Marguerite Mason

If eating more whole foods is one of your goals this year then start with nutrient-dense kale! Kale is one of the healthiest foods in the world, packing in nutrients that help support your hair, skin, and nails as well as your bones. It's heart-healthy - thanks to its high potassium and fiber content - and, it's great for your digestive system.  Most Americans need to add more dark green leafy vegetables, and kale is a tasty one to start with (it even has more nutritional value than spinach).

Kale is excellent in both sweet and savory preparations. Blend it up in a smoothie along with your favorite fruit, roast it in the oven and sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast for healthy chips, or toss shreds into a soup. One of my favorite weeknight winter meals is simply a box of chicken or vegetable broth with white beans or chickpeas, a smoky chicken sausage sliced up, and loads of shredded kale. All year long we grill lacinato kale (also known as dino kale) sprayed with a bit of olive oil on the barbecue, then dress it with lemon juice and Parmesan cheese. It's the perfect salad served warm or cold and as a side or a main dish along with your favorite protein.

Below are some of our Foodista contributors' nutritious and delicious ways to prepare kale every day of the week.

Skinny Kale Basil Pesto
Contributed to Foodista by Healthy Nibbles & Bits

2 cups packed kale leaves
1.5 cups packed basil leaves
1/2 small lemon, juiced
3 garlic cloves
1 TBS miso paste
2 TBS freshly grated parmesan cheese
1/2 TBS chopped walnuts
1 TBS water
1/2 TBS olive oil

Get the instructions here.

Kale Stir Fry with Crispy Curried Tofu 
Contributed to Foodista by Lauren Caris Cooks

Crispy Curried Tofu:
1 block (200g) Firm Tofu
1.5 tsp Curry Powder
1 tbsp Soy Sauce
1/4 Red Cabbage
Stir Fry
3-4 Large Kale Leaves
1 Carrot
1 clove garlic
1 inch piece Fresh Ginger
2 tbsp Soy Sauce
2 portions Wholewheat Noodles

Get the instructions here:

Chicken Kale Energy Bowl with Italian Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce
Contributed to Foodista by Taste and See

1/3 cup Wish-Bone Italian Dressing for marinade
1 bunch of kale
8 ounces sun-dried tomatoes, drained
½ cup Wish-Bone Italian Dressing for sun-dried tomato sauce
22 ounces frozen Tyson Grilled & Ready Chicken Breast Strips
4 TortillaLand (uncooked) Flour Tortillas
½ large cucumber, sliced then quartered
One 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
24 Kalamata olives
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
½ cup toasted sliced almonds
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Fresh cracked pepper

Get the instructions here.

Green Smoothie Bowl with Kale, Plum and Passionfruit Granola Topping
Contributed to Foodista by Vegan.io

For the smoothie bowl:
2 medium banana (chopped)
8 oz kale (washed and chopped)
4 plums (wash and remove stone)
For the topping
4 tablespoons granola
4 passionfruit

Get the instructions here.

Kale Butternut Squash Turkey Soup
Contributed to Foodista by Taste and See

1 large onion, finely chopped
2 celery sticks, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 pounds butternut squash, chopped into 1 inch pieces
1 1/2 pounds potatoes, chopped into 1 inch pieces
15-20 sage leaves, about 3 tablespoons chopped
7 leaves thyme, about 1 tablespoon
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
6 cups turkey stock or chicken stock
4 kale stems, stem removed (about 4 cups of kale)
11/2 pounds cooked turkey meat cubed (or roaster chicken meat cubed)

Get the instructions here. 

Glowing Skin Green Juice
Contributed to Foodista by Happy Foods Tube

4 Large Apples
6 Celery Stalks
2 Kale Leaves

Get the instructions here.

Vegetable Quiche Made With Fresh Tomatoes, Kale, Basil and Goat Cheese
Contributed to Foodista by Delightful Mom

One 10-inch pie crust
4 eggs, 2 egg whites (6 total)
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper
pinch of ground nutmeg
1 cup kale (or spinach), leaves only and chopped (no stems)
2 small tomatoes, finely chopped
1/3 cup slices green onion
1/2 cup goat cheese
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon of flour (I used Spelt)

Get the instructions here.

Spicy Lentil and Black Rice Soup with Kale, Spinach, and Leek
Contributed to Foodista by Saucy Tomatoes

2 cups green lentils
1 cup black, brown or wild rice
2 cups diced carrot
1 red onion (diced)
1 leek (sliced)
3 garlic cloves (minced)
2 celery stalks (diced)
1 bunch kale (chopped - I used purple kale but you can use any type)
1/2 bunch fresh spinach (chopped)
2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp cracked black pepper
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp cayenne
1 tsp cumin
(additional salt and pepper to taste)
4 cups veggie broth
10 cups water

Get the instructions here.