apples can be tricky.
5. Peel one of the apple's halves.
6. Chop the peeled apple half.
7. Peel and chop banana.
8. Cut a slice of lemon.
9. Cut out a small kale stem with leaf and wash it.
Tip 1: Pour the liquid in the blender first. Add your greens and chunks of fruit or vegetables last.
Tip 2: Start slow. If your blender has speeds, start it on low to break up big pieces of fruit or vegetables, then work yourself up to high for purée.
Tip 3: If your mix is too liquidy, thicken your smoothie by adding more ice.
Tip 4: To assure that the smoothie gets blended properly, stop the blender midway and mix the ingredients with a mixing spoon!
1. Pour almond milk into blender.
2. Add in ice.
3. Toss in chopped kale.
4. Throw in chopped apple and banana.
5. Pour in honey.
Caution: Before blending the ingredients, make sure that the top lid of the blender is properly sealed to avoid a messy situation.
6. Blend ingredients.
7. Pour smoothie into a mason jar for cute points.
8. For extra cute points, place a slice of lemon on the rim of the mason jar and add a kale stem with leaf for charm.
9. Enjoy!
Photography: Solange Statsevich
Amazing recipe :) Thanks for sharing. I used the whole apple and added in a kiwi for some extra sweetness and Vitamin C and it was delicious.
This is what I survived on this weekend. DELICIOUS! And great essay!
I honestly admire you work, Solange! The way you incorporated all those scroll bar windows and good quality pictures in your instructions is nothing short of spectacular:)I enjoyed the intro a lot - the tone is so engaging and really motivates us to eat healthy. Well done!
Great post, Solange! Not only does this smoothie sound fantastic, but I loved the blurb about the benefits of kale, and your photos are truly stunning.
Your writing is very engaging and fun. I loved reading it. Bravo!