Meals That Heal – Crispy Kale Chips
Crispy Kale Chips are crunchy and salty and the tastiest possible way to eat more greens!
Kale Chips are a fantastic idea. Sometimes you just want a crunchy, salty snack with all your heart… but you need to eat your vegetables too. That’s why kale is a perfect option to keep stocked in your kitchen to make these healthy, crispy treats!
Eastern View: Kale has bitter and astringent qualities. These qualities help to detox and lighten the body and what better time to do that then spring or Kapha season. While kale is best for Pitta and Kapha individuals, when used right, Vatas can benefit from this nutrient-packed plant too.
Kale crops are often sprayed with pesticides so it’s best to buy organic. In all cases wash the veggies to remove any surface chemicals. To keep things on the softer side cut out the center stem and then slice the leaves into small strips. Cook to your liking (or dosha!)
Western View: Arguably the most beneficial property of eating kale is its ability to be a powerful anti-inflammatory agent. When you consider the ideal omega-3:omega-6 ratio, kale is the “perfect food.” According to a study published in Biomedicine and Pharmacotherapy, (1)
Being “pro-inflammatory,” the omega-6 rich processed foods that many people live off of today cause a chronic inflammatory state on a widespread scale, which has been linked to nearly every disease known to man, such as rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s, and cancer.
Kale, on the other hand, naturally promotes the pro-inflammatory omega-6 and anti-inflammatory omega-3 balance. Nearly at a 1:1 ratio, kale contains slightly more omega-3s, which can help reduce the negative effects that people experience when they eat omega-6 rich processed foods loaded with vegetable and canola oil.
One of the top health benefits of kale is that it is a natural detoxifier. It not only helps remove toxins but also helps eliminate them from your body. This is due to a component in kale called isothiocyanates (ITCs) which are made from glucosinolates. They have been reported to help detox your body at the cellular level. (2).
These ITC’s are a powerful “one-two punch” against toxins and free radicals. Toxins in our environment, such as processed foods, pollutants, pesticides, and pharmaceuticals increase the toxic level of the body and increase the chance of disease.
So removing the toxins from your body is an important job. Toxins are destroyed first by antioxidants and then removed (detoxified) with glucosinolates.
Another one of the amazing health benefits of kale is it can improve your eyesight! Two nutrients that give kale it’s dark green hue, lutein and zeaxanthin, have been shown to help prevent macular degeneration and cataracts.
Crispy Kale Chips
Ingredients
- 10 cups green, curly kale, washed with stems removed and torn into bite-sized pieces.
- 1 cup cashews, raw, soaked overnight
- 1 cup sweet potato, grated.
- 4 tbsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 2 tbsp water
- 1 tbsp raw honey
- ½ tsp Himalayan pink salt
Instructions
- Add the washed and torn kale to a large bowl.
- Blend all ingredients in a blender till smooth. The mixture will be thick. Pour over the kale and mix well, massaging the kale with your fingers until evenly coated.
- Place the coated kale onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Cook on 100 degrees F for 3 hours to remove all the moisture. Bake at 150 degrees for 3 hours.
- Remove and enjoy it! Can be stored in an airtight container.
These Crispy Kale Chips are just one great staple to keep at hand in your kitchen – get our complete guide to stocking your Ayurvedic kitchen with healthy and affordable foods!
In health,
